tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136730442024-03-07T19:04:36.098-05:00The Bookshelf"Words, words, words." --HamletJoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-79004151325469421872008-10-21T21:02:00.001-04:002008-10-21T21:05:05.620-04:00In the Woods<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Woods-Tana-French/dp/0143113496/ref=ed_oe_p"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://thegardenofwords.com/gardenblog/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/in-the-woods.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="userReview"><span style="display: none;" id="freeTextContainerreview35631431" class="reviewText">I'm not giving this book five stars because it's a classic. It's enjoyable, but I won't read it again. I'm not giving it five stars because it's the perfect mystery. I figured it out well over a hundred pages before the reveal. And I'm not giving it five stars because it's one of those books that changed my life. It's really not.<br /><br />I'm giving this five stars because I could not put it down! French's little mystery may have just hit me at the perfect time (I've been on an "American canon&qu<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2459785#" onclick="Element.show('freeTextreview35631431'); Element.hide('freeTextContainerreview35631431'); return false;">...more</a></span> <span id="freeTextreview35631431" style="" class="reviewText">I'm not giving this book five stars because it's a classic. It's enjoyable, but I won't read it again. I'm not giving it five stars because it's the perfect mystery. I figured it out well over a hundred pages before the reveal. And I'm not giving it five stars because it's one of those books that changed my life. It's really not.<br /><br />I'm giving this five stars because I could not put it down! French's little mystery may have just hit me at the perfect time (I've been on an "American canon" kick lately, and this was not), but I burned through the pages not out of a sense of responsibility but out of a burning desire to keep reading. I stayed up late at night, I turned off the tv, I even (gasp) read during work--don't tell those kids who were working on worksheets all through World Lit. French's writing is concise, psychological, and figurative all at the same time. She strikes a good balance, and it works.<br /><br />In some ways the story is like a deeper, more interesting <span style="font-style: italic;">Law and Order: SVU</span> set in Ireland. As a child, Rob Ryan and two of his friends disappeared in the woods. He later reappeared shaken, leaning against a tree, and unable to remember anything that happened. When he grew up, Rob became a detective, and when a child is killed at the site of his disappearance, his past and his present begin to meet in unsettling ways.<br /><br />French introduces an interesting--sometimes too interesting--cast of characters, at least one of whom will return in her next novel. I don't want to say who the character is--good or bad, past or present, dead or alive--because I don't want to spoil anything, but I do know that I plan to read her second book.<br /><br />In all, this is a good read. I can't promise it will be five stars for everyone, but for me, now, it was just right. Click to buy. And this one I recommend.<br /></span></span>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-83866086060647859302008-10-14T20:41:00.002-04:002008-10-14T20:43:45.511-04:00Maggie: A Girl of the Streets<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://maggie-crane.pbwiki.com/f/1941540059_0ba5b58949.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://maggie-crane.pbwiki.com/f/1941540059_0ba5b58949.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This book took me about an hour to read, and you know what? It was an hour more than I should have spent with this book.<br /><br />Yeah, yeah, Stephen Crane is an important realist, and his vernacular and depiction of life in the slums is important--not only from a literary but from a historic point of view.<br /><br />But holy cow this was boring. No one is developed enough to be interesting, it's predictably melodramatic, and it's done better and more interestingly a few years (decades?) later by Upton Sinclair in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Jungle</span> and probably other authors I can't recall.<br /><br />The book does have some unintended comedy based on its out-of-datedness, but still. Skip it, unless there's a pressing reason not to. Is <span style="font-style: italic;">The Red Badge of Courage</span> any better?Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-26300849759951056152008-10-13T17:54:00.004-04:002008-10-13T17:58:06.677-04:00For Whom the Bell Tolls<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Whom-Bell-Tolls-Ernest-Hemingway/dp/0684803356/ref=ed_oe_p"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTeh39bkrBhqeYz8INJs5Vi-VMIY9n-L5rHu3XDqxpx4KTBg9JhKh8kiiUInlRVb0_vdmKFKAxnH_-w6rGQdeslcctiZ4QIJiHH0eF-XMWDRSlT2L-Q6zqnr0-UNrfHOPnrOPww/s200/forwhomthebelltolls-744380.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256760671803563842" border="0" /></a>This book took me a while to get through. Partly because it's long. Partly because of psychology (this was one of two books assigned to me that I didn't finish as an undergrad. The other was <span style="font-style: italic;">Daniel Martin</span> by John Fowles, which I will never pick up again, because life is too short.) Anyway, this time I liked it.<br /><br />Of course, at times Hemingway still is a little dull. Robert Jordan thinks himself in circles and Hemingway gives the full thought process every time. Sometimes it works and sometimes I think "OK already, I get it about the dead man" or whatever. Plus, the Spanish formality at times gets a little awkward.<br /><br />Still, how can you not like this story? It's tragic and epic and personal and profound and all that kind of stuff, and some of the twists are pretty good.<br /><br />There is something a little off-putting about the way Robert treats Maria, and the whole love story is a little melodramatic for my tastes ("Did the earth move for thee also?" type of stuff) but those complaints are minor. On the whole it was long but readable and enjoyable. And the last 100 pages flew by.<br /><br />Hemingway is still hit and miss for me, but this was a hit. Click to buy as alwaysJoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-43192897406789389212008-10-03T14:09:00.003-04:002008-10-03T14:13:19.356-04:00King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Arthur-Knights-Round-Puffin-Classics/dp/0141321016/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223057565&sr=8-1"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.janthebooklady.com/images/king-arthur.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I've been trying to find a good King Arthur to use in the Brit Lit class I teach. I tried this one this year, and while it has plenty of classic Arthur stories, it's not written in a particularly informative, interesting, or entertaining way. Green has a few mildly understated (and therefore funny) lines--most of which involve people being surprisingly decapitated--but overall it's a pretty dry retelling of what could and should be exciting material. Arthur stories have inspired and entertained for literally centuries, but if they were always told as dully as Green tells these tales I think they'd be about as familiar as Cuchulain tales--known to small groups, but generally ignored.<br /><br />I'm definitely interested still in finding a good version of the stories, so if you know of one, include it in the comments. Next up (well, in a month or two) is TH White's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Once and Future King</span>, which I hear good things about. I'll let you know how it turns out. Click to buy, but I'm not recommending it really.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-13701036082256474832008-09-28T16:35:00.002-04:002008-09-28T16:38:40.741-04:00The Bell Jar<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Jar-Sylvia-Plath/dp/0061148512/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222634292&sr=8-1"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/bestsellers-2007/2601-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="userReview"><span style="display: none;" id="freeTextContainerreview33500552" class="reviewText">I'm not sure how I feel about this book. The first, more sane half, I enjoyed. The second, post-breakdown half I wasn't as intrigued by, and I'm really not sure why. The character still interested me, and the story still intrigued me, I just didn't feel as motivated to keep reading. So three stars, instead of four.<br /><br />That said, Plath's presentation is engaging and easy to read--at times very funny, at times devastating. The introduction to the novel points out comparisons made by reviewers of t<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6514#" onclick="Element.show('freeTextreview33500552'); Element.hide('freeTextContainerreview33500552'); return false;">...more</a></span> <span id="freeTextreview33500552" style="" class="reviewText">I'm not sure how I feel about this book. The first, more sane half, I enjoyed. The second, post-breakdown half I wasn't as intrigued by, and I'm really not sure why. The character still interested me, and the story still intrigued me, I just didn't feel as motivated to keep reading. So three stars, instead of four.<br /><br />That said, Plath's presentation is engaging and easy to read--at times very funny, at times devastating. The introduction to the novel points out comparisons made by reviewers of the time to <u>Catcher in the Rye</u>, and it makes sense--not only the content, but especially in tone. Esther is older than Holden and certainly more mature, but both novels involve the brokenness of the world in which the protagonist functions, as well as the protagonist's inability to integrate with the world. But Plath seems to emphasize the problems with the narrator--Esther is trapped in a bell jar while the world around continues on--while Salinger points the finger at the corrupt world. And of course the difference in the narrators' genders has huge implications as well, since the pressures of wife and motherhood are such a big part of Esther's life and breakdown.<br /><br />It's an all right book, but I think it's more important given Plath's fate after publication than necessarily being a truly great novel on its own. It feels imcomplete to me (says the never-published-aspiring-novelist), and I would be curious to see what other novels she might have written had she not died. Click to buy as always.<br /></span></span>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-66405654701556795512008-09-20T22:20:00.001-04:002008-09-20T22:21:43.996-04:00Wise Blood<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Wise-Blood-Novel-Flannery-OConnor/dp/0374530637/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221963266&sr=1-1"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/greatest-novels-of-all-time/221-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I love me some Flannery O'Connor short stories, but this took a while for me to get into. Her characters are so skewed, so not-quite-right, that it's tough to relate to them in any way. Enoch Emory is crazy, Hazel Motes is obsessed and fanatical, and Sabbath Hawks is nasty and twisted in her own right.<br />But that's kind of the point. O'Connor's grotesque characters are both inexorably tied to and alienated from their Christianity--in fact, from any moral center at all. That disconnect makes them strangely physical characters, and O'Connor details each action carefully, even the seemingly minute ones. Yet her simple style is effective in showing men (and a couple of women) who are lost--in need of some sort of affirmation or connection. Hazel, for examples, starts out hating the woman across the seat for him but also sure the black porter on the train grew up in the same tiny town as he did. He needs to be recognized, he needs his worldview validated. But it's empty, and barren, and corrupt.<br /><br />The book really picked up in its last three chapters, as all three characters make choices and commit actions that are terrible and, again, grotesque. It's shocking and it's compelling, and ultimately it's pretty interesting.<br /><br />If you like O'Connor's short stories, the novel is worth a read. And if you haven't read O'Connor's short stories, then go start with those.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-15747932725746020772008-09-20T22:10:00.002-04:002008-09-20T22:14:05.483-04:00The Color Purple<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Color-Purple-Alice-Walker/dp/0156028352/ref=ed_oe_p"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.life.arizona.edu/diversity/images/Color_purple.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I made the mistake of putting this on an optional student reading list without reading it. Then I read the first page: rape, incest, and some non-high-school-appropriate language right away. A few chapters in we have a lesbian sexual awakening and a few semi-graphic sex scenes. Whoops! I took it off immediately and had a student who had selected it choose something else.<br /><br />Which isn't to say this is a bad book. In fact, I really enjoyed it. Celie's voice is so strong and unique and powerful (uneducated or not) and her journey of self-discovery is so uplifting that it's still a great story. It's just not a high school appropriate book--or at least not one I feel comfortable teaching.<br /><br />Still, it didn't win the Pulitzer for nothing. Walker's themes of individuality and community, of forgiveness and healing, are all wrapped together so well that I really found myself enjoying it. Her writing is undeniably powerful, and her characters are likable and recognizable, even though the cultures discussed (both African and African American) are very different from my own. I guess if you can handle the more graphic bits, the payoff is worthwhile.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-8776547493280737862008-09-14T22:21:00.003-04:002008-09-14T22:23:46.458-04:00As I Lay Dying<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/As-Lay-Dying-William-Faulkner/dp/067973225X"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/067973225X.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I respect Faulkner, but I can't say I love him. Still, this book was something. What that something was, I'm still figuring out.<br /><br />The novel tells the story of the Bundren family in their quest to bury their recently deceased (well, she's alive but on her death bed when the story opens) mother, Addie. And if you thought your family was dysfunctional, you haven't read enough Faulkner yet. Think turn of the century white trash and you're getting close. The Bundrens are a muddled mass of secrets, lies, confusions, poor choices, selfishness, insanity, and grief. Each chapter is told by a different narrator, and so the story is told in tilted chunks, leaving the reader to piece together the objective truth.<br /><br />There are moments of comedy, and moments of tragedy, and plenty of moments of terribleness. And in the end, I'm not sure who is the heart of the novel. Not Addie, though her death is the central focus of the plot (or at least the inciting incident). Not Anse, who is too mule-headed and self-centered to make good choices for his family. Not Dewey Dell, too much caught up in her own life. Not Vardaman, too young to make much sense of the world. That leaves the three older boys, all of whom are scarred in various ways by their family, mentally, physically, emotionally.<br /><br />I have to admith, though, at times I feel like I have to fight more than I want to in order to understand what's happening. Faulkner is so good at taking you inside the mind that sometimes you're not even sure what exactly the character is actually thinking about. The book grew on me as I read, and it's certainly less daunting than <i>The Sound and the Fury </i>, but I still can't claim to be a major Faulknerian. To respect and appreciate is one thing. To enjoy is something else. As always, click the cover to buy from Amazon--and notice that this book wins the award for creepiest cover.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-40181523864313031112008-09-11T20:36:00.003-04:002008-09-11T20:41:49.680-04:00Slaughterhouse Five<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Slaughterhouse-Five-Kurt-Vonnegut/dp/0385333846/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221179970&sr=8-1"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.marshall.edu/library/bannedbooks/images/slaughterhouse5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I will admit from the beginning that I don't fully get this book. But also I can't not think about it. I posted this passage on my blog, which was probably the highlight of the book for me:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">It was The Gospel from Outer Space, by Kilgore Trout. It was about a visitor from outer space, shaped very much like a Tralfamadorian by the way. The visitor from out space made a very serious study of Christianity to learn, if he could, why Christians found it so easy to be cruel. He concluded that at least part of the trouple was slipshod storytelling in the New Testament. He supposed that the intent of the gospel was to teach people, among other things, to be merciful, even to the lowest of the low.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">But the gospels actually taught this:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Before you kill somedbody, make absolutely sure he isn't well connected. So it goes.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">The flaw in the Christ stories, said the visitor from outer space, was that Christ, who didn't look like much, was actually the Son of the Most Powerful Being in the Universe. Readers understood that, so, when they came to the crucifixion, they naturally thought . . .</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Oh boy--they sure picked the wrong guy to lynch that time!</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">And that thought had a brother: "There are right people to lynch." Who? People not well connected. So it goes.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">The visitor from outer space made a gift to Earth of a new Gospel. In it, Jesus really was a nobody, and a pain in the neck to a lot of people with better connections than he had. He still got to say all the lovely and puzzling things he said in the other Gospels.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">So the people amused themselves one day by nailing him to a cross and planting the cross in the ground. There couldn't possibly be any repercussions, the lynchers thought. The reader would have to think that, too, since the new Gospel hammered home again and again what a nobody Jesus was.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">And then, just before the nobody died, the heavens opened up, and there was thunder and lightning. The voice of God came crashing down. He told people that he was adopting the bum as his son, giving him the full powers and privileges of The Son of the Creator of the Universe thoughout all eternity. God said this: From this moment on, He will punish horribly anybody who torments a bum who has no connections!</span><br /><br />I love it.<br /><br />The book isn't perfect, by any means. Billy Pilgrim is still a bit of a blank to me (though maybe he should be, if it's about fate and choice--he's pushed around through time seemingly with no spine or will) and the climax in Dresden is referenced too much beforehand to have the full emotional impact. So it goes.<br /><br />Still this book has the free-wheeling Vonnegut style that is so readable and enjoyable, even while being over-the-top and crazy-go-nuts. He's a literary madman, but it works.<br /><br />For me the book is really three and a half stars, but since there are no half stars here I'll round it up to four. Engaging and enjoyable, though ultimately not quite as filling as I had hoped. As always, click to buy.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-47359665806679546052008-09-07T15:43:00.002-04:002008-09-07T15:45:34.608-04:00The Fourth Bear<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Bear-Nursery-Crime/dp/0143038923/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220816681&sr=8-1"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n31/n158135.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>So far, this is my favorite of the Jasper Fforde books. The wordplay and puns just keep on coming, but I also enjoyed the meta-fictional elements going on here. Storybook characters who know they're storybook characters (or, in Fforde's parlance, Persons of Dubious Reality), plot devices named and numbered, even comments on flat characters (the sadness of knowing you aren't fully developed) and jokes that are too much of a stretch.<br /><br />As far as the Nursery Crimes go, this one is a beauty: the Gingerbreadman (a serial killer who escapes from a mental institution--seven feet tall and yes, made out of gingerbread), a missing Goldilocks, and even the less nursery rhyme more metaphorically fictional character of Dorian Gray all make an appearance. Oh, and so do Punch and Judy.<br /><br />The novel feels more assured than The Big Over Easy too. Jack Spratt is a more natural (and interesting) main character than Mary Mary, and the story just keeps moving at a better clip. Either that or I'm just getting used to Fforde's writing style. At any rate, I really enjoyed this, and I'm a little sad that the next NCD novel won't be out for at least a year. Still, I can understand an author wanting to do other things with his time besides catering to my whims. Not even I want to cater to my whims all the time, and I'm me. Still, this has re-convinced me to keep going with the Fforde books. His streak for silliness and the unexpected just keeps me coming back for more. As always, click to buy, though you might consider starting at the beginning of the series.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-86760327522375724402008-09-05T09:16:00.002-04:002008-09-05T09:18:22.771-04:00The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Suspicions-Mr-Whicher-Victorian-Detective/dp/0802715354"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BoUQ4zemL._SL500_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>So recently with <span style="font-style: italic;">HeartSick</span> I revealed my penchant for serial killer novels. Know what else I like just as much? Novels about murderers in the Victorian era. Sometimes, like Captain Planet, these powers combine into Victorian serial killer novels (like Caleb Carr's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Alienist</span>).<br /><br />Anyway, I'd heard good things about this true story regarding the murder of a child in 1860s England. (When I say I'd heard good things, I mean about the book, not about the murder). And I have to say, this did a nice job of intersecting a lot of my interests. Not only does Summerscale do a nice job capturing the era and its fads and tenants (the rise of the "detective" figure, the Victorian need for privacy in the home, etc.) but she also connects the case to the fictional detective figure, since Whicher's fame influenced writers from Dickens to Wilkie Collins. So literary influence is nicely dissected as well.<br /><br />If there are any complaints about Summerscale's style (which, again, I predominantly enjoyed), it would be that at times it slips into what feels like pure reportage: listing facts and factual descriptions, rather than creating an evocative world. Still, if you're interested in any of the issues Summerscale tackles, this is definitely worth your time. It's a quick read (3 days, I think) and a fascinating but now forgotten criminal case.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-81576556507076873792008-08-28T23:47:00.003-04:002008-08-28T23:52:44.324-04:00Native Son<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Native-Perennial-Classics-Richard-Wright/dp/006083756X/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219981935&sr=8-2"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www0.dfj.vd.ch/GYPICCARD/TM2008/images/2008richard.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Fascinating. I finished this book minutes before Barack Obama gave his nomination acceptance speech. What a different world today than it was when Wright wrote it. That's not to say the creation of Bigger Thomas isn't still happening around the country today, but advancements have happened and are worth celebrating.<br /><br />I'm not in love with Wright's writing style. I read <u>Black Boy</u> in college and felt like it suffered from the same problems: overly preachy and wordy, with long drawn out speeches and long drawn out (and repetitive) descriptions of how characters are feeling. I felt like he easily could have knocked 100 pages off this thing and still been just as effective--if not more so!<br /><br />Still, passages of the novel have an intensity hard to match. At the end of Book I, when Bigger kills for the first time, I was left breathless--with horror and with shock. There's more to go from there, and Wright steadily and monotonously beats his message drum into the text, but in that savagery--and in a few scenes later on--he gets into the heart of the issue more than pages of philosophizing does. One more classic down, and though not one I would probably teach in class, one I'm glad to have read. Of course, click to buy.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-29783418847556726172008-08-23T20:04:00.002-04:002008-08-23T20:08:26.389-04:00A Clockwork Orange<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Clockwork-Orange-Norton-Paperback-Fiction/dp/0393312836/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219536472&sr=8-2"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.tgpo.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/1422232749_7a1a06d840_o.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>Strange, this book. The content is disturbing--a ride in the ultra-violent mind of Alex, a teenager in a dystopian England who spends his nights attacking and abusing anyone with whom he comes in contact. Yet Burgess is doing some things that are interesting, despite my two-star rating.<br /><br />The language here, first of all, is fascinating. The teenagers of this future speak an amalgam of Russian and English, which makes understanding the narrator both difficult and compelling, a puzzle game of language that is both challenging and rewarding to master.<br /><br />More interesting is the novel's central question regarding the nature of free will. If, like Satan's plan, we are compelled to do good and cannot do evil, are we really good at all? And is the alternative--the ability to be cruel and vicious beyond measure--actually better, or is it just more "authentic"?<br /><br />As a companion piece to George Orwell's <u>1984</u> I really liked the book. Similar themes--even similar content, in that brainwashing and conditioning are central to both--but a very different approach. Orwell gives us Winston, who we want to succeed, while Burgess shoves Alex, whose every act is repugnant, down our throats. Yet is eliminating the humanity of the criminal more righteous than eliminating that of the hero? Perhaps. And yet that justification brings problems of its own.<br /><br />In the end, the book is compelling. And while I'm torn between giving this two stars or three, and while I'm fairly certain I won't be reading it again, it is at least thought-provoking. An interesting work. And one you can click to buy.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-53364696218577699792008-08-22T17:27:00.002-04:002008-08-22T17:30:32.027-04:00Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Jimmy-Corrigan-Smartest-Kid-Earth/dp/0375714545/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219440456&sr=8-2"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/pantheon/graphicnovels/art/corrigan_C.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>It took me a while to tap into what Ware was doing in this book. At first I didn't see much likable about Jimmy or his dad or his grandfather or his great-grandfather, but in time they developed into into thought-provoking studies of human nature. Particularly the grandfather's story was interesting and accessible--and the connection to the Chicago Colombian Exhibition of 1893 was great. It's a subject I have actually studied and returned to several times. Ware does a nice job capturing the White City in all its scale and impressiveness--which is a neat feat, given the simple nature of his art style.<br /><br />Actually, maybe simple isn't right. His pages are really crowded with information and ideas--multiple panels moving in multiple directions--even learning to read them takes a few "chapters." But the result is rewarding. The world he creates is one fastidiously structured and filled with detail, but overall clean and simple. I liked it.<br /><br />And in the end, an enjoyable read. The pacing, characters, and plot all fall more into the novel than the graphic novel category, and the result was I felt like I was reading something fresh and interesting, though not necessarily something I will return to again and again.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-72787053385983268912008-08-18T19:36:00.002-04:002008-08-18T19:41:18.849-04:00Angela's Ashes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Angelas-Ashes-Memoir-Frank-McCourt/dp/B000IFS0HM/ref=pd_sim_b_1"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QFDFRB0RL.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I enjoyed this a second time (mostly because I remember nothing from the first time). McCourt's childhood is ridiculously terrible, and yet this memoir isn't just depressing. There's hope, there's comedy, there's childish optimism. You'd think that, with the memoir genre so much more saturated now than it was when McCourt's book came out, it would seem dated and cliche. It doesn't though. Sure, there's the drunken Irishman, the lack of food, the fleas and lice. But McCourt's voice is so authentic and engaging that those standard tropes seem to be infused with new life.<br /><br />I'm interested to see what the kids will say about it. On the one hand, it's dense (compared to some of what they're used to reading). On the other hand, it's such a fascinating and tragic and hopeful story that I can't imagine them being too turned off. But who knows. Teenagers have surprised me before. (shock!)<br /><br />As always, click the picture to buy from Amazon.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-9486715251592660052008-08-16T14:31:00.005-04:002008-08-16T17:38:38.456-04:00The Price of Privilege<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Price-Privilege-Advantage-Generation-Disconnected/dp/006059585X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218912658&sr=8-1"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://cdn.harpercollins.com/harperimages/isbn/large/5/9780060595845.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I was assigned this book as homework over the summer by my head of school. I know what you're thinking: <span style="font-style: italic;">(Sarcastically) Oh yeah, rich kids have it so tough</span>. And of course in many ways--more than they realize--they don't. The availability and ease of physical objects--from cars and iPods to drugs and alcohol--sets them apart in many ways from most of the world.<br /><br />And yet, I can attest from experience over the last few years here that money does not buy happiness--nor does it buy ability, excellence, or self-worth. In fact, there are a whole series of issues that come with raising young people in this conext. Levine takes a hard look at the growing trends among affluent adolescents--from materialism to overindulgent parents to short-sightedness to a lack of basic self-reliance skills (it's easy not to develop problem-solving skills when Mom always calls to get you out of trouble or make things easier on you)--and on what causes those things.<br /><br />Not surprisingly, she comes down on the parents. And rightly so. In my job as a high school teacher in an affluent community I deal with overinvolved parents on a weekly basis. Parents who cannot understand how a child received a B+ (let alone a C or an F) on an assignment that they "worked so hard on." Parents who go to McDonald's every day at lunch to bring their child a hot Big Mac and Fries. Parents who lie to cover up their children's mistakes. Parents who condone their children's drinking or other illegal activities. It's shocking at times. But these parents--who give so much their children don't learn how to do for themselves--are raising children who not only lack basic life skills but also are selfish and materialistic to the extreme. I deal with that on a daily basis, in ways that my students don't even realize. I have seen so few examples of intellectual curiosity, of genuine interest in knowledge and the outside world, that it shocks me at times. And I don't just mean in English--I'm not so foolish to expect that everyone will love what I love. But there are few students who love anything thought-provoking. They just want to know how to get an A. And at times, they'll cheat to get it. The value set taught to my students is so different than the value-set I was instilled with as a teenager. But then again, I had awesome parents.<br /><br />II don't want it to sound like I teach little zombies. On the contrary, I see so much potential to do so much! But I also see students used to having life (and their education) served to them with little to no effort. As a result, in the teacher's lounge we frequently say "Someday these kids are going to meet the real world and they're going to be unprepared." And in large part it's not their fault. They have been coddled and pampered for far too long. But deep down I think some of them recognize that something isn't right. They know their parents won't be happy unless they have A's and State Championship trophies. They look to external validation rather than internal motivation. In so many ways they make me sad. They miss out on human connections by substituting material connections.<br /><br />Levine's book isn't groundbreaking, but it is important reading, both for would-be parents and for those involved in affluent communities. It makes me want to provide all those things for my students that they are not getting at home: boundaries, warmth, a sincere connection, affirmation, but also expectations--not of outcome, but of effort and application. I can help with that, and I hope that I have offered something to those I teach, but I also know that for the most part I cannot be a substitute for mom and dad. But at the very least I can be a good role model.<br /><br />By the way, lest I make it sound like Levine just slams parents, she's very open to the challenges they themselves face--especially mothers, who are often wrapped in communities where they are expected to put forth a perfect face even while experiencing intense unhappiness. The author stresses the importance of healthy and well-adjusted parents in order to produce healthy and well-adjusted children.<br /><br />All in all, a worthwhile book for those interested in adolescent psychology and development. As always, click the pic to buy from Amazon.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-16722470609196679512008-08-04T09:29:00.002-04:002008-08-04T09:32:33.849-04:00Anansi Boys<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Anansi-Boys-Novel-Neil-Gaiman/dp/0061342394/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217856722&sr=8-2"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.pitt.edu/%7Ebookctr/tradebooks/fiction/index.2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The second outing with Anansi the Spider (he was featured in a smaller role in American Gods) is just as entertaining as the first. The novel tells the story of Fat Charlie Nancy, the son of the god Anansi. When his father dies, Fat Charlie learns that there's more to his heritage--and his family--than he realized.<br /><br />Neil Gaiman is one of my biggest influences as I've been working on a novel this summer, but when I read more of his stuff I just think, "Why do I bother?" His characters are so entertaining, his worlds so believable without trying too hard. He taps that side of magic that teaches about reality, and he makes it look much much easier than it actually is.<br /><br />American Gods is still my favorite of his novels, but if you've already read that, this deserves a read. It's a nice follow-up. I only hope he keeps turning out works for adults. They continually inspire me to be a better writer.<br /><br />Click the cover to buy.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-73150327384931247722008-07-26T21:21:00.003-04:002008-08-04T09:29:03.792-04:00HeartSick<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Heartsick-Chelsea-Cain/dp/0312368461"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://booksxyz.com/covers/full/0312368461.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I was discussing with Amelia the other day why exactly it is I like serial killer books. Thomas Harris, Caleb Carr, Chelsea Cain--all of them deal with some twisted stuff, but I really enjoy all these novels. Maybe the idea of exploring darkness fascinates me, or maybe the fact that I was raised by a psychologist has something to do with it. When all else fails, blame it on your father, I guess.<br /><br />I liked HeartSick. It gets 4 stars not because it was awesomely written--it's pretty standard thriller fare, actually--but because I thought the characters were interesting, unique, and (in more than one case) genuinely intense.<br /><br />Cain moves the story along quickly. It's a quick read and an enjoyable one for people who like thrillers. Be warned, though, there are some gruesome bits. Several sections of the book are flashbacks to when Gretchen Lowell held Archie Sheridan hostage and tortured him. Some of it's pretty intense. But a good read all the same. As always, click on the cover to buy from AmazonJoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-86610252352768985192008-07-24T10:28:00.002-04:002008-07-24T10:31:30.618-04:00Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Oscar-Wilde-Death-No-Importance/dp/1416534830/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216909251&sr=8-1"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.simonsays.com/assets/isbn/1416534830/C_1416534830.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Brandreth has created a respectable little mystery that combines Oscar Wilde's wit with Sherlock Holmes' eye for detail and seemingly prescient knowledge. It's fun, though at times the author seems to be so entertained by the personality of his characters that the story lacks focus. Not much really happens, and when the solution is finally presented it seems a little too neat and tidy, requiring several characters to know the motives of others seemingly before any crime had even been committed.<br /><br />Still, it was enjoyable. Wilde's witty banter and charisma is nicely captured, and his character presents a nice twist on the Holmes and Watson formula--purposefully, I might add; Arthur Conan Doyle is a key player in the drama and seems to model his character on Wilde.<br /><br />I'd recommend it for mystery fans or historical fiction fans, but as a brief and entertaining diversion, not as an essential text. Click on the cover to order the novel from Amazon.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-59647848918988003632008-07-20T23:01:00.003-04:002008-07-20T23:04:59.770-04:002008: Books So FarBooks I've read before have an asterisk. Graphic Novels (yep, I'm that kind of nerd) are marked "gn" and not added to the total.<br /><br />The original goal was 25 books this year. The new goal is 25 new books this year.<br /><br /> gn - Daredevil Vol. 1 (1/8/08)<br /> gn - Ultimate Spider-man Vol. 5 (1/10/08)<br /> gn - Ultimate Spiderman Vol. 6 (1/18/08)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Ethan Frome (1/21/08)</span><br /> gn - The Ultimates (1/24/08)<br /> gn - The Ultimates 2 (1/26/08)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. The Kite Runner (1/26/08)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. A Raisin in the Sun (2/8/08)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Pride and Prejudice (2/8/08)*</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Shutter Island (2/15/08)*</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Their Eyes Were Watching God (3/2/08)*</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. The Old Man and the Sea (3/16/08)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8. The Poe Shadow (3/24/08)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. Frankenstein (3/24/08)*</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. The Great Gatsby (4/14/08)*</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (4/15/08)*</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">12. 1984 (5/5/08)*</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">13. I Love You, Beth Cooper (5/13/08)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">14. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (5/16/08)*</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">15. Give a Boy a Gun (5/18/08)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">16. Winter's Tale (6/04/08)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">17. The Big Over Easy (6/8/08)</span><br /> gn - The Walking Dead Vol. 1 (6/14/08)*<br /> gn - The Walking Dead Vol. 2 (6/14/08)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">18. Then We Came to the End (6/15/08)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">19. Jane Eyre (6/24/08)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">20. Spook (7/2/08)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">21. The Eyre Affair (7/9/08)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">22. Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (7/16/08)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">23. Haroun of the Sea of Stories (7/20/08)</span>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-1155502218317319122006-08-13T16:39:00.000-04:002006-08-13T20:31:40.036-04:00JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL by Susanna Clarke<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.turtleyclub.net/images/covers/jonathan_strange_cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 330px;" src="http://www.turtleyclub.net/images/covers/jonathan_strange_cover.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>After a summer hiatus, The Bookshelf is open once again, and what better way to recommence than by highlighting a book that features books and bookshelves prominently. One thing, however, sets these volumes apart: Magic.<br /><br />Susanna Clarke's<span style="font-style: italic;"> Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell</span> is much like reading an adult Harry Potter novel by way of Charles Dickens. Set in England in the early 1800s, the novel tells of the rise, divide, and eventual destiny of two magicians who bring magic back to England. This is not the magic of parlour tricks and sleight-of-hand, but real honest to goodness magic: ships made of rain, prophecies, Eternal Nights, Fairies, and that sort of thing. The novel spans just over a decade--and at 782 pages, there is plenty of detail to fill up that time period. The book is footnoted extensively with references to fictional histories, letters, tales, cross-references, and so on. Some of these elements--such as Britain's Northern Kingdom and the 300 year reign of the Raven King--are entirely fictional. Others--like the Duke of Wellington and the country's struggles with Napoleon and the madness of King George--are based in fact. When woven together, Clarke creates a deep and richly textured world.<br /><br />And don't let my refernce to Harry Potter fool you. The magic in <span style="font-style: italic;">JS&MN </span>is not cutesy magic with silly names and punning gags. It is treated in the novel with complete seriousness--a profession with a history and weight behind it that put the practice of magic on a level equal with that of Law or the Church. In otherwords, practical magic (distinct from theoretical magic) is the sort of profession a gentleman can take part in, though most real knowledge on the subject has been lost.<br /><br />Clarke also depicts magic as something unsettling and not entirely natural. When Mr. Norrell causes all the statues in a cathedral to speak, for example, as a show of his ability as a magician, the scene is not silly and winking. Instead, the statues speak of crimes they have seen committed in the chapel; they call for revenge and groan their complaints in voices like stone grinding against stone. Thus magic in this world may be wonderful, but it is also awful--in both senses of the word.<br /><br />I'll admit there are times when the novel drags. Clarke's ear for 19th century prose and eye for detail are great talents, but I wonder if she couldn't have cut the book down by a hundred pages or two. The world is painted vividly, and at times it jumps from fascinating to tedious. For the most part, however, her attention to the peculiarities of London life as England begins to take center stage in world events makes the book really enjoyable.<br /><br />I'm a sucker for historical fiction--especially historical fictions set in the 19th century. Clarke's skill as a writer and the intiricacies of the world she creates make this one of the most enjoyable books I've real all summer. While researching for this review, I found out she will have a book of short stories (some of which deal with the characters in this novel) published in just a few months. The fact that--even after nearly 800 pages--I still look forward to more tales in Clarke's world confirms for me just how gratifying her writing can be. Get to know <span style="font-style: italic;">Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell</span>. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-1148411447414528122006-05-23T15:08:00.000-04:002006-05-25T23:03:39.603-04:00Velocity by Dean Koontz<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4152/568/1600/velocity.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4152/568/320/velocity.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I admit, I've got a little bit of a grudge against Dean Koontz. I have fond memories of reading an illustrated young adult book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/044651490X/102-2461312-5010539?v=glance&n=283155">Oddkins </a>when I was 10 or 11 and really liking it. It had very dark themes, fascinating illustrations, and sophisticated writing for a children's book (though Amazon tells me it was actually marketed for adults). In fact I liked that first book so much that I looked for more in that style or with that level of creativity from his later novels. In fact, I was somewhat of an early bloomer in terms of reading comprehension, so early in junior high I skipped over the Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine-level authors and jumped straight into Koontz and King.<br /><br />But somehow Koontz never quite lived up to the promise of that initial book for me. His stories all seemed vaguely familiar, his characters never quite vivid enough to be anything more than characters. I was never drawn into the worlds he created, despite giving him numerous chances. Both my wife and my good friend Shawn have been/are Dean Koontz fans, but to me he was never able to become anything more than a second rate Stephen King. I admit, part of that bias may be due to the sheer number of books the man has turned out. According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Koontz">Wikipedia</a>, Koontz has written and co-written more than 90 books (and that's not counting screenplays, poetry, etc.) in his 61 years on the earth. Perhaps it's just professional jealousy rearing its ugly head, but it's hard for me to imagine maintaining any level of quality with that number of books. Let's be honest, Shakespeare, who wrote only 38 plays, had a few stinkers in there. And Dean Koontz is no Shakespeare.<br /><br />So it was with some pessimism that I picked up <span style="font-style: italic;">Velocity</span> at the airport a couple weeks back. See, airports prompt a certain type of reading (quick, plot-driven, keep-my-mind-off-of-sitting-here-for-three-hours type of action stories), which is why you see mostly Dan Brown and Dean Koontz and James Patterson there, rather than Phillip Roth or Michael Chabon or Jonathan Safran Foer--the more literate contemporary writers. That's ok, and I, as much as anyone, want a page turner in the airport. And by the time Amelia and I arrived at the Philadelphia airport (motto: Hope You Weren't In a Hurry), having finished both <span style="font-style: italic;">Watchmen</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">CandyFreak</span> (to be reviewed later) during the trip already, I was in need of something new. <span style="font-style: italic;">Velocity </span>caught my eye (probably because of that garishly bright cover) and $8 later I had something to read.<br /><br />The story is so simple it's a wonder it hasn't been done before. A bartender comes out of work one day to find a note on his dashboard: "If you don't take this note to the police and get them involved, I will kill a lovely blond schoolteacher somewhere in Napa County. If you do take this note to the police, I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work. You have six hours to decide. The choice is yours." No, this isn't a high-concept Choose Your Own Adventure novel. Instead, the bartender is plunged into a serial killer's twisted game--where he is the pawn! Whoa, sorry, it was like I was writing the book jacket there. Billy, the bartender, gets drawn deeper and deeper into the game and his options become more and more limited--and diabolical! Whooops, happened again. I slipped into "hack writing" mode. You know hack writing mode, where plot points are convenient, if unbelievable (yes, there really is a bottomless pit for disposing of bodies in this book), and nothing really rings true.<br /><br />I give Koontz a hard time, but I actually did find myself getting drawn into the story. It's fast paced and mostly clever, despite some obvious twists. But he--like many of his contemporary New York Times Best-selling authors--often mistakes character traits for depth of character. Billy has: A Wife in a Coma! A Secret from his Past! A Dark and Tortured Soul! Each of these items are talked about plenty, but they're never really explored in any convincing or complex way. So the result is that all of the people in the story (the Beautiful Girl with a Heart of Gold! the Lonely Cop with Broken Dreams!) all become caricatures rather than characters. I can enjoy the plot, but I don't really have anything invested in the people. That type of reading can be fun, but it's what ultimately makes me save this type of book for reading when you're just trying to keep from being bored rather than reading for any depth or thought.<br /><br />Which is all to say, the book is fine for what it is. But I don't see myself rushing out to buy the next Dean Koontz thriller (which was probably published about two weeks after this one)--at least not until I'm stuck at the airport again.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-1147538584915134332006-05-13T12:06:00.000-04:002006-05-13T13:24:09.313-04:00Graphic Novel: WATCHMEN by Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9gnMiIiBGZEf5kAuOGjzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NDgyNWN0BHNlYwNwcm9m/SIG=12hvrb5n1/EXP=1147622818/**http%3a//www.hillcity-comics.com/graphic_novels/dc/watchmen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9gnMiIiBGZEf5kAuOGjzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NDgyNWN0BHNlYwNwcm9m/SIG=12hvrb5n1/EXP=1147622818/**http%3a//www.hillcity-comics.com/graphic_novels/dc/watchmen.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I suppose I should have known better than to start off with a novel based on <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wizard of Oz</span>. I guess that's not particularly manly subject matter, particularly given that the main character is female, so only those whose manliness is so powerful as to not be in question (namely me and my brother) felt confident enough to post a response. Still, you should give that book a chance. It's worthwhile. So is this next selection, however, and I fear it too may be met with scoffing. After all, it's just a comic book, right?<br /><br />Wrong. Though the comics had always had their dirty little underbelly (often in the form of "adult" comics, for example), a funny thing happened in the mid-80s. The rise of two talents with a dystopic vision of the future shifted the subject matter, the audience, and the critical reception of comics and graphic novels to a more mature and serious tone. Those two men were Frank Miller and Alan Moore. Miller (whose work I'll probably examine in future reviews) wrote such classic pieces as <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dark Knight Returns</span> - probably the single most influential Batman comic ever written since Bob Kane developed the character in 1939. He went on to write gritty noir comics such as the acclaimed <span style="font-style: italic;">Sin City</span> series and remains a popular writer and artist today.<br /><br />Writer Alan Moore's relationship to the comics has not been quite so straightforward or so comfortable (though certainly Miller has had his share of disagreements with the industry. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/38/Alanmoore.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 183px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/38/Alanmoore.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>First of all, he looks like this:<br /><br />But don't let that stop you. The author of such well-known works as <span style="font-style: italic;">From Hell</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">V for Vendetta</span>, as well as the immensly popular <span style="font-style: italic;">The League of Extraordinary Gentlement</span> (which, despite being brilliant in print form, was unfortunately adapted as that ridiculously bad film with Sean Connery), Moore is probably one of the most well-read and complicated figures in the industry. He's dark and intelligent, and for the most part so are his comic creations.<br /><br />Perhaps the best example of this is his postmodern superhero epic <span style="font-style: italic;">Watchmen</span>. Let me just get this out of the way: If you're going to read only one graphic novel in your life, it should probably be this one. Published by DC Comics (with whom Moore has an extemely rocky relationship), <span style="font-style: italic;">Watchmen</span> picks up the superhero genre, brushes off all the fluff, and then drills to its rocky core.<br /><br />It is 1985 and superheros are real, though few have actual super powers. Masked avengers, who became popular in the 30s and 40s, have been outlawed since 1977. The two heros still working (sanctioned by the government as weapons in the Cold War of course) use any means necessary to keep the balance of power in place and to prevent the world from slipping into nuclear war. Then one of them is murdered. Former masked crimefighters are being removed from the picture one by one. Is there a Mask Killer at work? Is this a government conspiracy? Are the Russians making their move to take over the world? And can anything stop World War III?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.antenna.nl/zozolala/pix/t1_watchmen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 506px; height: 264px;" src="http://www.antenna.nl/zozolala/pix/t1_watchmen.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Though more than two decades old, <span style="font-style: italic;">Watchmen </span>continues to hold up today. Moore is an incredibly self-aware author, deftly exploring the psychology of his heroes (memorable figures like Rorschach, Nite Owl, the Silk Specter, and Ozymandias), the terror of nuclear annihilation, the price of freedom, and other issues that are still relevant today. As a complement to Moore's writing, Gibbons' artwork is superb. His lines are spare but his pictures are detailed, and the artist has an eye for unique angles. The book is dense--it takes about as long to read as a typical novel--and involves multiple storylines, narrators, and comics within comics. After each "graphic" section there are 2-4 pages of text which complement the story--sections from characters' memoirs, news clippings, business documents, and more. The result is an engrossing and compelling work, fiction at its finest. It's not without cause that <span style="font-style: italic;">Watchmen </span>is the only graphic novel to make Time magazine's list of 100 <a href="http://www.time.com/time/2005/100books/the_complete_list.html">Greatest Novels Since 1923</a> (why 1923 I have no idea).<br /><br />I was captivated from start to finish. There are elements of noir, of detective mystery, of fantasy, of science fiction, and of course of superheroism. The characters are realistic (rarely one-sided) and interesting. Rorschach in particular is a fascinating figure, and though I'd love to see more of him, I really like that these characters haven't been diluted by having their own spin-off series, or what have you. The world of <span style="font-style: italic;">Watchmen</span> is self-contained, and that's a good thing. It would be disappointing if other DC characters (like Superman or Batman) showed up, or if these characters appeared elsewhere. It adds to keeping this graphic novel a unique experience. But believe me, this is one experience worth having. I don't want to overtalk the book, but I'm confident it will surpass your expectations.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.alexmaron.com.br/radarpop/fotos/watch02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.alexmaron.com.br/radarpop/fotos/watch02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-1146865592227927882006-05-05T17:30:00.000-04:002006-05-08T08:46:48.773-04:00Fiction: WICKED by Gregory Maguire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n8/n41744.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n8/n41744.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Here's what I know about <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wizard of Oz</span>:<br /><br />1. When you play Pink Floyd's <span style="font-style: italic;">Dark Side of the Moon</span> after the MGM lion roars 3 times, crazy stuff happens.<br /><br />2. Supposedly some guy tried to kill himself in the background and the scene is in the film.<br /><br />3. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is highly overrated.<br /><br />4. My first big stage break came playing The Wizard at Central Junior High school. My voice hadn't changed yet, so my big threatening line "I am Oz the Great and Terrible" turned out to be pretty hilarious.<br /><br />That's really about it. Yes, I'm from Kansas, so I've heard more Dorothy Gale jokes than should be legally allowed by law, but frankly it was never a story that quite captured my attention. So I never bothered to read the popular series of books (there are 40 of them, by the way -- 14 written by L. Frank Baum and 26 written by other authors) and had no real interest in reading Gregory Maguire's <span style="font-style: italic;">Wicked</span><span style="font-style: italic;">: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West</span>, a retelling of the well-known story from the perspective of the Witch.<br /><br />Then I went to Barnes and Noble, and the book was on sale. I'm a sucker for a sale.<br /><br />Maguire's book was made into a Broadway musical a few years ago, but don't let that scare you away. This author's take on the merry old land of Oz is not rainbows and rousing musical numbers. Rather Maguire's Oz provides a way to explore faith, politics, the nature of evil, racism, and just about anything else you can think of. It's a long tale spanning more than thirty years and with a large cast of characters. While it doesn't always work perfectly, the retelling is enjoyable for the most part, and more sophisticated than you might expect.<br /><br />The Witch, here known as Elphaba, is born under mysterious circumstances in the middle of a sort of religious revival in Munchkinland. Her father, a minister, and her mother, a rich landowner, are befuddled by the fact that their daughter is born green and with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. They take care of the girl but aren't taken with her, doing little more than providing her basic needs. Maguire sets the stage for the age old debate: where does evil come from? Does nature make one wicked, or is it nurture? Of course, the Witch's real "wickedness" is up for debate throughout the book, as each section finds Elphaba at a different turning point in her life--at school (with Glinda-soon-to-be-the-good-witch as her classmate), in the Emerald City, at her castle in the West, and finally -- in the book's last 70 pages -- as she tracks Dorothy through Oz in search of the Ruby Slippers. Don't worry, the shoes' origin and meaning are explained as well.<br /><br />I have to admit, after section two I was never quite as taken with Elphaba as I think I was supposed to be. Why she turned out the way she did is explained well enough, I suppose -- she's marginalized and mocked because of her skin color, for example -- but by making her so prickly she becomes hard for readers to relate to. I understand her religious questions, her frustration with Oz, her broken heart, but I don't necessarily connect with them on the level I think I'm supposed to. I have empathy for her, but I have a hard time liking her. Maybe that just makes me wicked in my own right.<br /><br />Where Maguire excels, I think, is in his portrait of Oz itself. Here the Wizard is a dictator who becomes increasingly fascist as the novel progresses, and the political transformation of the people and the land are where the story really comes to life. Oz the Great and Terrible may be just a man behind a curtain, but he's still the man who controls armies, constructs (or destroys) Yellow Brick Roads, and runs his own private secret police: The Gale Force. Where Maguire only partially succeeds with turning the Witch on her head, he fully succeeds with turning Oz upside down. The slow and insidious advancement of bigotry and violence is indeed menacing, and in this at least it is easy to see why the Witch hates the Wizard and the Wizard must destroy the Witch.<br /><br />In all, this is an enjoyable read, once you open yourself to the world Maguire wants to create. While I haven't read any other of the author's works, he seems to have carved a little nitch for himself in the "upending fairy tales" department. That's a good thing, I think. What inspires, frightens, and teaches us as children continues to have resonance as adults, but -- as most of us find in adulthood -- what we learned then is never quite as simple or straightforward as we took it to be. Life is complicated, and people are rarely just good or just bad. By bringing doubts and questions to Oz, Gregory Maguire makes it less magical perhaps, but he also makes it rewardingly complex. And that just makes it all the more rich.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13673044.post-1146715309026643912006-05-03T23:51:00.000-04:002006-05-04T00:06:13.856-04:00A New BeginningSo here's the deal:<br /><br />Now that school is finally out, I will start having some time to get back to my regular reading interests--however pedestrian or unique they might be. Of course, before much longer I'll have to get back to school preparation, but for now I will enjoy using the old Bookshelf for some reviews and recommendations.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thirfg.demon.co.uk/homepage/webstuff/twightz/time2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.thirfg.demon.co.uk/homepage/webstuff/twightz/time2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I feel kind of like this guy in the Twilight Zone: So many books, and finally time to read!<br /><br />Rather than just telling you what I'm reading (like I did in the past) I'm going to be posting reviews, recommendations for upcoming books, my responses, and more. Part of this is to stay in the habit of thinking critically about what I'm reading, and part of this is to keep myself writing in some form or other.<br /><br />But the biggest part is that I want a place online where interested people can talk about books. That may just be me for a while, but I hope you'll take a few of my recommendations (or recommend a few things to me) and use this place as a sounding board to talk about books, magazines, or anything else you enjoy reading.<br /><br />Come on in, put your feet up, and grab a book. You'll be glad you did.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01261715633477165079noreply@blogger.com3