I am almost finished Don Quixote, YEAH. I am looking at Marcel Proust's IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME, and realized that it is a 6 book series. I may or may not read all 6 books. In fact I will read the first book and if I am enamored with it I may continue reading. I will review the first book, in this group of reading the 100. In fact, if I am supposed to read all six books then I would be reading the 105 books challenge. Anyway, when I complete this 100 books, I will probably change the blog name or maybe continue with the next 100 books I want to read. Thinking about this, I have read over 136 books since starting this blog, probably close to 150 and that does not count some books I did not critique.
Have a good holiday and I hope you receive all the books you want from your wish list.
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Saturday, November 12, 2016
1/2 way through Don Quixote
I am reading Don Quixote and once again we have mention of Cervantes play in discussion between a priest and a canon. I am thinking am I confused about this book, maybe there are two stories in this book and not just Don Quixote, as on pages 458 to 461 we have valedictory poems about Don Quixote, Sancho and Dulcineae. But as I finish reading the poem on page 461, I come across the words: End of the First Part. This means that there is a tease from this supposed author of this tale when he says that all he could find nothing about Don Quixote when he returned home this second time except the above mentioned tributes found in a box. Apparently, he has found more or am I supposed to think we have a different author. Anyway, not done yet only 479 more pages to go. I have decided to forgo any readings until I have conquered this book. Hopefully, I will not run into any knights errant or enchantments that will make me stop reading.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Still Reading
I am almost to the middle of Don Quixote and all the craziness that seems to be infectious to all the people in this story. I also have on my plate a book called BEHIND THE SCENES, which was written by Elizabeth Keckley who was a free woman and seamstress to Mary Todd Lincoln. This is a very controversial book and cost her the allegiance she had with Mrs. Lincoln. Our book club book this month is the LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS by M. L. Stedman. Hopefully all books will be read before the end of the month.
Friday, October 28, 2016
The Bees: Review
THE BEES by Laline Paull, published in 2015 through Harper Collins Publishing. This book is about bees, but more importantly a mutant in the bee world, Flora 717. It has been likened to a dystopian society, in the bee form. Now as an apiarist I had to suspend belief, there are certain liberties and things that just cannot happen in the real bee world, besides the obvious bees chanting prayers, tablets of predictions. Our hero or mutant is inquisitive breaking boundries established in the bee realm, doing many jobs such as cleaner, baby sitter, forager and egg layer. She is in cahoots with a drone and pretty much does whatever she pleases, saying it is for the good of the hive, but is it really.
At my book club, I explained that there were many truths in the story, there are bees that have specific jobs, not as specific as those indicated in the book. There are foragers, queens attendants, drones, protectors and maintenance hive bees. I have seen bees carry out the dead bees, especially on a warm day in winter. I have been attacked by the sentry , whose job is to get me away from the hive. I have watched bees who have gotten lost from the hive die. The bees do have the problems discussed in the book: pesticides, brood disease, attacks by mites, moths and other bees.
In other words this is a book that brings to attention the problems we face with our bee culture and its demise. It is a book about societies clinging to false notions and not moving forward with the times. There are also biases against those that are different and how to overcome the barriers placed in our way.
Not a bad book. Please be careful in your gardens and try not to use pesticides, it is okay to have spots.
At my book club, I explained that there were many truths in the story, there are bees that have specific jobs, not as specific as those indicated in the book. There are foragers, queens attendants, drones, protectors and maintenance hive bees. I have seen bees carry out the dead bees, especially on a warm day in winter. I have been attacked by the sentry , whose job is to get me away from the hive. I have watched bees who have gotten lost from the hive die. The bees do have the problems discussed in the book: pesticides, brood disease, attacks by mites, moths and other bees.
In other words this is a book that brings to attention the problems we face with our bee culture and its demise. It is a book about societies clinging to false notions and not moving forward with the times. There are also biases against those that are different and how to overcome the barriers placed in our way.
Not a bad book. Please be careful in your gardens and try not to use pesticides, it is okay to have spots.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Waiting to review The Bees
I am waiting for the return of my book, so that I can review the book THE BEES by Laline Paull. It was my book club choice for October. I had a good time putting bee related items around the house and using honey in most of my foods. Even made a bee cake. The book does not come with questions at the end like most books do now a days, so I had to cobble some questions together. Our next book for book club will be THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS.
but hurts
I am still reading DON QUIXOTE, and that seems to be taking some extra time. Small print does not help, but if it was not for the small print this book would be in two volumes. Not that I condone book burning, but the scene where they are trying to decide what books should be burned is pretty funny, especially when one of Cervantes books is up for the offering to the fire. Good book so far, but hurts the eyes reading it.
but hurts
I am still reading DON QUIXOTE, and that seems to be taking some extra time. Small print does not help, but if it was not for the small print this book would be in two volumes. Not that I condone book burning, but the scene where they are trying to decide what books should be burned is pretty funny, especially when one of Cervantes books is up for the offering to the fire. Good book so far, but hurts the eyes reading it.
Winter: review
WINTER by Marissa Meyer, the last book in the series that started with CINDER, SCARLET and CRESS. I have to say this is not my favorite book in the series. I kept wanting to move along, it felt slower. I was also not happy with the ending not sure why, it felt unfinished, but maybe that is what we were supposed to feel. Liked the first book and then felt my enthusiasm draining with the other books. It is a lovely series, just wanted it to end sooner than it did. But I am an adult and this was written for a younger audience.
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Started Don Quixote
Okay, I just started reading Don Quixote and so far I love it. That is of course only reading the prologue. The favorite part of that is that it encompasses my whole feeling about the books I have been reading where author's have to put in works or references to other writers, foreign languages abound in a kind of scripted way writers are supposed to make a work of art. He laments in this prologue that his book has none of this and who would consider this a work of art without those things. His friend comes in and says oh well for the foreign language just add lines like these and for the references , if you talk about a giant then reference Goliath and continues for several more things the author can do to get the format of the other authors.
It is hilarious just because he adds this just to get in those things out of the way. I loved it. Now I have not read the entire book, so maybe he does add some more, but to me he just summed up in writing my feelings about what people consider a good writer or author. My daughter tells me I will not be disappointed in reading this book.
Happy Reading
It is hilarious just because he adds this just to get in those things out of the way. I loved it. Now I have not read the entire book, so maybe he does add some more, but to me he just summed up in writing my feelings about what people consider a good writer or author. My daughter tells me I will not be disappointed in reading this book.
Happy Reading
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Undaunted
I am in the midst of several books, I think because I really do not want to start reading Les Miserables, Don Quixote or In Search for Lost Time. I am reading my book club selection, The Bees by Laline Paull. I am also trying to finish up a Judicial Hall by Laurie King, which is a series about Sherlock Homes and Mary Russell. In addition I am trying to finish the series by Marissa Meyer and am almost through Winter.
Having said all that I have started In Search for Lost Time, but keep getting lost in the book, I need to view it on a bigger screen as my phone just makes it seem daunting. I keep looking at the bottom to see how much more I have to go and find I have not made it even 1% finished. I did pick up both Don Quixote and Les Miserables at the library, so they are in my possession. Once I finish them I think I will only have a couple of more books to scrutinize, both of these are books I picked up once before and did not finish for one reason or another. Hopefully, I will be through before the end of the year, but I am thinking we are going to be rolling into 2017.
Happy reading.
Having said all that I have started In Search for Lost Time, but keep getting lost in the book, I need to view it on a bigger screen as my phone just makes it seem daunting. I keep looking at the bottom to see how much more I have to go and find I have not made it even 1% finished. I did pick up both Don Quixote and Les Miserables at the library, so they are in my possession. Once I finish them I think I will only have a couple of more books to scrutinize, both of these are books I picked up once before and did not finish for one reason or another. Hopefully, I will be through before the end of the year, but I am thinking we are going to be rolling into 2017.
Happy reading.
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Review: Slaugherhouse-Five
SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut, my copy published Dell Publishing in December 1991, copyright is 1965.
I had to look up information about the author, to see how close this book mimicked his life. This is a story about a man named Billy Pilgrim who can travel back and forth in time. His timeline sees Billy in WWII, on a planet captured by Tralfamadorians, where he is put in a zoo, his marriage and his life. But mostly he is traveling from his life in WWII. Whenever he is in a difficult situation he time travels. He finds himself eventually in Dresden where his life intersects with our Kurt Vonnegut, though we do not know this is the author, we can only suppose. But Mr. Vonnegut was stationed in Dresden and suffered all the horrors that were indicated in this book. Once again filling the adage that writers write what they know.
I found this book both funny and sad at the same time. The character of Billy Pilgrim and the problems he causes and the adventures he takes are hilarious. But the pain that people endured and the death that he faced was depressing. This is a book about jumping out of yourself to endure that pain and suffering. Good book, well written.
I had to look up information about the author, to see how close this book mimicked his life. This is a story about a man named Billy Pilgrim who can travel back and forth in time. His timeline sees Billy in WWII, on a planet captured by Tralfamadorians, where he is put in a zoo, his marriage and his life. But mostly he is traveling from his life in WWII. Whenever he is in a difficult situation he time travels. He finds himself eventually in Dresden where his life intersects with our Kurt Vonnegut, though we do not know this is the author, we can only suppose. But Mr. Vonnegut was stationed in Dresden and suffered all the horrors that were indicated in this book. Once again filling the adage that writers write what they know.
I found this book both funny and sad at the same time. The character of Billy Pilgrim and the problems he causes and the adventures he takes are hilarious. But the pain that people endured and the death that he faced was depressing. This is a book about jumping out of yourself to endure that pain and suffering. Good book, well written.
Review: The Traitor's Wife
THE TRAITOR'S WIFE by Allison Pataki in 2014 by First Howard Books. This is historical fiction about Benedict Arnold and his wife. There were some liberties taken in regards to the names of staff that worked for the Shippen's and the Arnold's. This book is about Clara the new ladies maid as much as it is about the the treasonous Arnold's. The book starts off with a prologue in which General Washington is sending his regards to the Arnold's about his delay in attending breakfast. Which starts Benedict on a scramble to exit the premises. Then we go back in time, not that far back, to May 1778 when Clara becomes apart of the Shippen household to become the Ladies Maid to both girls. She is warned by Mrs. Quigley the housekeeper that Miss Peggy has a temper and will try to keep Clara for herself. Clara is so enamored with her surroundings and the concept that she has a bed to herself instead of mat in front of a hearth that she maybe did not listen so well to the warning.
As forewarned Peggy takes Clara over and pretends that she is her friend, causing much commotion as the book ensues. Peggy is a loyalist and is flirting with John Andre' who she calls Johnny. He has an assistant who becomes enamored with Clara, so Peggy uses this to her advantage. But then the revolutionaries arrive in Philly and John runs with the British much to Peggy's dismay. But she is an opportunist at best, and even though she vows to hate Benedict Arnold for the things he has done since arriving to Philly, she flirts with him.
Now this book told me things that I did not know about Benedict Arnold, as we were only taught in school that he was a traitor. I did not know the battles he fought in, or the monies he put into the war effort. I did not know about his wife and her role in the treason. I either did not pay attention, or they just did not want to delve into the bits and pieces. In the back section of this book are questions for the author, I suggest you read this, because it seems she used many historical facts in this book. She tells you where she got her information and how she was drawn to write the story.
I really liked her writing style and the history aspect of this book. A great read.
As forewarned Peggy takes Clara over and pretends that she is her friend, causing much commotion as the book ensues. Peggy is a loyalist and is flirting with John Andre' who she calls Johnny. He has an assistant who becomes enamored with Clara, so Peggy uses this to her advantage. But then the revolutionaries arrive in Philly and John runs with the British much to Peggy's dismay. But she is an opportunist at best, and even though she vows to hate Benedict Arnold for the things he has done since arriving to Philly, she flirts with him.
Now this book told me things that I did not know about Benedict Arnold, as we were only taught in school that he was a traitor. I did not know the battles he fought in, or the monies he put into the war effort. I did not know about his wife and her role in the treason. I either did not pay attention, or they just did not want to delve into the bits and pieces. In the back section of this book are questions for the author, I suggest you read this, because it seems she used many historical facts in this book. She tells you where she got her information and how she was drawn to write the story.
I really liked her writing style and the history aspect of this book. A great read.
Monday, September 19, 2016
September Books
I said I was going to read the following for September Don Quixote, The Traitor's Wife and finish Search For Lost Time which I was suppose to start in August. Ulysses took me longer than I thought it would so I have a change up for September. I did read The Traitor's Wife and will write a review next week, after my book club. I have started Search For Lost Time, but according to my phone I have 10000 pages to read, so that may take awhile. I am going to try to read it on a bigger screen and see if I can narrow it down to 5000 pages. This may be one that gets read over all the months. Instead of Don Quixote, I am reading Slaughter House Five, which is of course a shorter book, therefore a faster read. I will probably review that the day after I review The Traitor's Wife.
Happy Fall- cuddle up and read a book.
Happy Fall- cuddle up and read a book.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Review: Ulysses
ULYSSES, by James Joyce, written in 1904, but not published in the United States until 1934, after having the ban lifted by Judge John M. Woosley. My copy was published by Modern Library in 1992.
This book is a day in Dublin, following the characters of Steven Dedalus, Mr. Leonard Bloom and a host of characters that intersect with these two characters. It is a book that is humorous, sacrilegious, racist, perverse and full of characters discussing in pubs, sex, pregnancy, religion, Hamlet and if the ghost is actually Shakespeare's grandfather, politics, death, and just thoughts about everything.
The writing can best be described as different, we go from conversational prose to poetry to song to written with newspaper headings describing what will come next to writing in play form, to the style of question asking who, what where and when and then back to narrative, we have run on sentences, connectedwords that make up the entirety of this book.
A friend of mine said if you don't have time to read it than just read the first and last paragraph in each section, my thought is but first you have to determine the sections. I would also be miss the tingting tingly feeling when you realize that if someone criticizes you for runonsentences, say a teacher, you can calmly point to James Joyce and ask them what they think about his work. Genius maybe, nerve racking definitely.
This book is a day in Dublin, following the characters of Steven Dedalus, Mr. Leonard Bloom and a host of characters that intersect with these two characters. It is a book that is humorous, sacrilegious, racist, perverse and full of characters discussing in pubs, sex, pregnancy, religion, Hamlet and if the ghost is actually Shakespeare's grandfather, politics, death, and just thoughts about everything.
The writing can best be described as different, we go from conversational prose to poetry to song to written with newspaper headings describing what will come next to writing in play form, to the style of question asking who, what where and when and then back to narrative, we have run on sentences, connectedwords that make up the entirety of this book.
A friend of mine said if you don't have time to read it than just read the first and last paragraph in each section, my thought is but first you have to determine the sections. I would also be miss the tingting tingly feeling when you realize that if someone criticizes you for runonsentences, say a teacher, you can calmly point to James Joyce and ask them what they think about his work. Genius maybe, nerve racking definitely.
Friday, September 2, 2016
Not finished
I thought I would be finished by now with Ulysses, I downloaded it to my computer so I could take it on vacation, only to have problems with pulling it up. The internet at hotel was not great so I am sad to say this is a bad excuse, but an excuse none the less. I will say that this is a story about Dublin and it's inhabitants. A kind of day in the life of these inhabitants. It is a very long day. I am waiting for the day to end, as I am still a little more than 1/3 of the way through it. I do however, like the place I am at right now, we have the interaction of people seen through different eyes of the interacties (apparently interacties is not a word, but sorry, if Joyce can make up words, so can I.) I hope it continues in this vein, but as we have switched styles of writing several times, I think I will only have a short window of enjoyment.
Plan B finish this weekend, if I have to read all night. Book be done.
Plan B finish this weekend, if I have to read all night. Book be done.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Once again treading water
How is it the worlds greatest writer by some critics is throwing very short one word sentences or phrases like dringring, dringaring, dringring. I suppose this could be sound he is hearing or just for the heck of it. I finally figured out what the bold typing was trying to emulate on pages 116 to 150, as they were in a publishers office we were seeing headlines for each section of the story. Ingenious but it keeps making me think what is next. This book was deemed smutty in the 1920's, not sure where that fits in, so far, but I am only on page 185. My big problem is that I cannot set the book down and remember who is speaking when I pick it back up. I have to keep going back to see whose thoughts we were following in order to continue. More when I finish, I promised by the end of the month and that is still my goal. It will be better as soon as recognize the style changes for each character.
Summer is almost over, have a pleasant time and read what you like.
Summer is almost over, have a pleasant time and read what you like.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Cinder review
CINDER by Marissa Meyer, published by First Square Fish in 2013, copyright 2012.
This is an interesting concept for Cinderella. Each chapter has a quote from the original Cinderella story and fits the current story beautifully. I love the characters, the setting and the plot. Of course the ending is a cliff hanger so, I have to finish the rest of the books. They will be my in between the rest of the 100 books.
The story occurs after the WW IV, the world has united but is separated into commonwealths. Our characters are from the Eastern Commonwealth, with the Empire being in New Beijing. Cinder is a cyborg who has no idea where she came from but has certain nightmares of burning. She has a stepmother who treats her as a servant, a stepsister who hates her and a twist, she has a stepsister who loves her. She also has a robot, Iko. She is a mechanic and meets Prince Kai at the New Bejing market. Prince Kai whose father, the Emperor, is suffering from a plague called letumosis. This plague has been affecting the population of the world and has no known cure. He is trying to do two main things, find the cure for letumosis before his father dies and find the true heir to Lunar who some people have believe was murdered Queen Levana and others believe she is still alive but in hiding. Enter the bad guy or should I say woman, Queen Levana from Lunar. She desperately wants to get her hands on Prince Kai, so that she can rule the world. She has the ability to glamour people, except Lunar shells. If she finds a lunar shell or someone who can oppose her, she kills them, sometimes by using glamour to kill themselves.
I love the retelling of this story. It was an enjoyable and pretty quick read, especially if you are stuck in an airport. The next book in this series is Scarlet, which I will be reading as soon as I finish Ulysses or as a break from Ulysses. PLEASANT SUMMER READING
This is an interesting concept for Cinderella. Each chapter has a quote from the original Cinderella story and fits the current story beautifully. I love the characters, the setting and the plot. Of course the ending is a cliff hanger so, I have to finish the rest of the books. They will be my in between the rest of the 100 books.
The story occurs after the WW IV, the world has united but is separated into commonwealths. Our characters are from the Eastern Commonwealth, with the Empire being in New Beijing. Cinder is a cyborg who has no idea where she came from but has certain nightmares of burning. She has a stepmother who treats her as a servant, a stepsister who hates her and a twist, she has a stepsister who loves her. She also has a robot, Iko. She is a mechanic and meets Prince Kai at the New Bejing market. Prince Kai whose father, the Emperor, is suffering from a plague called letumosis. This plague has been affecting the population of the world and has no known cure. He is trying to do two main things, find the cure for letumosis before his father dies and find the true heir to Lunar who some people have believe was murdered Queen Levana and others believe she is still alive but in hiding. Enter the bad guy or should I say woman, Queen Levana from Lunar. She desperately wants to get her hands on Prince Kai, so that she can rule the world. She has the ability to glamour people, except Lunar shells. If she finds a lunar shell or someone who can oppose her, she kills them, sometimes by using glamour to kill themselves.
I love the retelling of this story. It was an enjoyable and pretty quick read, especially if you are stuck in an airport. The next book in this series is Scarlet, which I will be reading as soon as I finish Ulysses or as a break from Ulysses. PLEASANT SUMMER READING
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
What's up for August
I have two books listed for August, one I am pretty sure I will finish before the end of the month, probably by the end of next week. The other one may not be done until close to the end of the month , unless of course I really cannot put it down.
My book club book is called Cinder, this book is a teen book and should be a pretty quick read. I have not started it yet, but I am told that it is an interesting read and should go fast. The second book is Ulysses with 780 pages and an interesting lay out in the book. I feel like am looking at a play by Shakespeare. The book is broken down into three parts, with the second part being the longest. There seems to be some shifts in writing through out the book, so we will see if that makes it faster or harder to read. I may have to start writing down characters so that I can keep track of them in the book without having to flip back and forth to find them. Just flipping through the pages I found at least 10 character names and nicknames.
If I finish both of these books, I may read a breather book before jumping into the next book on my 100 list, which I believe I said would be Don Quixote or Les Miserables.
I appreciate all the people reading this blog, thank you for putting up with my delays in putting reviews on this blog.
My book club book is called Cinder, this book is a teen book and should be a pretty quick read. I have not started it yet, but I am told that it is an interesting read and should go fast. The second book is Ulysses with 780 pages and an interesting lay out in the book. I feel like am looking at a play by Shakespeare. The book is broken down into three parts, with the second part being the longest. There seems to be some shifts in writing through out the book, so we will see if that makes it faster or harder to read. I may have to start writing down characters so that I can keep track of them in the book without having to flip back and forth to find them. Just flipping through the pages I found at least 10 character names and nicknames.
If I finish both of these books, I may read a breather book before jumping into the next book on my 100 list, which I believe I said would be Don Quixote or Les Miserables.
I appreciate all the people reading this blog, thank you for putting up with my delays in putting reviews on this blog.
Monday, August 1, 2016
Review: Tropic of Cancer
I have finished the book, yeah, woohoo and all those words that you would probably not find in this book. Before I review the book, I have one statement to make, there were certainly many books banned in the 1930's and 40's. The last few books I have read were banned in the United States for at least 20 to 30 years. I am about to start a new book, Ulysses that was also banned in the U. S.. So my question is did the writers have a contest to see whose book could be banned the longest? I know that there were a few writers who knew each other and some who were mentors to other writers. Just a thought. I think these writers were looking at the times and decided to jump in and change up the style. Now we have romance novels which are racier than some of the scenes in the Tropic of Cancer. Different world.
TROPIC OF CANCER, by Henry Miller published 1961 by Grove Press, Inc. Originally published in Paris, 1934. Banned in US for 27 years. Once again I did not read the introduction, but will after I finished this review. I have been pondering the fact that this book feels like it is written by two different people. Why do I say this? First when I read certain passages, especially when Miller is describing the area he is in the way that he feels, there is almost a poetry to his words. But then when he comes across a friend or is planning to visit a friend the words become crass, baser, especially when describing women. He uses the c... word to describe almost all the women. He has a wife, he obviously loves or not. I was just amazed at the transitions. In the first few chapters, I really thought I was dealing with two different characters of the book, telling their side of a story. I will have to see if he suffered from any diseases that would affect his mind.
I loved his prose, as I said they were beautifully poetic. The story is a bit biographical, I thought this was fiction, but in one section of the book he is talking to his friend on the phone, and the woman that his friend is with gets on the phone and asks "Is this Henry Miller?" In another instance he is called Enrico by a frenchman. SO, I am thinking autobiography?? He also talks about how he likes the title of a book an friend has given his book and wished he had thought of it, instead of the title he had picked for his book. I will let you know what I find out.
There is comparison's made in regards to France and America, which I found to be true even today. There is a quote that I found very appropriate for the election we are about to have for the President of the United State. This is found on page 269 of this book. He is in a room that is part of a university where he is going to work basically for room and board-" I felt free and chained at the same time-like one feels just before election, when all the crooks have been nominated and you are beseeched to vote for the right man." He also compares the way that Americans strive to always be on top and French man strive to just be. Now this might have changed, but has it?
I had to read several passages to my husband because I felt that they were on point with some of our current discussions. A book that makes me think, is always a good book. I just hate the c-word.
TROPIC OF CANCER, by Henry Miller published 1961 by Grove Press, Inc. Originally published in Paris, 1934. Banned in US for 27 years. Once again I did not read the introduction, but will after I finished this review. I have been pondering the fact that this book feels like it is written by two different people. Why do I say this? First when I read certain passages, especially when Miller is describing the area he is in the way that he feels, there is almost a poetry to his words. But then when he comes across a friend or is planning to visit a friend the words become crass, baser, especially when describing women. He uses the c... word to describe almost all the women. He has a wife, he obviously loves or not. I was just amazed at the transitions. In the first few chapters, I really thought I was dealing with two different characters of the book, telling their side of a story. I will have to see if he suffered from any diseases that would affect his mind.
I loved his prose, as I said they were beautifully poetic. The story is a bit biographical, I thought this was fiction, but in one section of the book he is talking to his friend on the phone, and the woman that his friend is with gets on the phone and asks "Is this Henry Miller?" In another instance he is called Enrico by a frenchman. SO, I am thinking autobiography?? He also talks about how he likes the title of a book an friend has given his book and wished he had thought of it, instead of the title he had picked for his book. I will let you know what I find out.
There is comparison's made in regards to France and America, which I found to be true even today. There is a quote that I found very appropriate for the election we are about to have for the President of the United State. This is found on page 269 of this book. He is in a room that is part of a university where he is going to work basically for room and board-" I felt free and chained at the same time-like one feels just before election, when all the crooks have been nominated and you are beseeched to vote for the right man." He also compares the way that Americans strive to always be on top and French man strive to just be. Now this might have changed, but has it?
I had to read several passages to my husband because I felt that they were on point with some of our current discussions. A book that makes me think, is always a good book. I just hate the c-word.
Friday, July 22, 2016
Review: Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
FLIGHT BEHAVIOR by Barbara Kingsolver, published in 2012 by Harper-Collins Publishers. I had the privilege to be invited by my friend to see Ms. Kingsolver speak at a local university. I have to say that I was enthralled by her writing method. I especially liked how she formed her story boards, using pictures of people that helped her visualize their characteristics. Very interesting talk.
How is the best way to get out of a marriage? Do you- (a) act mature and talk with your spouse, (b) realize that this is a good marriage and stay, or (c) think you are in love with someone and try to run off with him. Dellarobia, named for a wreath, chooses (c) at the beginning of the story and is on her way to a love nest aka a hunting blind, when she sees something spectacular in front of her. She believes that this is a sign to change her life.
That is how the story begins and then we are introduced to the rest of the characters; Cub, her husband's nickname because his father is called Bear. Bear the father-in-law who is strapped for cash and wants things done his way, his wife Hester, who dislikes Dellarobia, the children Preston and Cordie, who are smart and need a better educational system, especially Preston. Then there are friends, a minister and scientist who come to observe and record what Dellarobia has seen in the woods.
I was happy to follow these characters and how they developed through-out the book. There are definitely flight behaviors as the title suggests with humans as well as with the butterfly being observed. I love a book that allows me to learn more about a subject that interests me. Well written, nice story and I was not sure how it was going to end, which is always a plus. Makes you think, how would I handle myself in this situation.
How is the best way to get out of a marriage? Do you- (a) act mature and talk with your spouse, (b) realize that this is a good marriage and stay, or (c) think you are in love with someone and try to run off with him. Dellarobia, named for a wreath, chooses (c) at the beginning of the story and is on her way to a love nest aka a hunting blind, when she sees something spectacular in front of her. She believes that this is a sign to change her life.
That is how the story begins and then we are introduced to the rest of the characters; Cub, her husband's nickname because his father is called Bear. Bear the father-in-law who is strapped for cash and wants things done his way, his wife Hester, who dislikes Dellarobia, the children Preston and Cordie, who are smart and need a better educational system, especially Preston. Then there are friends, a minister and scientist who come to observe and record what Dellarobia has seen in the woods.
I was happy to follow these characters and how they developed through-out the book. There are definitely flight behaviors as the title suggests with humans as well as with the butterfly being observed. I love a book that allows me to learn more about a subject that interests me. Well written, nice story and I was not sure how it was going to end, which is always a plus. Makes you think, how would I handle myself in this situation.
Thursday, July 21, 2016
When will it stop
I am so tired of reading books that jump without a divide. Is that a sign of a weak mind? I am reading along in The Tropic of Cancer, when road block, we are now somewhere else or are we? I have to admit I am not enamored with this book and from the first few chapters can see why this was not a publishers choice in the 1930's. I am not even halfway through the book and once again feel the need to write down the characters that get introduced, dropped and reintroduced. From what I gather so far the story is about a down on his luck writer, who is not happy with writer's who are writing. And also not a fan of the women, by his calling them by a word that I hate. SOOOOOOO, french additions aside, I think I will muddle through and pronounce a verdict when I get to the end. Just a taste of where my mind is currently at with respects to this book.
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
What's next for July
The following books are up for July:
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver- Book club to be finished by 15th when I have to return to library.
Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller- not published in USA until 27 years after originally published.
August:
Ulysses by James Joyce- A friend and helpmate to Malcolm Lowry
In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust- My Kindle says it is in 7 volumes, hope they are short volumes.
Cinder (1st book in the Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer- This is a book club pick, told it was easy reading.
September:
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes- Not a fast read
Traitor’s Wife by Allison Pataki - Book Club choice
That leaves me : Les Miserables, The Golden Notebook, The Ambassadors, and Slaughter-house Five (though I may have read this in the past.)
Only 8 more books to go.
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver- Book club to be finished by 15th when I have to return to library.
Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller- not published in USA until 27 years after originally published.
August:
Ulysses by James Joyce- A friend and helpmate to Malcolm Lowry
In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust- My Kindle says it is in 7 volumes, hope they are short volumes.
Cinder (1st book in the Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer- This is a book club pick, told it was easy reading.
September:
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes- Not a fast read
Traitor’s Wife by Allison Pataki - Book Club choice
That leaves me : Les Miserables, The Golden Notebook, The Ambassadors, and Slaughter-house Five (though I may have read this in the past.)
Only 8 more books to go.
Under the Volcano update
Yesterday I said I would read reviews, introduction and afterword and report back. From what I read Malcolm Lowry wrote about his experiences while he was in Mexico. Also, he used his experience at sea to write about Hugh's experiences. Unfortunately, Malcolm Lowry did imbibe heavily while living in Mexico and his wife at that time did leave him according to the notes in the book. He did remarry, but unfortunately remained connected to the bottle and died. I thought it was interesting that he had such vivid understanding of the conflicts of an alcoholic mind.
This book is also about socio-economics, politics, and a heavy reliance on other books to tell the tale, such as Don Quixote. In fact, Hugh is talking about a friend of his whose riding on a donkey, feet touching the ground, on a mission. There is many things this book offers, in regards to the history in which the story is set. Happy reading.
This book is also about socio-economics, politics, and a heavy reliance on other books to tell the tale, such as Don Quixote. In fact, Hugh is talking about a friend of his whose riding on a donkey, feet touching the ground, on a mission. There is many things this book offers, in regards to the history in which the story is set. Happy reading.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Review- Under the Volcano
UNDER THE VOLCANO by Malcolm Lowry, published originally in 1947 by J. B. Lippincott. My copy was published in 2007 by Harper Perennial Modern Classics.
There are two things I would like to note in my thoughts on the book, before I really review it. One is that I fell into a sea of words and was furiously dog paddling throughout the book. I am sure there are others but this book gets the prize for most foreign languages in a book. Obviously, we have Spanish as it is set in Mexico, but also included are French, German and I am pretty sure Latin. It is the only book that I have pulled out my phone and put in phrases so that I could understand what was being said in that passage. I had a vague idea as I have the basics of some of the languages, but not enough to apparently read the passages. I also pulled out my phone to look up some of the people mentioned by Hugh in the book, and yes they are real people, so this book was educational.
It said on the cover "Lowry's Masterpiece...has a claim to being regarded as one of the ten most consequential works of fiction produced in [the twentieth] century" Los Angeles Times. At first I doubted this, but as I read along I was pulled into the characters, I also was depressed by the characters and there particular mind sets. This book goes straight into the minds of the characters:
The Consul, sent by England to Mexico, he is a drunkard prone to self-evaluation as well a his familiars evaluations. As I was reading this I had the feeling of him sitting with the angel and the devil on his shoulders having a debate, but there were more than two. This book happens within a day, so in the self-reflection and self-evaluations we get the prior story of the lives in the book. We also see how alcohol especially the Mescal and Tequila messes with his mind.
But we do not only see his reflections and evaluations of self, we also have his brother who either has a thing for the Consuls wife or actually acted on his infatuation with her, this is one of those treading water experiences for me. He is thinking about his music career, his time on a boat and how he became a journalist. He has multiple causes and opinions about what is and isn't right. He would really like to get Yvonne away from the Consul.
Yvonne is the Consul's wife who left him, mainly for his drinking, but also to see the world. We find out all about her in pages of self-evaluation. I think the most interesting part is when they are at a bull-throwing/riding and the bull is lazily walking around the stadium and all the people are trying to get it to do something. This is when she goes into a dream state with only minor interruptions in her thoughts. After several pages, we get back to the bull. This scenario happens quite frequently in the book, several pages of reflection and then we pick up where we left off briefly and then someone else reflects.
But this book is also about history, we are in Mexico around 1938, Hugh is talking about the Jews and how they are being treated. We have war lords and corrupt politicians in Mexico. They are rules in place that are really weird, such as, not being able to touch a hurt or dying person because you will be thrown in prison. So you have to just let them lie there and hope someone comes along to help. Very barbaric. So while I struggled with the book and had my own self evaluations and reflections, I can imagine that maybe for the time period, it was indeed a consequential work. Not many books delve so deeply into the psyche of a person as this book.
If you read this book, have your encyclopedia ready, maybe a dictionary and some foreign language books on hand or pulled up on your phone. I made mention several blogs ago about whether the author had been to Mexico and yes he had been there, as well as several other places. I did not read the introduction, the afterword or the section called about the book. I wanted to read it with an open mind. Now that I have this written I will go back and read those sections. I will let you know how off the mark I am, or if I almost hit the bulls-eye. I am sure I will learn more about the process and what triggered the writing of this book.
Happy reading.
There are two things I would like to note in my thoughts on the book, before I really review it. One is that I fell into a sea of words and was furiously dog paddling throughout the book. I am sure there are others but this book gets the prize for most foreign languages in a book. Obviously, we have Spanish as it is set in Mexico, but also included are French, German and I am pretty sure Latin. It is the only book that I have pulled out my phone and put in phrases so that I could understand what was being said in that passage. I had a vague idea as I have the basics of some of the languages, but not enough to apparently read the passages. I also pulled out my phone to look up some of the people mentioned by Hugh in the book, and yes they are real people, so this book was educational.
It said on the cover "Lowry's Masterpiece...has a claim to being regarded as one of the ten most consequential works of fiction produced in [the twentieth] century" Los Angeles Times. At first I doubted this, but as I read along I was pulled into the characters, I also was depressed by the characters and there particular mind sets. This book goes straight into the minds of the characters:
The Consul, sent by England to Mexico, he is a drunkard prone to self-evaluation as well a his familiars evaluations. As I was reading this I had the feeling of him sitting with the angel and the devil on his shoulders having a debate, but there were more than two. This book happens within a day, so in the self-reflection and self-evaluations we get the prior story of the lives in the book. We also see how alcohol especially the Mescal and Tequila messes with his mind.
But we do not only see his reflections and evaluations of self, we also have his brother who either has a thing for the Consuls wife or actually acted on his infatuation with her, this is one of those treading water experiences for me. He is thinking about his music career, his time on a boat and how he became a journalist. He has multiple causes and opinions about what is and isn't right. He would really like to get Yvonne away from the Consul.
Yvonne is the Consul's wife who left him, mainly for his drinking, but also to see the world. We find out all about her in pages of self-evaluation. I think the most interesting part is when they are at a bull-throwing/riding and the bull is lazily walking around the stadium and all the people are trying to get it to do something. This is when she goes into a dream state with only minor interruptions in her thoughts. After several pages, we get back to the bull. This scenario happens quite frequently in the book, several pages of reflection and then we pick up where we left off briefly and then someone else reflects.
But this book is also about history, we are in Mexico around 1938, Hugh is talking about the Jews and how they are being treated. We have war lords and corrupt politicians in Mexico. They are rules in place that are really weird, such as, not being able to touch a hurt or dying person because you will be thrown in prison. So you have to just let them lie there and hope someone comes along to help. Very barbaric. So while I struggled with the book and had my own self evaluations and reflections, I can imagine that maybe for the time period, it was indeed a consequential work. Not many books delve so deeply into the psyche of a person as this book.
If you read this book, have your encyclopedia ready, maybe a dictionary and some foreign language books on hand or pulled up on your phone. I made mention several blogs ago about whether the author had been to Mexico and yes he had been there, as well as several other places. I did not read the introduction, the afterword or the section called about the book. I wanted to read it with an open mind. Now that I have this written I will go back and read those sections. I will let you know how off the mark I am, or if I almost hit the bulls-eye. I am sure I will learn more about the process and what triggered the writing of this book.
Happy reading.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
AHHHHHH
Okay, I am reading UNDER THE VOLCANO, by Malcolm Lowry and I am so confused. I am going to have to get a piece of paper and figure out these characters. I thought I knew what was happening and maybe the opening is just throwing me off. I finally got to a place where it is starting to make some sense but who is M. Laruelle? He is talking in the first chapter as if he is the one who lost Yvonne, but he also talks of the Consul. If I read the back cover on the book, I get a sense of who is who, but the first pages get me confused on the characters and their importance. More later, I guess I should read this when I am fully awake and not before I am going to bed. All will be sorted in the end, I hope.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Foreign Language
It seems that every book I have read, has incorporated a foreign language component. In LOLITA and BRIDESHEAD REVISITED, it was French. That has been the case for most books written by British and some American writers. In UNDER THE VOLCANO, I will be brushing up on my Spanish. But here is the funny part, my humor, we are also speaking broken English and I mean really broken English. So broken that I had to reread the dialogue twice in the first few pages. I have heard dialogue with broken English at the movies, but this is worse. I will have to see when it was written, if the author traveled to Mexico, and see if I can figure out who he is imitating in this dialogue. More later, just thought it was interesting. I wonder in order to be a great novel do you have to incorporate a foreign language and not interpreted it for the reader. I am glad I had three years of French it has helped immensely to decipher the passages.
Back to reading.
Back to reading.
Monday, June 13, 2016
OOPS
I forgot I had one other book to read. I have read these last couple of books so fast that I will attempt to do another one for the month of June. I have in paperback form, Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry and Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller. Both look they could be read in two weeks. Flight Behavior has been requested from the library and Ulysses is on my kindle. I plan to read Ulysses while I am exercising on an elliptical machine so, I think my brain is going to possibly explode with words. I do know that I will have to be careful while reading Tropic of Cancer, as I would not like a picture of a naked lady to fall out of my purse in church. Deciding on which to start first Under or Tropic, I will probably read the first few pages to see where my mind wants to go. Have a fantastic June.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Review: Brideshead Revisited
BRIDESHEAD REVISITED, by Evelyn Waugh, copyright 1944/1945 and then Laura Waugh made a renewed copyright in 1972/1973. My book was published by Back Bay books which looks to be a division of Little Brown and Company. The cover page says that is a companion to the PBS television series, so I might have to watch it. This is a book that starts in the 1940's because WWII is happening and Evelyn Waugh was recuperating in the Chagford and writing this book.
The book starts off with the narrator of the story Charles Ryder coming with his unit to Brideshead, where they are to set up camp. This gets him to remember the past and the people who lived at Brideshead. The Flyte family is a well-to-do family of four children, an estranged father who does not live at either of the properties and his wife who is very pious. Charles is introduced to this family through college, Sebastian Flyte becomes one of his college friends. It is interesting because there is very much more than a casual relationship between the two men.
We see multiple relationships and alliances, dissolution of the same and the feeling that all is not right with any of the characters. It is a nice historical piece written at the time of conflict. I am amused by the feeling you get as we got closer to the actual time line of Charles Ryder, the belief that the war would not come to much, followed by Germany not having enough money to wage war, followed by the bombings and still the feeling that it was happening to others. An interesting perspective.
It was a pretty fast read and the characters are intricately woven, I may have to look up some of his other books. History and relationships fascinate me.
The book starts off with the narrator of the story Charles Ryder coming with his unit to Brideshead, where they are to set up camp. This gets him to remember the past and the people who lived at Brideshead. The Flyte family is a well-to-do family of four children, an estranged father who does not live at either of the properties and his wife who is very pious. Charles is introduced to this family through college, Sebastian Flyte becomes one of his college friends. It is interesting because there is very much more than a casual relationship between the two men.
We see multiple relationships and alliances, dissolution of the same and the feeling that all is not right with any of the characters. It is a nice historical piece written at the time of conflict. I am amused by the feeling you get as we got closer to the actual time line of Charles Ryder, the belief that the war would not come to much, followed by Germany not having enough money to wage war, followed by the bombings and still the feeling that it was happening to others. An interesting perspective.
It was a pretty fast read and the characters are intricately woven, I may have to look up some of his other books. History and relationships fascinate me.
Friday, June 10, 2016
What is on my book plate?
I have started BRIDESHEAD REVISITED by Evelyn Waugh and should be done by the end of the month, I love smaller books. I also have in my possession, TROPIC of CANCER and ULYSSES so they will probably be my July books. I think is appropriate since Cancer is the astrological sign for July. I know it is a stretch. For book club I will be reading FLIGHT BEHAVIOR by Kingsolver, so I will have to see how far I get with the other two books. Have fun reading this summer.
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Review: Lolita
LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov, published in France in 1955 and not until 1958 by the Putnam Publishing group. My book was published June 1997, Vintage Books a division of Random House. I must say I have a love hate relationship with this book. I hate the book because of the subject matter, I love the book because of how it was written.
You can tell that Vladimir was a poet because of the prose in the book, his use words and not graphic detail to talk about how Humbert Humbert and Lolita interacted. You knew what was happening without being hit over the head with the act. The story goes into the mind of a man obsessed with what he calls nymphets. He is blinded by his own desires that he does not see that it is a one-sided affair.
In the book towards the end of the story our narrator Humbert Humbert says that he did not want his story released until Lolita and he had passed, because he did not want her harmed by the book. Humbert suggests that the time of release would be around 2000. This is interesting to me because I feel that we have been inoculated with all sorts of criminal behavior. However, having said that I recently read that this book was made into a play with the girl character being older and still it was not well received. This subject is touched on by many of the shows we see and it always makes me cringe. So why was I able to read this book.
I almost stopped at part one in the book, just like many of the publishers who rejected the book. But I decided to carry on, simply because I wanted resolution in the book. What happens to the characters are they stuck in this relationship forever, does she ever get rescued, does anyone ever find out? All these questions plagued me as I read, and he talked of murder in the beginning without saying who, so I needed to find that out. It is so well written that there were times I felt some sympathy for Humbert Humbert, before coming back to the fact that he put himself in this position because of his predilection for nymphets.
In the back of the book Vladimir talks about what drove him to write this book. He said he wrote a short story in France after reading a story about an ape who was kept behind bars, who scientist trained to produce a sketch. The sketch the ape produced was the bars of his cage. That is how Lolita must have felt, if she did what Humbert wanted she got a treat, movie, tennis, party, but if she did not follow the rules she was not allowed to do anything outside of the house.
A good book that I would recommend for adults. The subject matter is off putting and trying to understand the psychology is just too complicated for younger readers, in my opinion.
You can tell that Vladimir was a poet because of the prose in the book, his use words and not graphic detail to talk about how Humbert Humbert and Lolita interacted. You knew what was happening without being hit over the head with the act. The story goes into the mind of a man obsessed with what he calls nymphets. He is blinded by his own desires that he does not see that it is a one-sided affair.
In the book towards the end of the story our narrator Humbert Humbert says that he did not want his story released until Lolita and he had passed, because he did not want her harmed by the book. Humbert suggests that the time of release would be around 2000. This is interesting to me because I feel that we have been inoculated with all sorts of criminal behavior. However, having said that I recently read that this book was made into a play with the girl character being older and still it was not well received. This subject is touched on by many of the shows we see and it always makes me cringe. So why was I able to read this book.
I almost stopped at part one in the book, just like many of the publishers who rejected the book. But I decided to carry on, simply because I wanted resolution in the book. What happens to the characters are they stuck in this relationship forever, does she ever get rescued, does anyone ever find out? All these questions plagued me as I read, and he talked of murder in the beginning without saying who, so I needed to find that out. It is so well written that there were times I felt some sympathy for Humbert Humbert, before coming back to the fact that he put himself in this position because of his predilection for nymphets.
In the back of the book Vladimir talks about what drove him to write this book. He said he wrote a short story in France after reading a story about an ape who was kept behind bars, who scientist trained to produce a sketch. The sketch the ape produced was the bars of his cage. That is how Lolita must have felt, if she did what Humbert wanted she got a treat, movie, tennis, party, but if she did not follow the rules she was not allowed to do anything outside of the house.
A good book that I would recommend for adults. The subject matter is off putting and trying to understand the psychology is just too complicated for younger readers, in my opinion.
Friday, June 3, 2016
Review: The Diary of Mattie Spenser
THE DIARY OF MATTIE SPENSER, by Sandra Dallas was published in 1997 through St. Martin's Press in New York. As the name suggests this is diary entries by a woman who is traveling as a newlywed to the Colorado Territories. The book is found in a small chest in the home of her granddaughter who is getting ready to move into a nursing home. Her friend decides to read the book and make a computer generated copy for Hazel. We go through the hardships, friendships and daily living on an unsustainable land.
Mattie is married at the last minute to a man who had been courting another woman. His proposal is matter of fact and is about as romantic as a watching cement dry. There are Indian attacks, death of friends and children, betrayal, unexpected romance and the hardening of the heart. This is all wrapped up in a 229 page book. It was a book that I did not want to put down, because I was rooting for Mattie as I became caught up in her life. The journal is written from 1865 to 1869, when Mattie decides not to write anymore about her life.
It took two days to read and if you want some history and some feeling of the wild west, then I suggest you might want to read this book. At last a book that did not take a month to finish.
Mattie is married at the last minute to a man who had been courting another woman. His proposal is matter of fact and is about as romantic as a watching cement dry. There are Indian attacks, death of friends and children, betrayal, unexpected romance and the hardening of the heart. This is all wrapped up in a 229 page book. It was a book that I did not want to put down, because I was rooting for Mattie as I became caught up in her life. The journal is written from 1865 to 1869, when Mattie decides not to write anymore about her life.
It took two days to read and if you want some history and some feeling of the wild west, then I suggest you might want to read this book. At last a book that did not take a month to finish.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
June Reads
I am having a in between fast paced mystery book between my book club book and my 100 book pick. I had to clear my head from all the sad looks at life I just read, before I continued with what I am sure will some hard hit areas of life. The book club pick is a book called THE DIARY OF MATTIE SPENCER, by Sandra Dallas. It looks to be a fast read about a woman who has traveled with her husband out west to Colorado Territory. This could mean that I can get two of my 100 book list in this month. LOLITA is my choice for my 100 books. I may also read BRIDESHEAD REVISITED, which had been turned into a miniseries for PBS. These three books should be finished by June or maybe a little in July. Sometimes, when I am not that enthralled with a book, I tend to misplace the book. I hope I do not do that with these three. The books I have left to read for my 100 book challenge, besides those listed above are:
TROPIC OF CANCER
UNDER THE VOLCANO
ULYSSES
DON QUIXOTE
THE GOLDEN NOTEBOOK
IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME
LES MISERABLES (My husband says that the small version I read in French class does not count)
SLAUGHTER HOUSE 5
THE AMBASSADOR ( I am going to attempt to read this again)
Happy summer reading
TROPIC OF CANCER
UNDER THE VOLCANO
ULYSSES
DON QUIXOTE
THE GOLDEN NOTEBOOK
IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME
LES MISERABLES (My husband says that the small version I read in French class does not count)
SLAUGHTER HOUSE 5
THE AMBASSADOR ( I am going to attempt to read this again)
Happy summer reading
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Review x 2: The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling and A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
You may wonder why do two at the same time, but these two books hit on similar subjects and have similar results at the end. One is a little better written than the other, sorry Ms. Rowlings. Maybe I thought I would be grabbed like I was with Harry Potter and maybe you made the characters and the election seem way to normal to bite us at the end, but the first half dragged on too long. Having said that the ending was brilliant, except for one sad bit. I will do both books individually and then bring in the similarities.
THE CASUAL VACANCY by J.K. Rowling, copyright 2012, published in 2012 by Little, Brown and Company. One of the things I liked about the book was the definition of various terms, that I would have not know, at the beginning of each Part of the book. Part One we have the description of a Casual Vacancy - a vacancy that occurs under certain circumstances which it lists the three.
In Part One we have the sudden death of Mr. Barry Fairbrother who is taking his wife to their anniversary dinner when he drops dead while they were entering the Golf Club. This is a small parish, town, where everyone knows, everyone so the rumor mill starts churning with everyone vying to be the first to tell someone else about the news. He was on the Parish council for Pagford and this leaves his seat open. We also find out there are factions on the council some who want the Fields to be taken care of by the town and others who feel it is not their responsibility and it is eating into their town funds to clean trash etc. Also on the table is to ban the Bellchapel Addiction Clinic from using an abandoned church nearby. So all of this part is interesting, but then we get into a very long and drawn out, meeting of the characters and there thoughts and feelings and hints of things that might be happening behind the scenes with these people.
Eventually, it gets to the point where I connect to certain people and want them to achieve what they need. We find out the secrets and we laugh at the way they are exposed. But the book is sad and a reminder that not every book has a happy ending. SO, whereas I liked the book, I did not love the book. I had waited to read it so that my mind would not be skewed by previous books, but alas, the thoughts kept popping up. My husband said, " It did take 7 books to finish Harry Potter. So in that vain, not a bad book.
A FINE BALANCE by Rohinton Mistry, copyright 1995, published in 1997, by Vintage International a division of Random House books. This book is set in India during the period of 1975 to 1984. It starts off in a train heading to the big city. On the train two tailor's and a college student meet and start to talk. We find out their names where they are from and eventually where they are going. The two tailors are related, Uncle Ishvar and his nephew Om are headed to work as tailors for a woman named Dina Dalal. The young college student Maneck is also traveling to the same address but as a boarder not a worker. After some suspicion of the tailors, they travel together to Dina's residence. The young man checks out the residence, the tailors tell Dina they will be back with their work things next week.
We are taken back into time, to see how the tailors, Maneck and Dina end up in their current situations. Each situation unfolds, leading us back and forth through time, until we are entirely in their current time. A time when the Prime Minister rigs an election and then makes a policy to make what she did okay. A time when the corruption is rampant, various pocketing of funds and bribes to make things happen, even if those things are horrendous. The Beautification project, destroying the only homes the homeless have, than abusing them because they are homeless, rounding up beggars and anyone who happened to be on the street at that particular moment and throwing them into harsh working conditions. They would not listen to you even if you had a job. The tailors found themselves in these conditions all the time. The Parent Control situation, where they sterilized people because they could, again just going to a street or festival and rounding up as many people as they could, reminding doctors if they wanted jobs they would do what they were told.
SO many things I did know about the circumstances in India and thinking this was happening all in the 1970's and through the 1980's. I need to pick up or talk to some of my friends who come from India, but what if they were the ones whose families acted the way some of these families did hurting other people because they did not fit into the plan. It makes me shudder. Then ending of this book is so tragic because the one person who may have made it, ends his life. Good read, but it is very graphic in its telling of the brutality.
COMBO: At the beginning of this review I talked about the fact that these two stories have some similarities and of course some differences. They are both dealing with politics and the downtrodden. Both have people who want to suppress the problem by not dealing with it in realms of reality. In A FINE BALANCE we have the Prime Minister not caring about the people but that her streets look clean, removing people by force, castrating, sterilizing people without their consent and letting people get paid for the number of people they can do this to, which makes for a very corrupt situation. In THE CASUAL VACANCY, we have some members of the Parish Council ticked off that the Fields, which never should have been built in their estimation is encroaching on their territory, which means the drug addicts, welfare recipients and poor are using Pagford's funds to maintain the area. They want it to be gone, the difference is that on this council there is the counterpoint, where people believe that the people in the Fields could be helped and are pushing back. The problem is that the leader of helping the Fields is the guy who died.
In both stories it is the children who suffer, in A FINE BALANCE, Om loses his entire family because of the caste system, which was supposed to be abolished, but not in the small mountain villages. His father is tortured for standing up for his rights and the man in control makes sure the whole family disappears. Om is in the city with his uncle and is spared for the moment. For Dina it is the notion of the men having the power, her brother is abusive and hates that his sister is smarter than he is and when the parents die basically enslaves her. Trying to get her to marry one of his friends and hates when she marries someone she actually loves. He considers her an embarrassment. For Maneck who just wants to be home in the mountains with his parents, he is depressed because progress in his small village means his father fears their small store may not be enough for Maneck and sends him to boarding school and college where he is abused sexually by the other students there. He does not tell his parents and they do not tell him how much they wish he would stay at home with them. Instead he feels like they do not want him around and he falls into depression.
THE CASUAL VACANCY is full of parental abuse, (beware there are a ton of characters in this book, so I will be brief). Andrew is called names by his father, punched, smacked and ridiculed her wants nothing more than to find an excuse to destroy his father. Sukvinder is constantly being told by her mother she is a useless person, why could she not be like her siblings. In addition, one of her classmates keeps saying nasty things to her in person and on the internet, she cuts herself. Fats the abuser has to deal with his father and his secret. He goes to school where his father is in charge and his mother is a counselor, so he is always trying to mess with his father. Krystal is the saddest of the characters, always cursing always getting into trouble, sexually active and dealing with her mother the drug addict. She is in charge of taking care of her baby brother making sure he is clean, fed and at nursery. All the parents, except Krystal's are about the power of position and do not care who they tread on to get it. Krystal is in the power of the system and hoping her mom gets clean so she does not have to lose her brother. She has already lost the only person who believed in her, Barry Fairbrother.
These books have a fair amount of death, not only of lives, but spirits being trampled just for the sake of money and power. They both end in tragedy. A tragedy that could have been averted if they only felt they had a way out. I have to say I do enjoy a happy ending, but it is nice when something is not sugar coated. Life is not sugar coated and these two books are all about life, whether it is a corrupt nation or a corrupt small town Parish. I liked the books, but hope my next books are not as depressing.
THE CASUAL VACANCY by J.K. Rowling, copyright 2012, published in 2012 by Little, Brown and Company. One of the things I liked about the book was the definition of various terms, that I would have not know, at the beginning of each Part of the book. Part One we have the description of a Casual Vacancy - a vacancy that occurs under certain circumstances which it lists the three.
In Part One we have the sudden death of Mr. Barry Fairbrother who is taking his wife to their anniversary dinner when he drops dead while they were entering the Golf Club. This is a small parish, town, where everyone knows, everyone so the rumor mill starts churning with everyone vying to be the first to tell someone else about the news. He was on the Parish council for Pagford and this leaves his seat open. We also find out there are factions on the council some who want the Fields to be taken care of by the town and others who feel it is not their responsibility and it is eating into their town funds to clean trash etc. Also on the table is to ban the Bellchapel Addiction Clinic from using an abandoned church nearby. So all of this part is interesting, but then we get into a very long and drawn out, meeting of the characters and there thoughts and feelings and hints of things that might be happening behind the scenes with these people.
Eventually, it gets to the point where I connect to certain people and want them to achieve what they need. We find out the secrets and we laugh at the way they are exposed. But the book is sad and a reminder that not every book has a happy ending. SO, whereas I liked the book, I did not love the book. I had waited to read it so that my mind would not be skewed by previous books, but alas, the thoughts kept popping up. My husband said, " It did take 7 books to finish Harry Potter. So in that vain, not a bad book.
A FINE BALANCE by Rohinton Mistry, copyright 1995, published in 1997, by Vintage International a division of Random House books. This book is set in India during the period of 1975 to 1984. It starts off in a train heading to the big city. On the train two tailor's and a college student meet and start to talk. We find out their names where they are from and eventually where they are going. The two tailors are related, Uncle Ishvar and his nephew Om are headed to work as tailors for a woman named Dina Dalal. The young college student Maneck is also traveling to the same address but as a boarder not a worker. After some suspicion of the tailors, they travel together to Dina's residence. The young man checks out the residence, the tailors tell Dina they will be back with their work things next week.
We are taken back into time, to see how the tailors, Maneck and Dina end up in their current situations. Each situation unfolds, leading us back and forth through time, until we are entirely in their current time. A time when the Prime Minister rigs an election and then makes a policy to make what she did okay. A time when the corruption is rampant, various pocketing of funds and bribes to make things happen, even if those things are horrendous. The Beautification project, destroying the only homes the homeless have, than abusing them because they are homeless, rounding up beggars and anyone who happened to be on the street at that particular moment and throwing them into harsh working conditions. They would not listen to you even if you had a job. The tailors found themselves in these conditions all the time. The Parent Control situation, where they sterilized people because they could, again just going to a street or festival and rounding up as many people as they could, reminding doctors if they wanted jobs they would do what they were told.
SO many things I did know about the circumstances in India and thinking this was happening all in the 1970's and through the 1980's. I need to pick up or talk to some of my friends who come from India, but what if they were the ones whose families acted the way some of these families did hurting other people because they did not fit into the plan. It makes me shudder. Then ending of this book is so tragic because the one person who may have made it, ends his life. Good read, but it is very graphic in its telling of the brutality.
COMBO: At the beginning of this review I talked about the fact that these two stories have some similarities and of course some differences. They are both dealing with politics and the downtrodden. Both have people who want to suppress the problem by not dealing with it in realms of reality. In A FINE BALANCE we have the Prime Minister not caring about the people but that her streets look clean, removing people by force, castrating, sterilizing people without their consent and letting people get paid for the number of people they can do this to, which makes for a very corrupt situation. In THE CASUAL VACANCY, we have some members of the Parish Council ticked off that the Fields, which never should have been built in their estimation is encroaching on their territory, which means the drug addicts, welfare recipients and poor are using Pagford's funds to maintain the area. They want it to be gone, the difference is that on this council there is the counterpoint, where people believe that the people in the Fields could be helped and are pushing back. The problem is that the leader of helping the Fields is the guy who died.
In both stories it is the children who suffer, in A FINE BALANCE, Om loses his entire family because of the caste system, which was supposed to be abolished, but not in the small mountain villages. His father is tortured for standing up for his rights and the man in control makes sure the whole family disappears. Om is in the city with his uncle and is spared for the moment. For Dina it is the notion of the men having the power, her brother is abusive and hates that his sister is smarter than he is and when the parents die basically enslaves her. Trying to get her to marry one of his friends and hates when she marries someone she actually loves. He considers her an embarrassment. For Maneck who just wants to be home in the mountains with his parents, he is depressed because progress in his small village means his father fears their small store may not be enough for Maneck and sends him to boarding school and college where he is abused sexually by the other students there. He does not tell his parents and they do not tell him how much they wish he would stay at home with them. Instead he feels like they do not want him around and he falls into depression.
THE CASUAL VACANCY is full of parental abuse, (beware there are a ton of characters in this book, so I will be brief). Andrew is called names by his father, punched, smacked and ridiculed her wants nothing more than to find an excuse to destroy his father. Sukvinder is constantly being told by her mother she is a useless person, why could she not be like her siblings. In addition, one of her classmates keeps saying nasty things to her in person and on the internet, she cuts herself. Fats the abuser has to deal with his father and his secret. He goes to school where his father is in charge and his mother is a counselor, so he is always trying to mess with his father. Krystal is the saddest of the characters, always cursing always getting into trouble, sexually active and dealing with her mother the drug addict. She is in charge of taking care of her baby brother making sure he is clean, fed and at nursery. All the parents, except Krystal's are about the power of position and do not care who they tread on to get it. Krystal is in the power of the system and hoping her mom gets clean so she does not have to lose her brother. She has already lost the only person who believed in her, Barry Fairbrother.
These books have a fair amount of death, not only of lives, but spirits being trampled just for the sake of money and power. They both end in tragedy. A tragedy that could have been averted if they only felt they had a way out. I have to say I do enjoy a happy ending, but it is nice when something is not sugar coated. Life is not sugar coated and these two books are all about life, whether it is a corrupt nation or a corrupt small town Parish. I liked the books, but hope my next books are not as depressing.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Running Behind
Still in the midst of reading A FINE BALANCE and my book club book A CASUAL VACANCY. I have been trying to read one or two chapters a day in both books, I promise that I will be done soon. I do have one thing to say about A FINE BALANCE, whomever picked the title of the book and the cover of the book, made an excellent choice. This book is all about living life balanced on a pinhead, one step the wrong way and your life could be over. I am hoping that this brutality is just fiction, but I suspect like all fiction there is a truth in this story.
For all mom's out there, Happy Mother's Day and strength be with you if your children cannot be with you this mother's day. My kids are hiking the AT and working in DC, so they are not with me in person but always with me in love.
For all mom's out there, Happy Mother's Day and strength be with you if your children cannot be with you this mother's day. My kids are hiking the AT and working in DC, so they are not with me in person but always with me in love.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Keep Quiet-review
KEEP QUIET by Lisa Scottoline published by St. Martin's Press in 2014. This book is a very fast read, why? First you just want to smack the characters in the head and then you want them to do the right thing and you are hoping that they do it sooner rather than later. I did not want to put the book down because I wanted desperately to find out the above things.
This book starts out with two characters Jake the father, financier and workaholic, picking up his son Ryan, high school basketball player and good student, who is somewhat estranged from his father. This is because his father is a workaholic and hardly has time for his son's academically or with sports. That seems to be the job of the mother Pam. Pam wants them to bond more so she sends Jake to pick up Ryan from the movies. Jake wants to be the cool parent so when Ryan begs to let him drive his new car, Jake says yes. Then on a blind curve they hit a body, one not seen by either person. Ryan had been smoking marijuana, so instead of calling 911, they leave the body. They do not tell anyone, including Pam who is a judge. They decide to keep quiet.
However, our author decided to put some twists and turns in the book, that come out slowly, which makes you want to read faster. At my book club we discussed the style of book, what our emotions were and whether we would do what Jake did to protect his son, especially when that son had to deal with the fact that the body was a classmate and he had to go to school where everyone was mourning her. Maybe my book club is not risk takers, but we would not have left the body there. We, unanimously, said we would have called 911. I said why not hide the weed, they may have checked if he was drinking, but with the father in the car, they probably would not have been so suspicious of the event. But, then we would not have a story with blackmail, murder, guilt, ruin and deceit.
Overall, an emotional account that makes you think "What would I do?" Good book.
This book starts out with two characters Jake the father, financier and workaholic, picking up his son Ryan, high school basketball player and good student, who is somewhat estranged from his father. This is because his father is a workaholic and hardly has time for his son's academically or with sports. That seems to be the job of the mother Pam. Pam wants them to bond more so she sends Jake to pick up Ryan from the movies. Jake wants to be the cool parent so when Ryan begs to let him drive his new car, Jake says yes. Then on a blind curve they hit a body, one not seen by either person. Ryan had been smoking marijuana, so instead of calling 911, they leave the body. They do not tell anyone, including Pam who is a judge. They decide to keep quiet.
However, our author decided to put some twists and turns in the book, that come out slowly, which makes you want to read faster. At my book club we discussed the style of book, what our emotions were and whether we would do what Jake did to protect his son, especially when that son had to deal with the fact that the body was a classmate and he had to go to school where everyone was mourning her. Maybe my book club is not risk takers, but we would not have left the body there. We, unanimously, said we would have called 911. I said why not hide the weed, they may have checked if he was drinking, but with the father in the car, they probably would not have been so suspicious of the event. But, then we would not have a story with blackmail, murder, guilt, ruin and deceit.
Overall, an emotional account that makes you think "What would I do?" Good book.
Hamlet review
HAMLET by William Shakespeare?, my copy was in THE COMPLETE OXFORD SHAKESPEARE, III-Tradgedies, published by Oxford Press in 1987. The book play starts on page 1121 with an introduction and backstory why the play was written and some questions about the multitude of copies with additions and subtractions to the story. In the back of this play are the scenes that had been left out in the copy that I read. I have to be truthful, I have never sat down and read all of Shakespeare, I do prefer to see it acted out. The thing is I have this series all which is divided into sections: Histories, Comedies and Tragedies, so I think I will read some of them maybe not all of them.
One of the difficulties I had was getting into a rhythm to read the account of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. I would be rolling along and it was if Shakespeare, went hold on lets trip them up a bit, I'll add some rhyming sections and then throw them into the wind. That is why I thought the part: Act 3 scene 2, line 273, Hamlet is talking to Horatio and has just finished saying
" A whole one, I.
For thou dost know, O Damon dear,
This realm was
Of Jove himself, and now reigns here
A very, very -pajock"
Horatio: You might have rhymed.,
was rather funny, because I was thinking the same exact thing.
Anyway we have lovely passages in this tragic story of murder, betrayal, madness and revenge. In the end well, if you have ever seen the play or had to read snippets in English class, you know how it ends. IF you have not done any of those things, then read the play. It is not that difficult and you may be surprised at the number of passages you have heard people use around you. Things like "Get thee to a nunnery" or "To be or not to be; that is the question:" It is so much fun to read things in context and see how much Shakespeare contributed with his plays. O
You may ask, "Why did you put a question mark next to William Shakespeare," well there has always been some little controversy about whether he did or did not write theses plays. and the introduction says that in 1598, this play was not attributed to Shakespeare, and there is a person named James Roberts that was recognized as the playwright in 1602 for one called The Revenge of Hamlet Prince [of] Denmark. Just like Shakespeare's plays, his life was full of controversy.
One of the difficulties I had was getting into a rhythm to read the account of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. I would be rolling along and it was if Shakespeare, went hold on lets trip them up a bit, I'll add some rhyming sections and then throw them into the wind. That is why I thought the part: Act 3 scene 2, line 273, Hamlet is talking to Horatio and has just finished saying
" A whole one, I.
For thou dost know, O Damon dear,
This realm was
Of Jove himself, and now reigns here
A very, very -pajock"
Horatio: You might have rhymed.,
was rather funny, because I was thinking the same exact thing.
Anyway we have lovely passages in this tragic story of murder, betrayal, madness and revenge. In the end well, if you have ever seen the play or had to read snippets in English class, you know how it ends. IF you have not done any of those things, then read the play. It is not that difficult and you may be surprised at the number of passages you have heard people use around you. Things like "Get thee to a nunnery" or "To be or not to be; that is the question:" It is so much fun to read things in context and see how much Shakespeare contributed with his plays. O
You may ask, "Why did you put a question mark next to William Shakespeare," well there has always been some little controversy about whether he did or did not write theses plays. and the introduction says that in 1598, this play was not attributed to Shakespeare, and there is a person named James Roberts that was recognized as the playwright in 1602 for one called The Revenge of Hamlet Prince [of] Denmark. Just like Shakespeare's plays, his life was full of controversy.
Friday, April 22, 2016
Back to the other books
I have started reading HAMLET again and I need to check out A FINE BALANCE again at the library. I think I may just find a used copy, so that I do not have to keep rechecking out the book. I did find a used copy of LOLITA and several other books that I was having difficulty being able to check out at my local library. TROPIC OF CANCER, seems to be in the where the heck is this book, because I have had it on order at the library for several months. They think it maybe lost. That means I have at least 5 used books coming in the mail in the next couple of weeks. This should speed up the review process. In the meantime, I do have some book club books I can review, but I am going to wait until Monday to see what other people thought of the book. I have written my own notes as comparison.
If I finish HAMLET this weekend I will write a review by Sunday.
Happy Earth Day.
If I finish HAMLET this weekend I will write a review by Sunday.
Happy Earth Day.
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Review: Catch-22
CATCH-22 written by Joseph Heller in 1961, though the copyright was 1955 and 1961. My copy was a re-release in 2011 by Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. in this copy there is an introduction by Christopher Buckley. I did not read the introduction, preferring to read it after I have written a review. There are also notes in the back that goes over Mr. Heller's notes and reviews from various people. I did not read those either, choosing to come up with my own thoughts on this book. I will read them after I write this review. Maybe I will add some new notes after reading them, but that will be a different page.
The phrase Catch-22 is still in use today. I have used it several times to explain the way the world works to my children. In this book there are some crazy uses, such as Catch-22 used when someone says they are crazy to get out of service, the catch is that if you think you are crazy then you are not really crazy because you want to get out of the service because you are trying to preserve your life which is clearly not a crazy thing to do. The book goes on and on dumping the Catch-22 when ever they want to explain something away. Even if that is all they say, " Well, it was because of Catch-22," leaving the hearer trying to figure out what it means.
The characters are terrific and terrifying. We have the main character Yossarian, who is tired of flying missions, only to have the number of flights increasing every time he is within three flights of going home. Then Colonel Cathcart who is the one increasing the missions, for a couple of reasons, one he gets mad at something the men do or he is afraid to order in new replacements because he has to train them. Milo Mindbender who is making money on both sides of the war effort, with his syndicate, even bombing his own men to make a buck. The Chaplain who is questioning God and whether he saw a miracle of a naked man in a tree. Plus a whole host of other characters which make this story come to life.
The setting like the characters are fictitious, an island in the Mediterranean Sea which serves as the Air Force base where excursions to Rome to meet prostitutes was the norm. Mindbender used resources to fly everywhere to help the syndicate get supplies. He wanted to bilk the military of 1000's of dollars and give it to members of the syndicate, which was everyone.
I loved this book, being a military spouse there were several times our orders changed just because of what was needed at the time. I related to you can't do this because of that, then the change where they did it anyway. A very comical, dramatic and well written book. GREAT.
The phrase Catch-22 is still in use today. I have used it several times to explain the way the world works to my children. In this book there are some crazy uses, such as Catch-22 used when someone says they are crazy to get out of service, the catch is that if you think you are crazy then you are not really crazy because you want to get out of the service because you are trying to preserve your life which is clearly not a crazy thing to do. The book goes on and on dumping the Catch-22 when ever they want to explain something away. Even if that is all they say, " Well, it was because of Catch-22," leaving the hearer trying to figure out what it means.
The characters are terrific and terrifying. We have the main character Yossarian, who is tired of flying missions, only to have the number of flights increasing every time he is within three flights of going home. Then Colonel Cathcart who is the one increasing the missions, for a couple of reasons, one he gets mad at something the men do or he is afraid to order in new replacements because he has to train them. Milo Mindbender who is making money on both sides of the war effort, with his syndicate, even bombing his own men to make a buck. The Chaplain who is questioning God and whether he saw a miracle of a naked man in a tree. Plus a whole host of other characters which make this story come to life.
The setting like the characters are fictitious, an island in the Mediterranean Sea which serves as the Air Force base where excursions to Rome to meet prostitutes was the norm. Mindbender used resources to fly everywhere to help the syndicate get supplies. He wanted to bilk the military of 1000's of dollars and give it to members of the syndicate, which was everyone.
I loved this book, being a military spouse there were several times our orders changed just because of what was needed at the time. I related to you can't do this because of that, then the change where they did it anyway. A very comical, dramatic and well written book. GREAT.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Switch
I was going to review HAMLET and A FINER BALANCE by the end of March, but the book that is due back first is CATCH-22. This is a required reading book for our school system, so I can only keep it a few days. It has been on my request list for some time, so when it became available I picked it up. This means Hamlet will have to remain consumed with grief for a little bit longer and that the characters in A FINER BALANCE will continue to vex each other.
Friday, March 4, 2016
The Girl on the Train
THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins, published by Riverside Books a division on Penguin Books in 2015. This is a psychological thriller set in London and surrounding areas. The book is broken down into three viewpoints, Rachel who is our alcoholic who has been divorced and takes the train past her house, that still belongs to her husband and his new wife and baby, on the way to London. But more importantly, the train stops at the house that is four doors down from her house, she has made a fantasy life for the couple she does not know and has even given them fake names. This commute happens every weekday, while she drinks and watches, catching a glimpse one day of Jess with another man. She is obssessed with her husband as well, calling all the time to speak to him.
Then we have the thoughts of Megan the woman that Rachel calls Jess, and her inability to commit. We learn she has had a troubled past but this is not revealed until close to the end. She unfortunately, disappears the day after Rachel sees her with another man. But the thoughts we hear are those from earlier in time. Rachel's start Friday, July 5th, 2013 and Megan's start Wednesday, May 16, 2012.
Then late into the book we start getting the thoughts of Anna, the wife to Rachel's ex-husband Tom. She has a baby and is paranoid, especially when it comes to Rachel, who has repeatedly harrassed them when Rachel is drunk, which seems all the time. She would like it if Rachel would just disappear and she constantly asks her husband to take care of it, She finally decides to let the police know, right after Megan disappears.
Rachel just happens to be in Whitney, near her old home when Megan disappears. She is knock down drunk and gets attacked but she is prone to black-outs so she cannot remember anything. All she remembers is a red haired man. She is interviewed by the police and makes up stories. Then they receive word about her drunkeness and decide to ignore her remarks. So she becomes the unreliable witness.
There are lots of twists and turns and though I am pretty good at solving mysteries, this one had me thinking until the end. I mentioned this before, do not read at bedtime. I kept trying to solve it in my sleep, which led to some pretty graphic dreams. Great book.
Then we have the thoughts of Megan the woman that Rachel calls Jess, and her inability to commit. We learn she has had a troubled past but this is not revealed until close to the end. She unfortunately, disappears the day after Rachel sees her with another man. But the thoughts we hear are those from earlier in time. Rachel's start Friday, July 5th, 2013 and Megan's start Wednesday, May 16, 2012.
Then late into the book we start getting the thoughts of Anna, the wife to Rachel's ex-husband Tom. She has a baby and is paranoid, especially when it comes to Rachel, who has repeatedly harrassed them when Rachel is drunk, which seems all the time. She would like it if Rachel would just disappear and she constantly asks her husband to take care of it, She finally decides to let the police know, right after Megan disappears.
Rachel just happens to be in Whitney, near her old home when Megan disappears. She is knock down drunk and gets attacked but she is prone to black-outs so she cannot remember anything. All she remembers is a red haired man. She is interviewed by the police and makes up stories. Then they receive word about her drunkeness and decide to ignore her remarks. So she becomes the unreliable witness.
There are lots of twists and turns and though I am pretty good at solving mysteries, this one had me thinking until the end. I mentioned this before, do not read at bedtime. I kept trying to solve it in my sleep, which led to some pretty graphic dreams. Great book.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
My next books
It is March and like all good March days it has decided to go from 65 degrees yesterday to only 45 degrees today. Seems like a good time to write and read. My next three books are:
1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
2. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
3. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
I plan to have the first book finished by March 10, because that is when it is due back to the library, but I am pretty sure it will be finished today or Friday. I have to let myself read it during the day, at night before bed gave me nightmares.
Hamlet and A Fine Balance, I hope to have read by the end of March. I am reading Hamlet without notation, so I may have to reread and get into the tempo of the story, A Fine Balance is 601 pages, so definitley going to take some time, unless of course it is a fast read. I have not found anything recently that has 600 pages to be a fast read. Here's hoping I am wrong.
Hopefully, some of my other must read 100 will be at the library soon, or I will just have to download them. Happy March Windsday.
1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
2. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
3. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
I plan to have the first book finished by March 10, because that is when it is due back to the library, but I am pretty sure it will be finished today or Friday. I have to let myself read it during the day, at night before bed gave me nightmares.
Hamlet and A Fine Balance, I hope to have read by the end of March. I am reading Hamlet without notation, so I may have to reread and get into the tempo of the story, A Fine Balance is 601 pages, so definitley going to take some time, unless of course it is a fast read. I have not found anything recently that has 600 pages to be a fast read. Here's hoping I am wrong.
Hopefully, some of my other must read 100 will be at the library soon, or I will just have to download them. Happy March Windsday.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Native Son- review
NATIVE SON written by Richard Wright, published by Harper Perennial Modern Classics in 2005. Originally published by Harper & Brothers in 1940. The story is broken down into three sections: Fear, Flight, and Fate. Then there is an author section entitled "How 'Bigger' was Born" written originally for The Saturday Review of Literature, June 1, 1940. It was then added to Mr. Wrights books. I enjoyed reading the character development that Mr. Wright used for Bigger and his nod to the fact it doesn't matter what the skin tone there are always Biggers in the world. He also commented that he had written short stories and it made people weep and think that white people felt the need to crusade, that he wrote this story to combat that feeling. That he did not want people to cry for the characters. Well, I have to say that this book saddened me, maybe because it is 70 some years later, but the characters made me feel that it should have been different for African Americans. I cannot and will not use the words that Mr. Wright used for the blacks portrayed in the book.
So how do you right a synopsis on a book that is still relevant today, in terms of politics, minorities and depressed economies. When Mr. Wright wrote this book, he could not come up with a beginning, wrote the whole book, except for the beginning and end, went back and edited and then came up with both, tying them together. Let me start with FEAR concept, this does not just show up in the first segment but is what guides Bigger throughout the whole book. His decisions are based solely on fear and anger. He is angry and fearful of his situation in life. He at the age of 20 has to be the sole bread winner for his Mom, sister Vera and his brother Buddy. He and his friends rob from other black people and are thinking of robbing from a white man. But he is afraid that if he does this he might get caught and his Mom and Vera are always nagging on him to go to the job that relief offered him. So to appear bigger to his friends and not caring, he proposes they pull this heist off before he goes for his job interview. He tries to make it seem like his friend Gus is the fearful one, so beats Gus up to get out of the heist and tells him your fear made you late, it is too late to do the job.
So is he afraid to succeed, afraid to fail, afraid to break out of this poverty or afraid what he would do to someone who made him feel bad about himself. It is a combination of these things that make up Bigger. He does go to his interview and comes to work for a man named Henry Dalton, who has a wild daughter, who hangs out with a communist named Jan. On his first night she puts him in several uncomfortable positions and he thinks she is doing it to make him feel that discomfort, but she really is trying to help but her naitvity works against her. The final problem comes when he finds himself alone with Mary Dalton, who is can't stand up drunk, and he is not sure how to get her in the house and to her room. She suggests he carries her and she passes out. Mom, who is blind, comes in the room and instead of explaining, because black men are not supposed to be in white a white woman's bedroom, he becomes fearful and sticks a pillow over her face and holds her down. She dies.
The rest of the story is him hiding the body, pretending that someone else was at fault, being found out, evading police, getting caught and being put on trial and being represented by a communist lawyer. All throughout these sequences Bigger acts on fear and anger, except in the end.
He lived in a one room apartment with his Mom, brother and sister. They lived in what is called Chicago's Black Belt. Though there were buildings just outside the Black Belt they could not live in them because they were for white folk and had been abandoned for the most part because they were to close to the Black Belt. This is a historical fact about the region. In addition, the black community was always the first rounded up when there was a crime, especially if it involved a white woman. It seems that the authorities always added rape to any crime committed, because it was a crime punishable by death. Not a time I would want to live in, but then have we remained the same in some instances do we still jump to conclusions, act irrationally depending on race. As Mr. Wright pointed out in his book, there are Bigger's who let fear and anger control them and they come in all races. But do we only hear about the African American races.
Many questions, many feelings were aroused by this book. Especially, reading why Mr. Wright, a communist, wrote the book.
So how do you right a synopsis on a book that is still relevant today, in terms of politics, minorities and depressed economies. When Mr. Wright wrote this book, he could not come up with a beginning, wrote the whole book, except for the beginning and end, went back and edited and then came up with both, tying them together. Let me start with FEAR concept, this does not just show up in the first segment but is what guides Bigger throughout the whole book. His decisions are based solely on fear and anger. He is angry and fearful of his situation in life. He at the age of 20 has to be the sole bread winner for his Mom, sister Vera and his brother Buddy. He and his friends rob from other black people and are thinking of robbing from a white man. But he is afraid that if he does this he might get caught and his Mom and Vera are always nagging on him to go to the job that relief offered him. So to appear bigger to his friends and not caring, he proposes they pull this heist off before he goes for his job interview. He tries to make it seem like his friend Gus is the fearful one, so beats Gus up to get out of the heist and tells him your fear made you late, it is too late to do the job.
So is he afraid to succeed, afraid to fail, afraid to break out of this poverty or afraid what he would do to someone who made him feel bad about himself. It is a combination of these things that make up Bigger. He does go to his interview and comes to work for a man named Henry Dalton, who has a wild daughter, who hangs out with a communist named Jan. On his first night she puts him in several uncomfortable positions and he thinks she is doing it to make him feel that discomfort, but she really is trying to help but her naitvity works against her. The final problem comes when he finds himself alone with Mary Dalton, who is can't stand up drunk, and he is not sure how to get her in the house and to her room. She suggests he carries her and she passes out. Mom, who is blind, comes in the room and instead of explaining, because black men are not supposed to be in white a white woman's bedroom, he becomes fearful and sticks a pillow over her face and holds her down. She dies.
The rest of the story is him hiding the body, pretending that someone else was at fault, being found out, evading police, getting caught and being put on trial and being represented by a communist lawyer. All throughout these sequences Bigger acts on fear and anger, except in the end.
He lived in a one room apartment with his Mom, brother and sister. They lived in what is called Chicago's Black Belt. Though there were buildings just outside the Black Belt they could not live in them because they were for white folk and had been abandoned for the most part because they were to close to the Black Belt. This is a historical fact about the region. In addition, the black community was always the first rounded up when there was a crime, especially if it involved a white woman. It seems that the authorities always added rape to any crime committed, because it was a crime punishable by death. Not a time I would want to live in, but then have we remained the same in some instances do we still jump to conclusions, act irrationally depending on race. As Mr. Wright pointed out in his book, there are Bigger's who let fear and anger control them and they come in all races. But do we only hear about the African American races.
Many questions, many feelings were aroused by this book. Especially, reading why Mr. Wright, a communist, wrote the book.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
All the Light We Cannot See-review
ALLTHE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doer, published by Scribner in 2014, winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
What words can be used to describe this book? I have thought of a few but do they really give the essence of the book. So here are my few, mystical in terms of the Sea of Flames s stone believed to destroy lives and yet gives life to the owner. This piece weaves the tale and brings two lives together and yet destroys those around them. Transformative- our characters due to the war have to become something that they would not have normally become if they had been able to live their life without interference. The biggest transformaton is Werner, who goes from an orphan gifted in the art of mechanics and engineering, who is dropped into the schooling for Hitler Youth. He sees this as a stepping stone and is honored, his sister sees this as his downfall. It is only after his friend Frederick who is forced by his parents to go to this school gets hurt by the other boys that he sees a problem.
But what else can he do, one way or another he will have to serve for Hitler.
I have said this before, I like books that make me think, that teach me new things. In this book it was about the recruitment of the youth. I knew that they recruited youth and that the parents let them go because they felt it was an honor. I did not know they had specific schools of learning, before they were sent out into the war. I was amazed at the ferocity of the boys and officers to the students, the scenes where the boys were singuled out made me want to cry. If the Nazis could do that to their own students, I can see why they would not care if they did it to anyone else. I think this is the scare tactic that put all nations onto high alert. Educational and maddining would be words I would use for these scenes.
Then of course there is poor Marie-Laure, a young girl full of life, blinded right after learning about the cursed stone. Who is loved by all, especially her father, who has been tasked with hiding the stone or the replica of the stone. When they learn about the Nazis coming he grabs his daughter and they flee to an Uncles house. Where her life is turned upside down, with fear. Her father forbids her to leave the house because he has heard what becomes of blind children. His fears cause his capture. I will not get to all the details, but another word to use especially for Marie-Laure is resilience, perserverence and determination.
I have read other WWII books and I am always amazed at the people who turn others in for rewards. Who give up information sometimes without being asked so that they can gain favor with the oppressors. This book has some of the same scenarios. It saddens me that this happens and it makes me wonder, would I do that? Would I be so desperate for food, that I would turn in another human being for a loaf of bread.
This is a great book, I look forward to reading his other stories.
What words can be used to describe this book? I have thought of a few but do they really give the essence of the book. So here are my few, mystical in terms of the Sea of Flames s stone believed to destroy lives and yet gives life to the owner. This piece weaves the tale and brings two lives together and yet destroys those around them. Transformative- our characters due to the war have to become something that they would not have normally become if they had been able to live their life without interference. The biggest transformaton is Werner, who goes from an orphan gifted in the art of mechanics and engineering, who is dropped into the schooling for Hitler Youth. He sees this as a stepping stone and is honored, his sister sees this as his downfall. It is only after his friend Frederick who is forced by his parents to go to this school gets hurt by the other boys that he sees a problem.
But what else can he do, one way or another he will have to serve for Hitler.
I have said this before, I like books that make me think, that teach me new things. In this book it was about the recruitment of the youth. I knew that they recruited youth and that the parents let them go because they felt it was an honor. I did not know they had specific schools of learning, before they were sent out into the war. I was amazed at the ferocity of the boys and officers to the students, the scenes where the boys were singuled out made me want to cry. If the Nazis could do that to their own students, I can see why they would not care if they did it to anyone else. I think this is the scare tactic that put all nations onto high alert. Educational and maddining would be words I would use for these scenes.
Then of course there is poor Marie-Laure, a young girl full of life, blinded right after learning about the cursed stone. Who is loved by all, especially her father, who has been tasked with hiding the stone or the replica of the stone. When they learn about the Nazis coming he grabs his daughter and they flee to an Uncles house. Where her life is turned upside down, with fear. Her father forbids her to leave the house because he has heard what becomes of blind children. His fears cause his capture. I will not get to all the details, but another word to use especially for Marie-Laure is resilience, perserverence and determination.
I have read other WWII books and I am always amazed at the people who turn others in for rewards. Who give up information sometimes without being asked so that they can gain favor with the oppressors. This book has some of the same scenarios. It saddens me that this happens and it makes me wonder, would I do that? Would I be so desperate for food, that I would turn in another human being for a loaf of bread.
This is a great book, I look forward to reading his other stories.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
The Kitchen House: review
I am at least three reviews behind so today I am going to rectify one, then tomorrow another and finally the third. I am told by others not to offer excuses for my inability to get my blog posts out, but I do have excuses: most notably being on vacation, sick and taking care of elderly parents. SO those are my excuses and I am sorry for any delays in communication of my thoughts.
THE KITCHEN HOUSE by Kathleen Grissom, published Feb 2, 2010. As I said before I have had the great pleasure in meeting the author at a writers conference about three years ago. She is a dynamic speaker and she developed characters that you could love but hate at the same time. Her main characters who tell the story are Lavinia and Belle. Lavinia is an Irish immigrate who was onboard a ship bound for America with her mother, father and brother, when the mother and father died in transit. The Captain of the vessel decides to make Lavinia, who is about 5 years old an indentured servant and places her in the care of Belle in the kitchen house. He sells her brother to someone, which we do not find out about until later in the book. We meet Lavinia as she is on a carriage ride to the plantation, when they arrive, she is not talking, sick and instead of bringing her in the house she is foisted off to the man-servant to be taken to the kitchen house, where we meet Belle.
Belle who was brought up by the Captain's mother is actually Belles grandmother. The Captain had relations with his black slave and in all accounts was stricken with her death. Belle is sent to the kitchen house after the grandmother dies and the Captain marries his first wife. They have two children. Now here is the hate part, the Captain never tells his wife about who Belle is, so the Mistress of the house is convinced that Belle is the Captains concubine. He also is gone from the house except for Christmas, leaving his sickly wife to hate fully Belle.
The mistress also has convinced her son that this woman is bad news. In addition, The Mistress is always drugged because she cannot cope with the day to day life on this plantation and the absent husband who has left the running of the plantation to a man named Rankin. The Captain has also hired a tutor for his son, who is a pedaphil, but he will not listen to the house servants when they mention that there is a problem.
We travel through this family and Lavinia's life from the day she is brought to the plantation to the day she becomes in charge. We meet some wonderful characters, like momma. We wonder if Lavinia will ever understand the difference in how she is treated as opposed to the slaves. She is pretty dense about these things and because of this causes much turmoil and problems for herself and her black family. I just wanted to wallop her, the Captain, the Mistress, Belle and the everyone but the older black slaves who were trying to instruct her and keep the peace on the plantation.
One thing that was interesting is while I was reading the book, there was a newspaper article about a kitchen house and slave quarters that were being moved so that the land could be developed. The reason it was in the paper was due to the fact that there were graves beloning to the slaves somewhere on the property. Unfortunately, they could not find the graves, but at least they moved the kithcen house to a new local. I wonder if this house had as much life in it as our stories house did.
THE KITCHEN HOUSE by Kathleen Grissom, published Feb 2, 2010. As I said before I have had the great pleasure in meeting the author at a writers conference about three years ago. She is a dynamic speaker and she developed characters that you could love but hate at the same time. Her main characters who tell the story are Lavinia and Belle. Lavinia is an Irish immigrate who was onboard a ship bound for America with her mother, father and brother, when the mother and father died in transit. The Captain of the vessel decides to make Lavinia, who is about 5 years old an indentured servant and places her in the care of Belle in the kitchen house. He sells her brother to someone, which we do not find out about until later in the book. We meet Lavinia as she is on a carriage ride to the plantation, when they arrive, she is not talking, sick and instead of bringing her in the house she is foisted off to the man-servant to be taken to the kitchen house, where we meet Belle.
Belle who was brought up by the Captain's mother is actually Belles grandmother. The Captain had relations with his black slave and in all accounts was stricken with her death. Belle is sent to the kitchen house after the grandmother dies and the Captain marries his first wife. They have two children. Now here is the hate part, the Captain never tells his wife about who Belle is, so the Mistress of the house is convinced that Belle is the Captains concubine. He also is gone from the house except for Christmas, leaving his sickly wife to hate fully Belle.
The mistress also has convinced her son that this woman is bad news. In addition, The Mistress is always drugged because she cannot cope with the day to day life on this plantation and the absent husband who has left the running of the plantation to a man named Rankin. The Captain has also hired a tutor for his son, who is a pedaphil, but he will not listen to the house servants when they mention that there is a problem.
We travel through this family and Lavinia's life from the day she is brought to the plantation to the day she becomes in charge. We meet some wonderful characters, like momma. We wonder if Lavinia will ever understand the difference in how she is treated as opposed to the slaves. She is pretty dense about these things and because of this causes much turmoil and problems for herself and her black family. I just wanted to wallop her, the Captain, the Mistress, Belle and the everyone but the older black slaves who were trying to instruct her and keep the peace on the plantation.
One thing that was interesting is while I was reading the book, there was a newspaper article about a kitchen house and slave quarters that were being moved so that the land could be developed. The reason it was in the paper was due to the fact that there were graves beloning to the slaves somewhere on the property. Unfortunately, they could not find the graves, but at least they moved the kithcen house to a new local. I wonder if this house had as much life in it as our stories house did.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
What's next
I am saving my review for the KITCHEN HOUSE, until I get into conversation with my book club about their thoughts. I had met the author at a writers conference and thought she was an excellent speaker and now of course an excellent writer. But this blog is about what I will be reading next. I have on my table, but have not picked up yet a book called NATIVE SON by Richard Wright. It is one of the 100. In addition, our book club selection is ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, by Anthony Doer. I have heard it is an excellent book, I hope my dad bought it for me for Christmas, and I can start it in Feb. Then of course I have my favorite, series books, which are great to read on a snowy cold day. By Feb. end I should have at least three reviews, maybe more.
If you are snowed in, I recommend a hot beverage and a good book and towards the evening glass of wine and a good book. Of course, I will always recommend a good book.
If you are snowed in, I recommend a hot beverage and a good book and towards the evening glass of wine and a good book. Of course, I will always recommend a good book.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Gulliver's Travel's Review
Well, sorry I have not written but I have been traveling with Gulliver to some very interesting lands. I have been to lands run by Lilliputians, giants from Brobdingnag, cloud-dwellers from Laputa, magicians from Glubbdubdrib and horses from Houyhnhnms. I also have to say, I would not like to be Gulliver's wife or family because they must have had some weird reports about where Gulliver got lost at in his travels. It seems that every time he traveled he was either in a shipwreck, captured by pirates, and left behind by his crew. I would also not want to be on the ship with Gulliver.
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS by Jonathan Swift published in the Everyman's Library 1991. First published in the Everyman's Library in 1940. It was first published by Jonathan Swift in 1726 after he visits England. Swift was born in Dublin in 1667 and studies at Trinity College in Dublin. This is according to the chronology in the Everyman's Library pages xl to xliv. Also in this chronology we find that GULLIVER'S TRAVELS was written about ten years after the Jacobite rising was put down, the limiting of Irish independence and the death of several queens and kings. Which is probably why there is many political statements made in this book.
Throughout the book, he is asked by the dignitaries to tell them about the place he hales from and how he came to be on their island. Gulliver manages to ingratiate himself with all the leaders, except for the Laputa who have their heads in the clouds. Which if you read this section is an indictment of people who are so smart that they think you are stupid, even if some of the things they are doing are very questionable. The best political description of Gulliver comes near the end when he is trying to tell his master Houyhnhnm (horse) about the lawyers, judges, law-breakers, prostitutes and many other people in Europe. In Houyhnhnm people are called Yahoos and are crude, gross and smelly beings who cannot talk and who the Houyhnhmn would love to eradicate if they could and were not so peace loving.
I love this book, but it did take me a bit to pull it all together. Made me think of our current politacl situations.
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS by Jonathan Swift published in the Everyman's Library 1991. First published in the Everyman's Library in 1940. It was first published by Jonathan Swift in 1726 after he visits England. Swift was born in Dublin in 1667 and studies at Trinity College in Dublin. This is according to the chronology in the Everyman's Library pages xl to xliv. Also in this chronology we find that GULLIVER'S TRAVELS was written about ten years after the Jacobite rising was put down, the limiting of Irish independence and the death of several queens and kings. Which is probably why there is many political statements made in this book.
Throughout the book, he is asked by the dignitaries to tell them about the place he hales from and how he came to be on their island. Gulliver manages to ingratiate himself with all the leaders, except for the Laputa who have their heads in the clouds. Which if you read this section is an indictment of people who are so smart that they think you are stupid, even if some of the things they are doing are very questionable. The best political description of Gulliver comes near the end when he is trying to tell his master Houyhnhnm (horse) about the lawyers, judges, law-breakers, prostitutes and many other people in Europe. In Houyhnhnm people are called Yahoos and are crude, gross and smelly beings who cannot talk and who the Houyhnhmn would love to eradicate if they could and were not so peace loving.
I love this book, but it did take me a bit to pull it all together. Made me think of our current politacl situations.
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