First off, let me began by saying that I read Cold Mountain twice. I remember in great detail laying in bed while I lived on Sutherland Dr., recuperating from a D&C and reading the book in one long drink, and crying out loud, sobbing at the enc.
As with Cold Mountain, I did not want Thirteen Moons to end.
A magical book, but I read it in one long week. I found the book in the Goodwill on Madison, the clerk was putting up all the books from those large canvas carriers that I love so dearly. He allowed me to dive in and wade among the books he had yet to shelve and there it was!
I grabbed it and clutched it to my breast and knew that I had a book that was going to be a treasure if remotely akin to CM.
And was it? It was like magic. I could not rip through the pages as I am prone to doing. I did not skip, skim or grow bored at any time of the week's read. Last evening as the last pages loomed ahead of me, I laid down the book and thought, "I'll finish it in the morning..."
I loved it. Magic on the pages.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Travel Writing - Peter Ferry
I liked this book quite a bit. I have a few questions about the plot, like I couldn't grasp why the Doc killed the girl. I assume it was a crime of passion due to two lovers (or patients) finding out about each other and the one who was offed would have done something about the betrayal. It never was exactlly explained. Nor why the victim's sister also was a patient (lover) of the evil Doc.
And the travel pieces were just thrown in. The Mexico picies were OK. The canoe piece was so boring. The Mexico piece brought us and introduced the character Charlie to us, who traveled to IL on a bus and stayed one day. That made no sense whatsoever. He could have stayed logner, but then another story would have emerged and I guess that Peter had little use for him then killed him off.
The Irelenad piece was good only because Ihave been in those places! County Clare. I know he called some other city the musical hot spot of Clare, but in fact it is Ennis. Anyway, the little trip back to memory lane was nice, but uneccessary.
Still, I enjoyed the writing if the story was a bit too male fantasyish.
And the travel pieces were just thrown in. The Mexico picies were OK. The canoe piece was so boring. The Mexico piece brought us and introduced the character Charlie to us, who traveled to IL on a bus and stayed one day. That made no sense whatsoever. He could have stayed logner, but then another story would have emerged and I guess that Peter had little use for him then killed him off.
The Irelenad piece was good only because Ihave been in those places! County Clare. I know he called some other city the musical hot spot of Clare, but in fact it is Ennis. Anyway, the little trip back to memory lane was nice, but uneccessary.
Still, I enjoyed the writing if the story was a bit too male fantasyish.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Bordeaux - paul torday
At times I will call up Amazon and read the reviews before finishing a book. I was not certain what I was feeling reading Bordeaux. Perhaps a bit of confusion. The reviews compared it to Memento a disjointed film from the 90's that had no linear path through the story.
I never understood the motivation behind the character until the very last pages, which quite honestly I skimmed over. The people he was so enamoured with bored me to tears.
yet, the total outline for my own "novel" (god help me) was revealed to me during those last paragraphs.
i guess to say I finished the novel ant at times the prose was wonderful, the images were very satisfying. But I'm glad it's over and that it's time to move on to another story, maybe this one with more sympathetic characters.
I never understood the motivation behind the character until the very last pages, which quite honestly I skimmed over. The people he was so enamoured with bored me to tears.
yet, the total outline for my own "novel" (god help me) was revealed to me during those last paragraphs.
i guess to say I finished the novel ant at times the prose was wonderful, the images were very satisfying. But I'm glad it's over and that it's time to move on to another story, maybe this one with more sympathetic characters.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Eventide
by Evan Haruf
Did not read his first book Plainsong which this book is a continuation of the town and the caharacters....I suspect that only the outlines and smoke shadows of the characters of the last book are here.
A very sad book. One that I read hoping for an ending that would be satisfying and give hope for the lives of those who begin to matter to us.
But, like real life, there are no truly happy endings. People do not learn from their mistakes and children get raw deals.
My heart broke and every time the chapters were about the two children of the seemingly mentally challenged parents I held my breath. Nothing good ever happened for them. They ended up in a foster home, maybe with better haircuts, but with nothing.
How empty and sad.
I realize a whole lot of people compare this type/style of writing with Hemingway...sparce bare boned. But the hoplesness of the children left me empty at the end.
Did not read his first book Plainsong which this book is a continuation of the town and the caharacters....I suspect that only the outlines and smoke shadows of the characters of the last book are here.
A very sad book. One that I read hoping for an ending that would be satisfying and give hope for the lives of those who begin to matter to us.
But, like real life, there are no truly happy endings. People do not learn from their mistakes and children get raw deals.
My heart broke and every time the chapters were about the two children of the seemingly mentally challenged parents I held my breath. Nothing good ever happened for them. They ended up in a foster home, maybe with better haircuts, but with nothing.
How empty and sad.
I realize a whole lot of people compare this type/style of writing with Hemingway...sparce bare boned. But the hoplesness of the children left me empty at the end.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Bastard out of Carolina
by Dorothy Allison
It seems I am reading a certain kind of formula book these days. Or perhaps I am just seeing the pattern finally. Have a protagonist and then then have one hateful character the reader can focus on. The villain. It's the perfect formula.
I have read two books with similar themes, the sexual abuse of children, incest and out and out child abuse. It makes my stomach ball up in a knot and I want to choke the stupid characters who allow this kind of cruelty to go on.
The Bastard out of Carolina did not satisfy in a way that made the ride worthwhile. I wanted justice and justice was not given. I want to know what happened to the mother, why the mother did not pick up the butter knife after witnessing the step father raping her 12 year old daughter. I don't care. I just don't care. I would have killed him. I just don't care.
I did not find it sitting well with me that he was not beat within an inch of his life for what he did. The uncles beat the hell out of him when he beat her, why not kill him for raping her?
the mother should have gone to jail for her part of it.
I read it with anxiety building hoping that I would feel redeemed in the end, but it just made me sad.
It seems I am reading a certain kind of formula book these days. Or perhaps I am just seeing the pattern finally. Have a protagonist and then then have one hateful character the reader can focus on. The villain. It's the perfect formula.
I have read two books with similar themes, the sexual abuse of children, incest and out and out child abuse. It makes my stomach ball up in a knot and I want to choke the stupid characters who allow this kind of cruelty to go on.
The Bastard out of Carolina did not satisfy in a way that made the ride worthwhile. I wanted justice and justice was not given. I want to know what happened to the mother, why the mother did not pick up the butter knife after witnessing the step father raping her 12 year old daughter. I don't care. I just don't care. I would have killed him. I just don't care.
I did not find it sitting well with me that he was not beat within an inch of his life for what he did. The uncles beat the hell out of him when he beat her, why not kill him for raping her?
the mother should have gone to jail for her part of it.
I read it with anxiety building hoping that I would feel redeemed in the end, but it just made me sad.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
A Parchment of Leaves
by Silas House
Beautiful prose that wind around you like a spiders web spinning the story. This was his second novel...I did not read the first, but have read one after this. I love any novels about Kentucky. The especially good ones are always written by and about Eastern KY and the mountains.
Just gives itself to stories of ghosts, the supernatural, family, unspoken secrets.
Long live Silas House.
Beautiful prose that wind around you like a spiders web spinning the story. This was his second novel...I did not read the first, but have read one after this. I love any novels about Kentucky. The especially good ones are always written by and about Eastern KY and the mountains.
Just gives itself to stories of ghosts, the supernatural, family, unspoken secrets.
Long live Silas House.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Fall on your knees - by ann-marie macdonald
This book became a little ponderous at times. Yet, it was an Oprah Book club choice. As all Oprah's book seem to have a particular theme, so does this one and that theme is children.
Three "sister" and then a fourth. The book winds it's way through the tale of the Piper's and the ytragic life of the Mom. It was easy to hate the father, and the sister Kathleen - on man, I did not warm to that character at all. Was I suppose to? And the final chapters when all is revealed, yawn yawn. Another character introduced, Rose. And then another, Anthony. The "diary" of Kathleen brings it all together, but it sits like an unbaked lump dough in the mouth. Why are we suppose to care?
I would have like the "child" Lily to have ended up differently, exepted by the "other" side of the family.
Oh well, most of Oprahs books hit the mark.
Will I stop reading them? Hell no. Thought it took me all week to read the 500 pages and at times I fell asleep, it was a good story.
Three "sister" and then a fourth. The book winds it's way through the tale of the Piper's and the ytragic life of the Mom. It was easy to hate the father, and the sister Kathleen - on man, I did not warm to that character at all. Was I suppose to? And the final chapters when all is revealed, yawn yawn. Another character introduced, Rose. And then another, Anthony. The "diary" of Kathleen brings it all together, but it sits like an unbaked lump dough in the mouth. Why are we suppose to care?
I would have like the "child" Lily to have ended up differently, exepted by the "other" side of the family.
Oh well, most of Oprahs books hit the mark.
Will I stop reading them? Hell no. Thought it took me all week to read the 500 pages and at times I fell asleep, it was a good story.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
The patience of Rivers
by Joseph Freda
It took me about 10 days to finish this book. I was excited to read it at the beginning because of the subject material. The summer of 1969. Viet nam War. Walking on the Moon. Woodstock. The protagonist was a teenage, just graduated from high school and facing the draft, college, going to Woodstock...
But I could never ever warm to the characters and just plugged along. Woodstock was a back drop, the Moon walk was a paragraph that was also a setting for sitting on some canoes and some moon watching, the Viet Nam war was thrown in as sort of an afterthought another back story that really made little to no substance to the story. It just sat there like an elephant in the room.
And the heart of the story just made my teeth ache. His parents go into business with a real shit head. He puts up nothing, but they put up the family farm!! It made not one iota of sense to me that these people could be so daft! And int he end, the grand parents loose their land and their home. But his family comes out smelling like a rose...
An interesting angle was the mafia coming in and putting the squeeze on the shit heads son....
Drinking at a bar at all ages???WTF!! Even in 1969 this seems a far stretch. I remember my swimming coach taking us into a bar (what was he thinking!!!) and we got thrown out. That would have been around that time...
An okay book, Really wanted much much more out of it. Written too much like an adult remembering his childhood than a book written from the view point of a kid.
Just went to Amazon for the review and I am trulyin the minority. Every reviewer loved the book. Oh well...
It took me about 10 days to finish this book. I was excited to read it at the beginning because of the subject material. The summer of 1969. Viet nam War. Walking on the Moon. Woodstock. The protagonist was a teenage, just graduated from high school and facing the draft, college, going to Woodstock...
But I could never ever warm to the characters and just plugged along. Woodstock was a back drop, the Moon walk was a paragraph that was also a setting for sitting on some canoes and some moon watching, the Viet Nam war was thrown in as sort of an afterthought another back story that really made little to no substance to the story. It just sat there like an elephant in the room.
And the heart of the story just made my teeth ache. His parents go into business with a real shit head. He puts up nothing, but they put up the family farm!! It made not one iota of sense to me that these people could be so daft! And int he end, the grand parents loose their land and their home. But his family comes out smelling like a rose...
An interesting angle was the mafia coming in and putting the squeeze on the shit heads son....
Drinking at a bar at all ages???WTF!! Even in 1969 this seems a far stretch. I remember my swimming coach taking us into a bar (what was he thinking!!!) and we got thrown out. That would have been around that time...
An okay book, Really wanted much much more out of it. Written too much like an adult remembering his childhood than a book written from the view point of a kid.
Just went to Amazon for the review and I am trulyin the minority. Every reviewer loved the book. Oh well...
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Divide
I have to admit, it took me a long time to get into the swing of things with this book. I did not care for any of the characters for a long time. I could have done without all the sympathy for poor Ben. His wife Sarah seemed an ice queen for most the novel.
Yet, as it progressed I became more interested and wanted to learn how the daughters body was found at the bottom of a mountain frozen forever in youth and pregnancy to be found by two skiers who also almost met their demise at the bottom of a long fall..
Anyway, an okay book. I have read all of Nicholas Evans' books and I think I enjoyed this one the least. For some reason - because I do not remember much of the story lines - the vast outdoors played more of a character than in this book. The Rocky Mountains were just a back drop, like necessary for the frozen grave rather than any other purpose.
Finished with a marathon read this morning, had to find out who killed her and every thing fell into place easily, except how he found them, in the dark, in a place he had never been before in a cabin that was totally unassociated with any of them.
Go figure, but it had to end that way.
Yet, as it progressed I became more interested and wanted to learn how the daughters body was found at the bottom of a mountain frozen forever in youth and pregnancy to be found by two skiers who also almost met their demise at the bottom of a long fall..
Anyway, an okay book. I have read all of Nicholas Evans' books and I think I enjoyed this one the least. For some reason - because I do not remember much of the story lines - the vast outdoors played more of a character than in this book. The Rocky Mountains were just a back drop, like necessary for the frozen grave rather than any other purpose.
Finished with a marathon read this morning, had to find out who killed her and every thing fell into place easily, except how he found them, in the dark, in a place he had never been before in a cabin that was totally unassociated with any of them.
Go figure, but it had to end that way.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The Fortune Teller's Daughter
by Lila Shaara
About page 200 I cheated and snuck a peek at Amazon and the reviews. There were about five of them and not very flattering. Two said they did not like the book until page 200 when the plot began to develope and gel. One quite reading around pg. 200. Not the best reviews.
Not that I think people are snobs when they decide to tear a book apart. I am more likely to tear a movie apart rather than a book.
I like this book and read it in two days, spending most the day yesterday waiting for the phone to ring regarding the job search and then quietly finished it up this morning after getting a job offer that is laughable, but I will take it because frankly I need the money desperately.
I will continue to look for more "suitable" work, but this will have to do in the short run.
Back to the book. It was a lot of characters that I was able to keep track of. And I liked the tone and rythm of the story. I like the old lady offing the really bad guy at the end and I had a hard time trying to figure out who the floating corspe was in the sink hole. It did not suprise me when he was identified, but kind of saddened by the realization of the why.
And what happened to the old lady? I hope she was whisked away by aliens. I loved th fortune teller, though I wish she had not been drunk when she was offed, maybe thinking more clearly and on her toes (maybe a peep hole in the doors would have helped)...
I just liked it, it fit my mood. I was able to breeze through it and not have to wrestle with plot twists, it was all pretty black and white.
About page 200 I cheated and snuck a peek at Amazon and the reviews. There were about five of them and not very flattering. Two said they did not like the book until page 200 when the plot began to develope and gel. One quite reading around pg. 200. Not the best reviews.
Not that I think people are snobs when they decide to tear a book apart. I am more likely to tear a movie apart rather than a book.
I like this book and read it in two days, spending most the day yesterday waiting for the phone to ring regarding the job search and then quietly finished it up this morning after getting a job offer that is laughable, but I will take it because frankly I need the money desperately.
I will continue to look for more "suitable" work, but this will have to do in the short run.
Back to the book. It was a lot of characters that I was able to keep track of. And I liked the tone and rythm of the story. I like the old lady offing the really bad guy at the end and I had a hard time trying to figure out who the floating corspe was in the sink hole. It did not suprise me when he was identified, but kind of saddened by the realization of the why.
And what happened to the old lady? I hope she was whisked away by aliens. I loved th fortune teller, though I wish she had not been drunk when she was offed, maybe thinking more clearly and on her toes (maybe a peep hole in the doors would have helped)...
I just liked it, it fit my mood. I was able to breeze through it and not have to wrestle with plot twists, it was all pretty black and white.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Lulu in Marrakech
Diane Johnson has been writing terrific best seller, nominations for the Pulitzer, winner of the National Book Award and I imagine dozens of other accolades yet it took me until today to finish a book written by her.
And I truly enjoyed it. I read the book flap afterwards and they mentioned she wrote in the vein of bring naive American into the European world..and I thought, yes that is the world for Lulu, naive.
The second book I read with dealt with the Arab world and not totally realizing it. I must think that the world of literature is immersed in the mystic of the Arabic world.
Book was good and I read it in about two sittings. I am interested in reading some of her other works, Le Divorce (which I believe I have in storage) and Le Marriage which I could have also.
And I truly enjoyed it. I read the book flap afterwards and they mentioned she wrote in the vein of bring naive American into the European world..and I thought, yes that is the world for Lulu, naive.
The second book I read with dealt with the Arab world and not totally realizing it. I must think that the world of literature is immersed in the mystic of the Arabic world.
Book was good and I read it in about two sittings. I am interested in reading some of her other works, Le Divorce (which I believe I have in storage) and Le Marriage which I could have also.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Garden of Last Days - by Andre Dubus
Finally, a book I could not put down. Took about four days to read, because I can not read on week-ends when my husband is around, as he does not like me to be distracted from him (hahaha) (sad but true, he once told me he thinks it is insulting for me to ignor him by reading. If we are watching tv and I am uninterested in the show and try to read, he begins to talk - about the tv show - so I give up).
I digress.
I had read 150 pages before I could pull myself away. The story was about a woman who worked in a strip club because she was obsessed with making enough money to buy real estate, not one house, but many. She has a three year old daughter who is taken care of by her landlady while Mom strips. Land lady has a major panic attack and lands in hospital. Does Mom call in sick? Of course not, what type of book would this be if she did? No, she takes kid to the strip club with her and has the "house Mom" watch over the kid.
Does House Mom watch over kid? Hell no, this is a strip club!
As disgusting a plot as this is, I could not stop reading. Once again, a cast of characters that begin interesting and then wear on me. The guy AJ who takes the child, whom he found wandering in the back lot at the restaurant entrance, dumpster etc. AJ with the broken wrist, broken by the bouncer b/c he was touching, holding hands with one of the "girls" thinking "this one is different"...
The real kicker was the Egyptians who took up 1/4 of the book. When I had figured out (which i did about 50 pages in) that these three guys were some the hijackers from 911, I began to skip the pages devoted to them.
Lot of inconsequential characters whoes lives and memories I could care less about. I imagine it was to give us some feeling, some understanding of the complications of their lives, motivations....
The book was 535 pages, I skipped about 100 of them...could have been 300 pages and still a good book.
I digress.
I had read 150 pages before I could pull myself away. The story was about a woman who worked in a strip club because she was obsessed with making enough money to buy real estate, not one house, but many. She has a three year old daughter who is taken care of by her landlady while Mom strips. Land lady has a major panic attack and lands in hospital. Does Mom call in sick? Of course not, what type of book would this be if she did? No, she takes kid to the strip club with her and has the "house Mom" watch over the kid.
Does House Mom watch over kid? Hell no, this is a strip club!
As disgusting a plot as this is, I could not stop reading. Once again, a cast of characters that begin interesting and then wear on me. The guy AJ who takes the child, whom he found wandering in the back lot at the restaurant entrance, dumpster etc. AJ with the broken wrist, broken by the bouncer b/c he was touching, holding hands with one of the "girls" thinking "this one is different"...
The real kicker was the Egyptians who took up 1/4 of the book. When I had figured out (which i did about 50 pages in) that these three guys were some the hijackers from 911, I began to skip the pages devoted to them.
Lot of inconsequential characters whoes lives and memories I could care less about. I imagine it was to give us some feeling, some understanding of the complications of their lives, motivations....
The book was 535 pages, I skipped about 100 of them...could have been 300 pages and still a good book.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Work Shirts for Madmen
by Geo. Singleton
Somewhere in the last chapters of the book the "hero" Harp goes looking for this buddies. (A bizarre group of alcoholic interventionists hired by his wife to help Harp stop drinking). He locates them at the local watering hole and is told that he is just not that interesting anymore, almost fully recovered from his 25 year drunk.
And so it goes, the book was interesting and full of the most bizarre characters and circumstances and happenings as any book I have read in a long time. Gonzo type fiction writing. But it lost speed and interest at the end and as I had about 10 pages left to finish the book, I went to bed to finish it in the morning, which I just did.
I ramble, I liked it to a certain point. I did not understand the significance of the spider vein incident that involved his wife and obviously her vanity. Why include it? To show us his love for her, her vanity, introduce us to yet another cast of incidental characters? I liked his wife a lot up until that point. Didn't get it.
Somewhere in the last chapters of the book the "hero" Harp goes looking for this buddies. (A bizarre group of alcoholic interventionists hired by his wife to help Harp stop drinking). He locates them at the local watering hole and is told that he is just not that interesting anymore, almost fully recovered from his 25 year drunk.
And so it goes, the book was interesting and full of the most bizarre characters and circumstances and happenings as any book I have read in a long time. Gonzo type fiction writing. But it lost speed and interest at the end and as I had about 10 pages left to finish the book, I went to bed to finish it in the morning, which I just did.
I ramble, I liked it to a certain point. I did not understand the significance of the spider vein incident that involved his wife and obviously her vanity. Why include it? To show us his love for her, her vanity, introduce us to yet another cast of incidental characters? I liked his wife a lot up until that point. Didn't get it.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Master of the Delta
by Thomas H. Cook
Wondering if I ever read any Cook before? Maybe not, but I have a lot of reading to look forward to. Excellent book that actually gave me a nightmare last night.
Great plot, full of twists and horrible information regarding evil. Read it fast, up in the middle of the night (awoke by night mare) and read some more after contemplating bring the book back, unfinished, to the library.
Set in Mississippi and a wonderful cast of characters.
Wondering if I ever read any Cook before? Maybe not, but I have a lot of reading to look forward to. Excellent book that actually gave me a nightmare last night.
Great plot, full of twists and horrible information regarding evil. Read it fast, up in the middle of the night (awoke by night mare) and read some more after contemplating bring the book back, unfinished, to the library.
Set in Mississippi and a wonderful cast of characters.
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