The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

The Good Earth is a book, written by an American author who had traveled extensively in China (her husband worked there), about a somewhat idealized idea of the Chinese farmer before and after the Chinese Revolution. It is the story of a man, Wang Lung, who was born into a poor farming family, as he attempts to deal with the ups and downs of farming in China; he deals with famine, flood, lazy relatives, social expectations, etc. to create a life for himself, supported by a strong, albeit unattractive, wife O-Lan.

I personally really enjoyed this book, although my personal attachment to it ebbed and flowed a bit. In general, Buck tells a great story but seems to over-idealize the life of the Chinese farmer. There was a lot of opportunity during this time period to actually say something about Chinese societal practices--foot binding, arranged marriage, slavery--that Buck just didn't take advantage of. I guess, considering that the novel was first published in 1931, there was still the issue really educating Americans about Chinese practices and culture. This was, of course, still the time when the U.S. looked to Asia with a good deal of fear and prejudice, and I think this book's main social purpose was to educate, but there was still so much there that could have been talked about. Buck's over-obsession with the idea of the "land" being one's only source of stability seemed to me to be a very American ideal that was included more to reach American audiences than to really capture Chinese culture. It seemed like more of a connecting message to extremely capitalistic Americans in the 30s rather than a real example of Chinese ideas of personal property in the land.

The one thing, however, that Buck succeeded expertly well on was definitely the family dynamics and social expectations among the Chinese during this time period. The seemingly incompatible ideals of beauty and duty for women, I think, was made rather clear. There never was the perfect woman in this novel--either the woman was ugly but resourceful and made contributions to the family's wealth (O-Lan) or the woman was beautiful but asked only for more riches without contributing more than her pretty face (Lotus). These two disparate female characters arise over and over in this novel. In addition, there seems to always be a conflict between social expectations and personal desires, particularly in relation to Wang Lung's uncle who seems to take advantage of family obligation without contributing much. Again, I think that Buck's recounting of these social issues and expectations opened up plenty of room for some social criticism, which may or may not have been appropriate for the audience at the time. Still, it was a generally good story with fantastic characters. There was just something in the novel that kept me from really connecting and reacting emotionally to what these characters are going through. Perhaps it was because I picked up on oversimplification and idealism within the recounting of the ideal farming life in China.

My rating: 9/10

Up next: absolutely positively not sure. I'll keep you updated though :)

What is the What by Dave Eggers

I absolutely adored this book. I found it to be an extremely honest and heartbreaking story of a young Sudanese Lost Boy as he walked hundreds of miles to get out of war-torn Sudan only to fall victim to regime change in Ethiopia and eventually goes to a refugee camp in Kenya. He eventually is chosen by the UN's resettlement program to go to the United States. It's definitely a novel; the main character in the book is very closely based on the life of his namesake: Valentino Achak Deng. Still, Eggers and Deng came to the conclusion, due to their recognition of Deng's potentially-faulty memory regarding the order of events and so on as well as their understanding that it's generally impossible to remember conversations and dialogue from that long ago. I found that Deng and Eggers' assertion that this book is fiction to be very honest; in addition, it also allows you to read and really absorb the story without having to doubt the validity of everything that happened.

There is one element of this novel that I'd really like to focus on: the depictions of the U.S. and the Sudanese refugee situation in this country. I read quite a few reviews on sites like Amazon and others, and it seems most people are frustrated by Deng's complaining about the problems he and other refugees have faced in the U.S.: cultural differences, inability to find jobs that actually meet expenses, ageism within the college admission process (Deng recounts an admission officer speaking off of the record about the potential of admissions people not wanting a 27-year-old living on campus with 18-year-old girls), being victims of crimes, etc. I think people expected to see a good-bad dichotomy between the U.S. and Sudan, and when Deng dared to state that life in the U.S. was not easy, I think he broke away a bit from this expectation, leading to some anger among readers. Personally, I believe that the criticisms of the U.S. system of placing refugees, supporting them for 6 months, then leaving them to fend mostly for themselves is generally problematic. Deng benefited from learning English in the refugee camps, but most refugees coming into the U.S. don't have English education and, moreover, have some serious emotional and mental problems that they should be able to deal with before having to necessarily find a job, education, and affordable housing (made even more difficult by the policy of sending refugees to cities -- extremely high housing prices are everywhere in major cities).

In general, I thought this book was fantastic. Several times I had to stop reading and just absorb what was happening; my general idealism tends to take some major hits when I read about the horrible things that some human beings can do to others in the name of religion, cultural warfare, and general ignorance. In this novel, it goes both ways; Eggers is almost as equally critical of the government as he is of the rebel forces (although, he seems to disfavor the Sudanese government forces more), because neither side is absolutely innocent in these crises. And Deng's experiences are somewhat better -- although he still witnesses death and horrible tragedy -- because he successfully evaded being a child soldier in the conflict. I really hope to supplement this book by a memoir or some other non-fiction about the Lost Boys of Sudan, finding the similarities and differences between the two approaches. But generally What is the What is totally worth the read.

My rating: 9.5/10

Up next: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

Like I said in my last post, I needed a bit of a break from the "serious" novels typically listed in the 1,001 Books list; I'm really in the mood for good summer reading, particularly since my days are now filled with endless job applications. I'm just looking to my books as a bit of a break, and I'm comfortable with how much I typically read to be able to have intelligent conversations about books if needed in interviews (plus, I'm still reading enough "serious" material to be totally telling the truth when I answer the "so what are you reading" question with a respectable literary novel). The Boleyn Inheritance provided just the break I needed.

I'm a huge Philippa Gregory fan. I think she does a fantastic job capturing what I imagine to be the mix of grandeur, conniving personalities, and genuine fear in Tudor England. The Boleyn Inheritance acts as a sort of sequel to the made-into-movie The Other Boleyn Girl. It traces the three wives of Henry VIII following Anne Boleyn: Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, and Katherine Howard, focusing mostly on the last two (oddly, there's a serious lack of research interest in the second "survivor" of Henry VIII's lack of wedded bliss: Catherine Parr). I find it refreshing that this book goes beyond the caricatured personalities -- "fat and ugly" for Anne of Cleves and "stupid" for Katherine Howard -- and really tries to understand who these women might have been and how they unwittingly got involved in the intrigues of men at court. Gregory is quite honestly a feminist in these novels; she underhandedly suggests that if women had any sort of power apart from their uncles/husbands/fathers or were allowed to make decisions themselves during this time, all the fear and jealousy and power grabs would not have existed. Because, really, who can fault either Anne or Katherine for being repulsed by a man decades their senior? And who can blame them for looking elsewhere for "real" love relationships? Hell, Henry was well-known for his affairs and flirtations regardless of his own marital status. The feminist statements are not as annoying or blatant as some can be; Gregory makes valid points about these women tied to Henry VIII despite their youth, inexperience, and inability to deal with the king's tempers and whims. It shows that these women wanted to make their own decisions -- and likely would have made excellent ones -- but were stuck in impossible situations. Gregory shows that Anne of Cleves was actually a quite independent woman who had to carefully negotiate Henry's tempers to save herself from his axe; and Katherine was obviously a girl too young and vulnerable to protect herself among the selfish and power-hungry Tudor court. These women were not just stupid, fat, and ugly; they were people who Henry cast aside in order to further his own will. I honestly believe that it was not the women's fault that Henry VIII only had weak sons; he was an old sick man likely unable to produce an heir. And Gregory does a fantastic job trying to tease out their personalities based on what little evidence historians have gathered about Henry's women.

Another thing about this book (or at least this edition of the book) is that Gregory clearly explains which parts of the book are based in fact/archival evidence and which are based in her imagination. It's rather refreshing considering some of the hack-job historical fiction out there (coughDanBrowncough). It gives Gregory's fiction some clarity that is much appreciated by this history lover.

My rating: 9/10

I've since started What is the What, by Dave Eggers, about the Lost Boys of Sudan. I would imagine I'll finish it (or at least get a good deal finished) at the beach next week. It's a little dark for a beach read but I enjoy Eggers' style so far; plus, his willingness to call this historically-based novel due to fading memories and not-necessarily-accurate dialogue is refreshing as well. Following this one, I think I'll look to some non-fiction and go from there.

Updates!

I didn't mention my next book yet because at the time, I really wasn't sure. I have since started The Water Method Man by John Irving, and I'm not exactly sure why, but I'm not loving it. Typically I adore Irving; I love his complete disregard for convention and politeness and his ability to maintain a story regardless of how politically incorrect it may be (see, for example, A Prayer for Owen Meany about a child who claims an immaculate conception). It may just be the fact that it's summer, and I have some Isabel Allende and Philippa Gregory waiting for me on my bookshelves. Irving definitely doesn't write "girly" books, and I have a tendency to gravitate towards "girly" books during summertime.

So, I think I'm going to put The Water Method Man on the back-burner and look towards Ms. Allende or Ms. Gregory to satisfy my summer reading urges. And, of course, none of these are on the 1,001 Books list. I've put myself on a complete book budget cut...no more buying books because saving for a house down payment and closing costs for next summer is much more important at the moment. This means that I will be relying completely on my own bookshelves, my in-law's bookshelves, and the local library bookshelves for a good long while. The Home Buying for Dummies book will be my last book purchase for a long while, I hope.

The History of the Siege of Lisbon by Jose Saramago

The History of the Siege of Lisbon tells the story of a proofreader, Raimundo, who changes an affirmative sentence to the negative by inappropriately adding a "not" to a sentence in a historical work. As a result, the book then read that the crusaders refused to aid the Portuguese in their siege on Lisbon, which was then controlled by the Moors. Although the publishing house inserts an errata into the published novels correcting the mistake, Raimundo's decision to insert that "not" changes his life.

As a result of the intentional insertion of an error, the publishing house hires a new woman, Maria Sara, to oversee the proofreaders to make sure that such a mistake does not occur again. Although the relationship between Raimundo and Maria Sara starts as one full of tension, underhanded criticisms, and awkwardness, it slowly normalizes, eventually leading to a fantastic love story between the two. Saramago does a fantastic job of describing the beginning tension and the slow realization that both characters have as they begin to accept that they truly love each other. The tension-filled relationship is not a result of their working relationship; rather, it is because of mutual attraction from the very time that they meet.

The secondary storyline surrounds Raimundo's new version of the History of the Siege of Lisbon, which acts as a book-within-a-book. It is the result of Maria Sara's suggestion that Raimundo work off of the incorrect version of the original book to create a novel telling how the history would read had the crusaders not stayed to help the Portuguese retake Lisbon. The book seems to mirror Raimundo's own life, as he includes his own love story between a Portuguese soldier and an officer's concubine. The result of the two stories is a novel that, I believe, successfully intertwines the present with the stories of the past.

I will, however, caution any potential readers. Saramago often includes discussions about his doubts about the validity of written history (for example, it was rather easy for a proofreader to, for reasons unknown, insert a single word that can change what future generations may see as the truth), the importance of words and word choice to create a meaning and mutual understanding, and various other philosophical and historical issues. Personally, I really enjoyed some of these discussions; as a historian, I was particularly interested in Saramago's discussions about history and historical knowledge. He led me to really think about the sources of certainty within history, who writes the history that I personally read and discuss, and just how we know today about what happened in the past. I've always had it drilled in my head that you have to use multiple sources to ensure that you're not continuing possible misunderstandings or contextual issues with older sources, and Saramago's book definitely reinforces that idea. That being said, at times, the asides can get distracting from the actual telling of the story. In addition, Saramago utilizes long sentences and minimal punctuation, which can, at times, make the novel a difficult read. It requires a lot of concentration to actually understand rather than to just read. Still, the effort is totally worth it.

My rating: 9/10

A Rush to Injustice by Nader Baydoun and R. Stephanie Good

This book is a recounting of the debacle that was the Duke Lacrosse rape case done by a Duke alum; both authors are attorneys also. I picked this one up at the Eagles Mere bookstore, and it was a perfectly quick read that was a bit of a break from some of the longer novels that I've been reading. I thought the book was well-researched, and the authors were careful to give validity to their criticisms of Nifong and the rape investigation itself using quotes from local attorneys, the accused boys, and the case documents that have been made public. I tend to be rather skeptical when it comes to popular recountings of popular cases, but I thought the authors did a pretty good job. Still, this book is anything but sympathetic to the officials dealing with this case. Often, the authors would include their own opinions and feelings about the case, both at the time of the announcements and in hindsight. Some people may be interested in this, but I got frustrated at times; I'd much rather have the authors tell the story without including their own opinions. It made it seem like much more of an "attack" style book, rather than a book about the case itself.

One thing that I thought the authors did a fantastic job on is the inclusion of primary sources: the newspaper editorials, letters to the editors, court proceedings, court documents, and public statements by the entire lacrosse team, Coach K, and the accused boys and their attorneys. I think it made the story much more lively...the stereotypical idea of "showing and not telling" what happened that made the whole investigation seem like such a sham. I definitely learned some things from these documents that I hadn't known before, in particular, the tendency of some of the Duke faculty to speak against the boys and college sports in general, before all the facts became public knowledge. Ultimately, the accused boys were vindicated since a NC official has publicly declared them "innocent" and the D.A. involved in the case has been brought up on ethics violations as a result of the case. Still, it remains an important event in popular understanding of college sports, college towns, race, gender and, on a more legal scale, the justice system. Hopefully, the very public downfall of this case will help prevent such a thing from occurring again.

Up next: I've been wavering between Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and Jose Saramago's History of the Siege of Lisbon. I think I may go the way of Saramago just because it's a love story, which seems particularly appropriate for a good summer poolside read. We'll see how it goes.

U.S.A. Trilogy by John Dos Passos

The U.S.A. Trilogy by John Dos Passos is a group of three books that traces a group of relatively young people as they experience the time before, during, and after World War I. I must admit, I was somewhat cautious starting these books. First, they're really long, and I was relying on the library (stupidly, I checked all three out at once) for these books and felt really rushed getting through them (the books were 300ish, 350ish, and 450ish pages long). Also, I've not had good experience with novels written by disillusioned people set in the post World War I time period (forefront in my mind here is On the Road by Kerouac); I just don't enjoy reading about wayward youth who I tend to think are wasting their brains, their drive, and their use to society. But I really thought Dos Passos' U.S.A. moved past that by fully developing his characters' motives, feelings, and actions but still not ignoring his own political viewpoint of the time period.

The most successful element of the trilogy is Dos Passos' characterization. There's an incomprehensible number of characters including in these novels, and they all move in and out of the storyline at somewhat random times. Still, despite the sheer number of characters, Dos Passos still carefully created and maintained his characters throughout the novels. Each character does different things, has different political and ideological views, and plays different roles in the historical events happening at the time. I found it particularly interesting to see how each of the characters interacted with each other as they moved in and out of each other's lives. Also, I thought it was really interesting to see how Dos Passos placed each character in the political, historical, and technological developments of the time period, including World War I, the airplane industry, and the "Roaring Twenties." This has always been one of my favorite parts of reading novels set in a historical time period that I know something about. I also really enjoyed the sections of "Newsreels" where Dos Passos includes the headlines and text of front-page newspapers of the time period. (As a history major, I found a nerdy interest in how he picked out individual parts of the various news stories.) These sections also included lyrics from songs and protest chants. In addition, Dos Passos weaves in short biographies of important figures of the time period, which I thought were well-researched and rightfully cynical of these "heroes" of the time period. For example, he doesn't buy into the typical hero-worship of Henry Ford and included some of the seedier parts of his background. All of this made me a very happy history-loving girl.

I won't pretend that I understand the literary elements of this book, especially since I've always been rather disinterested in that part of reading novels. As a result, I found the sections called "Camera Eye" difficult. I know that they are basically autobiographical, telling Dos Passos' experiences during the same time period that he is discussing in the main body of the novel, but honestly, I just had a difficult time following the stream-of-consciousness from one section to the next. And I didn't try too hard either; I was much more interested in the other parts of the novel so I generally focused on those.

Also, I thought, in general, the female characters in this book were relatively weak. Some end up killing themselves through their own naivete, and others just seemed whiny, politically uninvolved. Basically, most of them seemed to be "follower" characters who accompany their male acquaintances into whatever political endeavor they decide. Very few (in comparison to the male characters) follow through on any jobs or political actions on their own accord. They always seem to be acting like a "puppy dog" to follow attractive men into the movement. I didn't think it detracted much from the book and probably had much more to do with the time period that the author wrote in than any purposeful attempt by Dos Passos to detract from women's roles in any sort of political movements in the time period.

In general, I found this book really interesting, but I don't think I need to re-read it again; still, I'd definitely recommend it to other people.

My rating: 8.5/10

Up next: A Rush to Injustice by Nader Baydoun and R. Stephanie Good, which is a well-researched recounting of the Duke lacrosse rape case.