The Comfort of Strangers traces the experiences of a couple on vacation in an unnamed city (likely Venice). But this holiday is not just any vacation; the two, Colin and Maria, meet a man who promises them good food and fun at a small restaurant in town. But, as the novel progresses, you find that this is not just any man, and this is not just any holiday for Colin and Maria.
I have to admit: I found this novel to be quite the head-trip. It was a psychological novel, exploring themes of violence and violent relationships and what such experiences can do to the psyche of an otherwise-normal person. It made for a dark and foreboding novel. I've found that McEwan's novels are often intended to make the reader consider and reconsider how they understand the world around him/her. But this is no plot twist at the end of an otherwise beautiful and moving novel. The Comfort of Strangers, in other words, is by no means Atonement. In this novel (if you can imagine) is even darker, exploring what violence and masogynism can do to people in a relationship.
I don't know if I can describe this novel any other way. As usual, McEwan does a fantastic job of characterization--his "good" guys are clearly good...flawed but noble...and his "bad" guys are dark and sinister. But the characters don't seem all that important in the novel. Instead, McEwan messes with the readers' brains at the same time as he messes with the brains of his main characters. It makes the book one that I don't know if I can recommend to anyone. It took me a good long time to get the themes of the novel out of my head...but I really, really wanted to stop tripping over this novel.
My rating: 7.9/10
Other Reviews:
Farm Lane Books
Citizen Reader
Books for Breakfast
*If I don't list your review, let me know, and I'll add your review to the list!*
Up next: How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Review: Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In this novel Adichie follows the lives of Biafran people in the late 1960s, as they attempt to declare their independence from greater Nigeria and form a country of their own. She traces the lives of "real people" from all different levels of life: middle class, servants, government leadership, etc. Also, by incorporating the relationships of her main characters with people on the "other side" of the war, we see people on both sides of the fighting as they deal with the horrors of war and the losses associated with it.
I really enjoyed this novel. I think I learned a lot about a topic that I didn't see a lot in my history classes in college. In the late 1960s, the Igbo-led Biafra (in southern modern Nigeria) declared independence from the mostly Muslim Hausa-led north. The civil war leads to the separation of once-strong friendships and threatens the way of life of the intellectual middle class in Biafra. Adichie traces how the war changes people's lives. The characters are believable; each has personal flaws but enough humanity for me to absolutely fall in love with them. I cared what happened to the main characters...and the minor characters, which I think is a huge success for Adichie. I cared about the Igbo people, and I wanted them to win.
In addition to the characters, I think that the author did a fantastic job describing the horrors of war, not just the fighting, but the "collateral" damages caused by civil war: hunger, starvation, suspicion of neighbors. Adichie tackles the issues associated with the "saboteurs," or the other minority non-Igbo people in the south, who were often accused of helping the enemy. She also describes other "side-effects" of war: rape, theft, disease. But she does this in a way that allows the reader to understand some of these terrible actions in the context of war. The reader can criticize the action and the war without necessarily finding people (namely Ugwu) personally culpable for these issues.
There were some issues with the novel. In the beginning, Adichie switched back in forth in time unnecessarily. While it formed some mysteries that kept me reading, I think the novel in chronological order would have provided the same readability without creating confusion with the time lapses.
Still, in general, I think this is a fantastic novel. I would recommend it to anyone! It's also advanced my relative obsession with reading about Latin America and Africa recently. There's just something about the voice of the authors, and the heartbreaking stories they often tell that keeps me reading novels like these over and over.
My rating: 9.4/10
Source: Borrowed from my step-sister
Other reviews:
A Guy's Moleskine Notebook
Kiss A Cloud
Farm Lane Books Blog
Ramya's Bookshelf...
Up next: Whatever I decide to download with my new Kindle!!!!!!!
I really enjoyed this novel. I think I learned a lot about a topic that I didn't see a lot in my history classes in college. In the late 1960s, the Igbo-led Biafra (in southern modern Nigeria) declared independence from the mostly Muslim Hausa-led north. The civil war leads to the separation of once-strong friendships and threatens the way of life of the intellectual middle class in Biafra. Adichie traces how the war changes people's lives. The characters are believable; each has personal flaws but enough humanity for me to absolutely fall in love with them. I cared what happened to the main characters...and the minor characters, which I think is a huge success for Adichie. I cared about the Igbo people, and I wanted them to win.
In addition to the characters, I think that the author did a fantastic job describing the horrors of war, not just the fighting, but the "collateral" damages caused by civil war: hunger, starvation, suspicion of neighbors. Adichie tackles the issues associated with the "saboteurs," or the other minority non-Igbo people in the south, who were often accused of helping the enemy. She also describes other "side-effects" of war: rape, theft, disease. But she does this in a way that allows the reader to understand some of these terrible actions in the context of war. The reader can criticize the action and the war without necessarily finding people (namely Ugwu) personally culpable for these issues.
There were some issues with the novel. In the beginning, Adichie switched back in forth in time unnecessarily. While it formed some mysteries that kept me reading, I think the novel in chronological order would have provided the same readability without creating confusion with the time lapses.
Still, in general, I think this is a fantastic novel. I would recommend it to anyone! It's also advanced my relative obsession with reading about Latin America and Africa recently. There's just something about the voice of the authors, and the heartbreaking stories they often tell that keeps me reading novels like these over and over.
My rating: 9.4/10
Source: Borrowed from my step-sister
Other reviews:
A Guy's Moleskine Notebook
Kiss A Cloud
Farm Lane Books Blog
Ramya's Bookshelf...
Up next: Whatever I decide to download with my new Kindle!!!!!!!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Review: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
The Tipping Point is a book mixing together sociology, psychology, marketing, education, etc., etc. to create a thesis: small things really do make all of the difference. He uses just about every example possible to support his ideas, including Paul Revere's ride, Blues Clues, and the New York crime wave. Quite simply, ideas, trends, and social movements do not become popular because of their own merits; rather, they catch on because a few very important people (whom Gladwell calls connectors, mavens, and salesmen) are drawn to the idea and spread it.
I think that Gladwell does a very good job explaining his ideas, and the sheer breadth of the examples and case studies allows nearly every reader to find something that they can understand/connect with in the book. For history nuts (like me!), there's Paul Revere's ride; for amateur sociologists, there's an examination of the New York crime rate drop-off; for parents, there's Blues Clues and Sesame Street. This, however, does bring up one fundamental flaw in the book; the thesis is argued through case study. Although Gladwell alludes to patterns to look for in examples not included in the book, they're not set out in a way that can be experimented. This lack of "academic" arguments does, however, make the book much more accessible for the non-academic.
All in all, I think this is an excellent book to make you think and reconsider what you currently think to be true about popular ideas; it's not the merit, it's the people involved in spreading the word about the idea and their skills in harnessing the power of communication. It raises some important questions: do we elect presidents because of our personal support of their policies, or is it because we managed to meet and talk to someone particularly effective at spreading the word about said candidate? Can we encourage children to go to school and study hard simply because of the possible rewards of doing such a thing, or would we be fighting a losing battle against a charismatic classmate that argues for the fun that comes with skipping school? Can we fight childhood obesity by using celebrity spokespeople and warning about the health risks, or do we need to search for a particular person particularly good at persuading children that exercising is "cool"? Even if you're not a "non-fiction reader," I would suggest this book. It's accessible, and the ideas are really worth reading about.
My rating: 9.2/10
Other reviews:
Liv's Book Reviews
Dog Ear Diary
Book Addiction
A Reader's Journal
Up Next: Fury by Salman Rushdie
I think that Gladwell does a very good job explaining his ideas, and the sheer breadth of the examples and case studies allows nearly every reader to find something that they can understand/connect with in the book. For history nuts (like me!), there's Paul Revere's ride; for amateur sociologists, there's an examination of the New York crime rate drop-off; for parents, there's Blues Clues and Sesame Street. This, however, does bring up one fundamental flaw in the book; the thesis is argued through case study. Although Gladwell alludes to patterns to look for in examples not included in the book, they're not set out in a way that can be experimented. This lack of "academic" arguments does, however, make the book much more accessible for the non-academic.
All in all, I think this is an excellent book to make you think and reconsider what you currently think to be true about popular ideas; it's not the merit, it's the people involved in spreading the word about the idea and their skills in harnessing the power of communication. It raises some important questions: do we elect presidents because of our personal support of their policies, or is it because we managed to meet and talk to someone particularly effective at spreading the word about said candidate? Can we encourage children to go to school and study hard simply because of the possible rewards of doing such a thing, or would we be fighting a losing battle against a charismatic classmate that argues for the fun that comes with skipping school? Can we fight childhood obesity by using celebrity spokespeople and warning about the health risks, or do we need to search for a particular person particularly good at persuading children that exercising is "cool"? Even if you're not a "non-fiction reader," I would suggest this book. It's accessible, and the ideas are really worth reading about.
My rating: 9.2/10
Other reviews:
Liv's Book Reviews
Dog Ear Diary
Book Addiction
A Reader's Journal
Up Next: Fury by Salman Rushdie
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Review: Guernica by Dave Boling
From the Back of the Novel: In 1935, finding himself on the wrong side of the Spanish Nationalists, Miguel Navarro flees to Guernica, the most ancient town in the Basque region. In this idyllic, isolated bastion of democratic values, Miguel finds more than a new life--he finds someone to live for. Miren Ansotegui is a charismatic dancer from the town's most prominent family, and the two discover a powerful love.
But their affair is doomed to be painfully tested. On the eve of World War II, the German Luftwaffe bombs Guernica. It is a devastating experiment in total warfare and, for the Basques, an attack on the soul of their ancient nation. Seamlessly merging history and fiction, Guernica speaks to the resilience of family, love, and tradition in extraordinary circumstances.
I will admit, this is a book that will stay with me for a very, very long time. For anyone that knows the basics of the Spanish Civil War and the bombing of Guernica by the Germans as a show of support for Franco, this book is, understandably, not a happy one. What the Germans did to "test" their air force was horrific, and Boling does a fantastic job putting a human face on that tragedy. He really makes you fall in love with the characters, quirks and all, and makes you care about what happens to them. The novel acts as a fantastic introduction to the "opening acts" of World War II and the historic difficulties of the Basque people under oppressive regimes.
That being said, don't go into this one expecting an unbiased view of anything that's happening. The Basques are portrayed as vibrant, loving, intelligent...the stereotypical "good" guys of the novel. And every German or Spanish (read: fascists supporting the Franco-led rebellion against the Spanish republic) is portrayed as soulless, lazy, and, in several cases, socio-pathic. There's little attempt to understand them as people with their own families to protect. Still, I think it is rather appropriate in this novel--the descriptions of the German bombers as celebrating after the horrific decimation of the town of Guernica show just how disassociated from other people many fascists had become. They didn't think of Guernica as a town full of people with lives and families; instead, they were the enemy: a strategic target. In contrast, the British bomber portrayed reaches the understanding early in his military career that his bombing in Germany could result in the death of German women and children. I am not mentioning this in criticism; I'm just warning non-fiction readers that they shouldn't expect an unbiased view of the Spanish Civil War in this novel.
This is Boling's first novel, and, I must admit, I'm extremely impressed. I saw it on the bookshelves at Borders on the "If you like...then you might like..." displays, and I couldn't resist it, and it quickly ended up on the top of my TBR list. Boling's writing style reminds me a lot of Allende and some other Latin American and Spanish authors (but with a whole heck of a lot more of the realism and none of the supernatural). His descriptions are beautiful, and he successfully paints a picture of the horrifying event without being gory. Rather, he shows an amazing respect for all of the characters, even as they're facing their last moments or the ongoing need to deal with grief. Ultimately, the book has an excellent message and shows that even in the midst of overwhelming death and destruction, a community can rebound--even thrive.
My rating: 10/10
Other reviews:
caribousmom
Presenting Lenore
She Is Too Fond of Books
Up Next: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
But their affair is doomed to be painfully tested. On the eve of World War II, the German Luftwaffe bombs Guernica. It is a devastating experiment in total warfare and, for the Basques, an attack on the soul of their ancient nation. Seamlessly merging history and fiction, Guernica speaks to the resilience of family, love, and tradition in extraordinary circumstances.
I will admit, this is a book that will stay with me for a very, very long time. For anyone that knows the basics of the Spanish Civil War and the bombing of Guernica by the Germans as a show of support for Franco, this book is, understandably, not a happy one. What the Germans did to "test" their air force was horrific, and Boling does a fantastic job putting a human face on that tragedy. He really makes you fall in love with the characters, quirks and all, and makes you care about what happens to them. The novel acts as a fantastic introduction to the "opening acts" of World War II and the historic difficulties of the Basque people under oppressive regimes.
That being said, don't go into this one expecting an unbiased view of anything that's happening. The Basques are portrayed as vibrant, loving, intelligent...the stereotypical "good" guys of the novel. And every German or Spanish (read: fascists supporting the Franco-led rebellion against the Spanish republic) is portrayed as soulless, lazy, and, in several cases, socio-pathic. There's little attempt to understand them as people with their own families to protect. Still, I think it is rather appropriate in this novel--the descriptions of the German bombers as celebrating after the horrific decimation of the town of Guernica show just how disassociated from other people many fascists had become. They didn't think of Guernica as a town full of people with lives and families; instead, they were the enemy: a strategic target. In contrast, the British bomber portrayed reaches the understanding early in his military career that his bombing in Germany could result in the death of German women and children. I am not mentioning this in criticism; I'm just warning non-fiction readers that they shouldn't expect an unbiased view of the Spanish Civil War in this novel.
This is Boling's first novel, and, I must admit, I'm extremely impressed. I saw it on the bookshelves at Borders on the "If you like...then you might like..." displays, and I couldn't resist it, and it quickly ended up on the top of my TBR list. Boling's writing style reminds me a lot of Allende and some other Latin American and Spanish authors (but with a whole heck of a lot more of the realism and none of the supernatural). His descriptions are beautiful, and he successfully paints a picture of the horrifying event without being gory. Rather, he shows an amazing respect for all of the characters, even as they're facing their last moments or the ongoing need to deal with grief. Ultimately, the book has an excellent message and shows that even in the midst of overwhelming death and destruction, a community can rebound--even thrive.
My rating: 10/10
Other reviews:
caribousmom
Presenting Lenore
She Is Too Fond of Books
Up Next: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Quick Review: Eats, Shoots, and Leaves by Lynne Truss
I'm just going to give a quick review of Eats, Shoots, and Leaves since I'm on my way out for rockclimbing with the inlaws :)
Let me preface this review by saying that I am a stickler (except online) when it comes to punctuation. I figure that people who take the time to make signs to advertise their goods, should at least use proper punctuation...I will never buy banana's from a grocery store.
That being said, I think this book is extremely accessible. It's a bit caustic for those who just can't seem to grasp some of the rules she explains, but she at least summarizes basic punctuation rules by using extremely funny examples of terrible punctuation in print. She also has a lot to say about what the downfall of punctuation (see grocery store signs and text message speak) can mean for human understanding of language...something I think all book bloggers should be concerned about!
My rating: 9.7/10
Other reviews:
**Please let me know if you have a review of this book posted...I couldn't seem to find any in my cursory search of my Google Reader**
Up next: Guernica by Dave Bolling
Let me preface this review by saying that I am a stickler (except online) when it comes to punctuation. I figure that people who take the time to make signs to advertise their goods, should at least use proper punctuation...I will never buy banana's from a grocery store.
That being said, I think this book is extremely accessible. It's a bit caustic for those who just can't seem to grasp some of the rules she explains, but she at least summarizes basic punctuation rules by using extremely funny examples of terrible punctuation in print. She also has a lot to say about what the downfall of punctuation (see grocery store signs and text message speak) can mean for human understanding of language...something I think all book bloggers should be concerned about!
My rating: 9.7/10
Other reviews:
**Please let me know if you have a review of this book posted...I couldn't seem to find any in my cursory search of my Google Reader**
Up next: Guernica by Dave Bolling
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Review: I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
I Know This Much Is True is an extraordinary novel about identical twin boys, one ends up schizophrenic; the other ends up troubled and burdened by life's tragedies. Lamb describes the "normal" boy's attempts to take responsibility for his brother without ending up exactly like him.
Wally Lamb is a masterful story-teller. I really felt the characters, empathized with them, even though I have lived a quiet and sheltered life compared to the trials of nearly everyone involved in the story. I thought that the characters were believable; you don't necessarily support everything that they did, but you could at least understand where they were coming from. And each one tackles some very serious issues -- schizophrenia, SIDS, diabetes, child abuse, treatment of Native Americans, racism, etc. -- but they're still people, and I appreciate that Lamb recognizes this. People can't face such over-arching hardship and live without recognizing humor...and finding love. And that is ultimately what I think this book is about: the ability to find love even among overwhelming problems.
Still, this book is not without fault. Some episodes seem to be included only to prove characters' quirkiness. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I love character-development-driven novels, but sometimes I have trouble with novels that switch back and forth between character development and plot. It seemed like sometimes the plot got too rushed while character development was long and drawn-out and at other times, the plot took a while to develop and character development was fast and forced. It made it hard to maintain my bearings.
All of this, however, does not detract from my recommendation that anyone who hasn't read this yet (and I may be the only one). I truly loved this novel; it was worth all 900 pages.
My rating: 8.9/10
Other reviews:
Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?
Caribousmom
Book Maven's Blog
Reading Matters
Everything Distils Into Reading
Musings of a Bookish Kitty
Up Next: Eats, Shoots, and Leaves by Lynne Truss
Wally Lamb is a masterful story-teller. I really felt the characters, empathized with them, even though I have lived a quiet and sheltered life compared to the trials of nearly everyone involved in the story. I thought that the characters were believable; you don't necessarily support everything that they did, but you could at least understand where they were coming from. And each one tackles some very serious issues -- schizophrenia, SIDS, diabetes, child abuse, treatment of Native Americans, racism, etc. -- but they're still people, and I appreciate that Lamb recognizes this. People can't face such over-arching hardship and live without recognizing humor...and finding love. And that is ultimately what I think this book is about: the ability to find love even among overwhelming problems.
Still, this book is not without fault. Some episodes seem to be included only to prove characters' quirkiness. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I love character-development-driven novels, but sometimes I have trouble with novels that switch back and forth between character development and plot. It seemed like sometimes the plot got too rushed while character development was long and drawn-out and at other times, the plot took a while to develop and character development was fast and forced. It made it hard to maintain my bearings.
All of this, however, does not detract from my recommendation that anyone who hasn't read this yet (and I may be the only one). I truly loved this novel; it was worth all 900 pages.
My rating: 8.9/10
Other reviews:
Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?
Caribousmom
Book Maven's Blog
Reading Matters
Everything Distils Into Reading
Musings of a Bookish Kitty
Up Next: Eats, Shoots, and Leaves by Lynne Truss
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Happy Banned Books Week!!!
This week marks a very, very important week in a reader's life: Banned Books Week. I can't help but be grateful for the American Library Association's fight against people who desire to make their values force everyone else to change their behavior. I know my reading history would not be as rich and beautiful if the book-banners had won. I wouldn't have read Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God or Twain's Huck Finn.
I do remember in elementary school when some parents' complaints made the library set up a permission slip system in order for students to access the back office, which housed the Goosebumps series. I was never a huge fan...it was always a series that I read when I couldn't find anything else that I was much interested in reading, but even as a young 5th grader, I thought it seemed unfair. So many kids at that time only read Goosebumps, and there really wasn't anything all that scary or inappropriate about them. Looking back now, I think parents should have just been grateful for Goosebumps because it made their children meet their self-selected reading goals with less opposition and fighting :)
I just always thought that the arguments for banning books seemed completely ridiculous. The common citation of the "n" word as a reason to ban the book just doesn't make sense. These books, including the above-mentioned Huck Finn and Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, allow students to talk about and deal with the historical and contemporary issues surrounding race, that word itself, and what it means. I think it expands a student's understanding; it certainly doesn't make every student a racist. Funny thing is, most of the books that are banned that include the "n" word or the "f" word or many others, actually lead to students expanding their minds, opening them up to other cultures, etc (To Kill a Mockingbird, in particular, comes to mind here). Maybe that's what some parents are really afraid of: their children being challenged in school, leading to them moving away from their parents closed minds and being more accepting. And if parents really have moral issues with books in libraries or schools, maybe they should set up an alternative specifically for their children rather than force that moral issue on all students/library patrons.
What do you think? Am I too critical of book banners? How are you celebrating Banned Books Week?
I do remember in elementary school when some parents' complaints made the library set up a permission slip system in order for students to access the back office, which housed the Goosebumps series. I was never a huge fan...it was always a series that I read when I couldn't find anything else that I was much interested in reading, but even as a young 5th grader, I thought it seemed unfair. So many kids at that time only read Goosebumps, and there really wasn't anything all that scary or inappropriate about them. Looking back now, I think parents should have just been grateful for Goosebumps because it made their children meet their self-selected reading goals with less opposition and fighting :)
I just always thought that the arguments for banning books seemed completely ridiculous. The common citation of the "n" word as a reason to ban the book just doesn't make sense. These books, including the above-mentioned Huck Finn and Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, allow students to talk about and deal with the historical and contemporary issues surrounding race, that word itself, and what it means. I think it expands a student's understanding; it certainly doesn't make every student a racist. Funny thing is, most of the books that are banned that include the "n" word or the "f" word or many others, actually lead to students expanding their minds, opening them up to other cultures, etc (To Kill a Mockingbird, in particular, comes to mind here). Maybe that's what some parents are really afraid of: their children being challenged in school, leading to them moving away from their parents closed minds and being more accepting. And if parents really have moral issues with books in libraries or schools, maybe they should set up an alternative specifically for their children rather than force that moral issue on all students/library patrons.
What do you think? Am I too critical of book banners? How are you celebrating Banned Books Week?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)