It's that time again. Another year of my life has passed. From my birthday in 2017 (April 22) to my birthday this year, I read 111 books. These were my favorites. Included are the date of first publication and the date of my review. I recommend all these without reservation.
A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by AMOR TOWLES
A deliciously charming book about a Russian aristocrat under house arrest in a hotel in Moscow from 1922 through 1954, as he befriends people from all walks of life, including a child whom he comes to love. It is not very believable, but the telling of it is elegant and gently humorous and life affirming. A welcome departure from most current "problem" novels. (2016, reviewed May, 2017)
THE WAY WEST by A.B. GUTHRIE, JR.
The story of the Western Migration, following one family and their wagon train from Missouri to Oregon. Guthrie writes so believably that one can suppose that he took the trip with them. He is a wonderful writer, realistic and poetic simultaneously. A Pulitzer winner.(1949, reviewed June, 2017)
THE LONG GOODBYE by RAYMOND CHANDLER
I love everything Raymond Chandler ever wrote. He is so stylish, so good at dialogue. He is proof that genre stories can be Literature, with a capital L. This is typical Chandler, with private detective Philip Marlowe involved in the twists and turns of a mystery which includes betrayals and sexy women and, of course, dead bodies. (1953, reviewed June, 2017)
A PERFECT SPY by JOHN LE CARRE'
More than a spy thriller, this is a psychological examination of a man who became a master spy, capable of self-justification for his betrayal of those who trust him. Another example of genre fiction which has achieved Literature status because of the writing skill of its author. (1986, reviewed August, 2017)
THE NORTH WATER by IAN McGUIRE
A harsh and brutal tale of the sailors on a whaling ship in the hunting waters of the Arctic Circle. Despite its violent subject matter, this is a beautiful book, almost mythic in its portrayal of human corruption. Not for everybody, maybe, but it really impressed me. Short-listed for the Booker Prize. (2016, reviewed August, 2017)
NEWS OF THE WORLD by PAULETTE JILES
The story of an old man's journey to return a girl rescued from capture by Kiowa Indians to her white family, taking place in Reconstruction-era Texas. Although the plot is somewhat derivative, the writing is poetic, and Jiles's portrayal of the landscape and the vernacular of Texas are spot-on. It is also pleasurably heart-warming without being too syrupy. A finalist for the National Book Award. (2016, reviewed Sept. 2017)
HISTORY OF WOLVES by EMILY FRIDLUND
A coming-of-age story in which a girl does not grow up to be a wiser and happier adult, in contrast with reader expectations. There is a mystery, but it is secondary to the character development and the use of the harsh landscape of Minnesota as an integral part. Disturbingly fascinating. Short-listed for the Booker Prize. (2017, reviewed November, 2017)
EXIT WEST by MOHSIN HAMID
What begins as the realistic story of a young couple caught up in the chaos of a civil war in their unnamed country suddenly switches to magical realism, as they embark on a quest to find a safe home where they will be welcomed. The result is a fable of the emigrant experience, particularly relevant today in light of the plight of the Syrian people. Short listed for the Booker Prize and winner of the LA Times Book Prize. (2017, reviewed November, 2017)
SING, UNBURIED, SING by JESMYN WARD
A 13-year-old black boy and his little sister take a surrealistic road trip with their mother to bring his white father home from prison. They are accompanied home by ghosts from the past, both figuratively and literally. I believe this book is destined to become a classic. Winner of the National Book Award and finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. (2017, reviewed January, 2018)
PACHINKO by MIN JIN LEE
A highly entertaining multi-generational family saga following a Korean family who are immigrants in Japan. While telling a fascinating story it also points to the experience of any immigrant who finds himself devalued because of ethnicity. Finalist for the National Book Award. (2017, reviewed January, 2018)
THE POWER by NAOMI ALDERMAN
Imagine a world of the future when women have become dominant over men, because they have developed the power to deliver electric shock unaided by any device. If you imagine a kinder, gentler world, you would be wrong. As it turns out, power corrupts. What a surprise! This slyly humorous satire has much to say about power and gender and stereotypes. (2017, reviewed January, 2018)
THE MEMORY OF RUNNING by RON McLARTY
A 40-something overweight, beer drinking, chain smoking loser impulsively embarks on a cross-country bicycle trip, and finds himself along the way. I developed a great fondness for this character because the author presents him with such compassion. (2004, reviewed March, 2018)
THE GRIP OF IT by JAC JEMC
First rate psychological horror about a couple who buy a house that is (or might be) haunted. The title accurately describes the hold the book took of my mind. I have seldom read a creepier story. (2017, reviewed March 2018)
Contrary to my usual reading habits, I read several non-fiction books this year, primarily histories and presidential biographies. The best were APRIL, 1865 by JAY WINIK (history, reviewed October, 2017) and WASHINGTON, A LIFE by RON CHENOW (biography, reviewed February, 2018)
I read only one book this year that I would not recommend to anyone: AMERICAN PSYCHO by BRET EASTON ELLIS (1991, reviewed September, 2017).
So I'm off for another year of reading adventures. Onward through the fog.
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Saturday, April 21, 2018
ROMOLA by GEORGE ELIOT (1863)
To say that this book is not very accessible would be an understatement, at least for me. I started reading it at least four times before I finally stuck with it. It takes 50 pages for Romola, the heroine, to enter the picture and for the actual plot to get started. Those first 50 pages were non-starters, filled with details about Florence in the late 1400s, Latin phrases and quotations, and mentions of famous (at the time) personages, all unfamiliar to me. A 50-page Notes section at the end of the book clarified things somewhat, but it took a great deal of time to page back and forth from the text to the notes to understand what was being conveyed.
Once the actual story gets started, however, the book begins to be very engrossing, although still filled with unfamiliar events, phrases, and people. (About this time, I decided to dispense with the Notes and just charge ahead.) When Tito, a beautiful stranger to the city, becomes secretary to her scholar father, Romola's whole life changes. She is charmed by his good looks, delightful personality, and obvious intelligence, and they soon become engaged. There's just one problem: unbeknownst to Romola, Tito is a real snake in the grass. His only love is himself, and he is ready to betray anyone and everyone to obtain his desires, precisely as he begins to do soon after he and Romola are married.
Will Romola discover what a mistake she has made? How will she react if she finds out? Can she bear to go on when her world crumbles? These were the questions in my mind that kept me reading to the end of this long, rather difficult book. That George Eliot so fully and believably delineated Romola's character and that the situation of a woman betrayed by love blindness is so universal and timeless were added incentives.
Before reading this, I knew next to nothing about the time and place. I had heard of the religious reformer and mystic Savonarola, who has a major role in the narrative, but I knew nothing of his involvement in Florentine politics. Now, thanks to this novel and Wikipedia, I know a good deal more than I did before. It's always good to learn new things.
This would have been a more enjoyable novel for me if its setting had been more familiar. The base story and the writing are impressive, but the background details and political maneuvering sometimes made it a chore.
Once the actual story gets started, however, the book begins to be very engrossing, although still filled with unfamiliar events, phrases, and people. (About this time, I decided to dispense with the Notes and just charge ahead.) When Tito, a beautiful stranger to the city, becomes secretary to her scholar father, Romola's whole life changes. She is charmed by his good looks, delightful personality, and obvious intelligence, and they soon become engaged. There's just one problem: unbeknownst to Romola, Tito is a real snake in the grass. His only love is himself, and he is ready to betray anyone and everyone to obtain his desires, precisely as he begins to do soon after he and Romola are married.
Will Romola discover what a mistake she has made? How will she react if she finds out? Can she bear to go on when her world crumbles? These were the questions in my mind that kept me reading to the end of this long, rather difficult book. That George Eliot so fully and believably delineated Romola's character and that the situation of a woman betrayed by love blindness is so universal and timeless were added incentives.
Before reading this, I knew next to nothing about the time and place. I had heard of the religious reformer and mystic Savonarola, who has a major role in the narrative, but I knew nothing of his involvement in Florentine politics. Now, thanks to this novel and Wikipedia, I know a good deal more than I did before. It's always good to learn new things.
This would have been a more enjoyable novel for me if its setting had been more familiar. The base story and the writing are impressive, but the background details and political maneuvering sometimes made it a chore.
Thursday, April 12, 2018
4 3 2 1 by PAUL AUSTER (2017)
If I had not first read the cover flaps on my copy of 4 3 2 1, I would have become totally confused as I progressed through the book. The first section, titled "1.0" tells the background story of the protagonist's grandparents and parents, from the arrival of the family in America from Minsk in 1900 until Ferguson's birth in 1947. The second section, titled "1.1" recounts Ferguson's childhood up to age 9. His father owns an appliance store, employing two uncles, and his mother has her own photography business. Their life is uneventful until Albert, one of the uncles, betrays the father by spearheading a robbery of the warehouse, and he must close the store.
That's when the confusion begins. The third section, titled "1.2" seems to be telling further details of Ferguson's youth, except suddenly some of the facts don't match up. For example, Albert does not rob the store, but the other uncle burns it to the ground for the insurance money. Then in section "1.3" the store also burns, but this time Ferguson's father dies in the fire. In section "1.4" Ferguson's father has opened several stores and the family is wealthy.
And so it goes, for 868 pages, up through section "7.4" and Ferguson's young manhood, telling the story of the four paths Ferguson might have taken or may have taken. It is all very disorienting, and I had to resort to taking notes about the major events to keep the four stories straight in my mind. It's like reading four books at once, all about the same person, with none of them telling the same story.
Paul Auster is an excellent writer, and thus this novel is very readable (except for the confusing part). But I really dislike books built on gimmicks. That Auster winds up with a metafiction climax is the ultimate gimmick. In addition, the constant name-dropping of high-browed writers and artists and composers to emphasize how intelligent Ferguson is (and by extension, how intelligent Auster is) becomes very irritating.
This novel has received good reviews, but it is not my idea of a good read.
That's when the confusion begins. The third section, titled "1.2" seems to be telling further details of Ferguson's youth, except suddenly some of the facts don't match up. For example, Albert does not rob the store, but the other uncle burns it to the ground for the insurance money. Then in section "1.3" the store also burns, but this time Ferguson's father dies in the fire. In section "1.4" Ferguson's father has opened several stores and the family is wealthy.
And so it goes, for 868 pages, up through section "7.4" and Ferguson's young manhood, telling the story of the four paths Ferguson might have taken or may have taken. It is all very disorienting, and I had to resort to taking notes about the major events to keep the four stories straight in my mind. It's like reading four books at once, all about the same person, with none of them telling the same story.
Paul Auster is an excellent writer, and thus this novel is very readable (except for the confusing part). But I really dislike books built on gimmicks. That Auster winds up with a metafiction climax is the ultimate gimmick. In addition, the constant name-dropping of high-browed writers and artists and composers to emphasize how intelligent Ferguson is (and by extension, how intelligent Auster is) becomes very irritating.
This novel has received good reviews, but it is not my idea of a good read.
Friday, April 6, 2018
IMPROVEMENT by JOAN SILBER (2017)
Improvement is billed as a novel, but it is actually more a series of short stories featuring characters who are tangentially connected. The first story, narrated by Rayna, a young single mother, concerns her involvement with a boyfriend and his pals to smuggle cigarettes across state lines. Her decision to sever herself from the enterprise leads to unforeseen and tragic consequences, including the death of Claude, a member of the theft ring. Then we move to the third-person story of Darisse, Claude's girlfriend, following his death. Then to Teddy, the truck driver who accidentally killed Claude in a traffic accident. And so on. The stories end with a return to Reyna, as she attempts to atone for her part in Claude's death.
These are very quiet stories, with a minimum of drama, written in an unadorned yet graceful style. The author exhibits great compassion for her characters, who become understandable and real in just a few pages. Each story could have become a novel all by itself, and I found myself disappointed each time one ended that it was not expanded further.
All that being said, I found this to be a very forgettable book. I finished it about a week ago, and I had to look back over it to write this review. I am surprised that it won this year's National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award, especially because another of the finalists for the award was Sing, Unburied, Sing, which is a much better book.
These are very quiet stories, with a minimum of drama, written in an unadorned yet graceful style. The author exhibits great compassion for her characters, who become understandable and real in just a few pages. Each story could have become a novel all by itself, and I found myself disappointed each time one ended that it was not expanded further.
All that being said, I found this to be a very forgettable book. I finished it about a week ago, and I had to look back over it to write this review. I am surprised that it won this year's National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award, especially because another of the finalists for the award was Sing, Unburied, Sing, which is a much better book.
Saturday, March 31, 2018
JOHN ADAMS by DAVID McCULLOUGH (2001)
I feel sorry for John Adams. I think he is the most undervalued of our Founding Fathers. Here was a man who was one of the leaders in the push for independence and who worked tirelessly for the cause. He was the one who negotiated the final peace treaty with England, and who negotiated loans from Dutch banks when they were needed most. As president, he held the nation to a steady course, building a strong naval defense while ensuring a peace, all while war with France would have been the politically popular move. He was intellectually brilliant. He was a faithful husband and friend. He was man of incorruptible integrity who never spoke ill of an adversary for political gain, while being subjected to some of the most malicious attacks ever endured by a president.
So why doesn't he get the popular recognition today received by some of his contemporaries? In modern eyes, the Alien and Sedition Act, particularly the limitations on the press, is the primary blot on his record. Although he didn't sponsor the act, he didn't veto it when it passed in Congress.
Mainly, I have come to believe, he is undervalued because he was not a politician. Along with Washington, he believed that political parties were harmful to the emerging democracy. Thus he was caught between the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, and the Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson, both of whom did all they could to undermine him. He knew from the beginning that Hamilton was not his friend, but he believed that Jefferson was, until he finally realized that he, too, was secretly plotting against him.
And yet later in life, when both he and Jefferson were retired, Adams forgave him and began an extensive correspondence. That's more than most would have done, but Adams was a strong adherent of Christian precepts, including forgiveness.
More than any of the Founding Fathers, Adams' life is an open book, because he preserved his letters and writings, including his letters to his wife. In contrast, Jefferson destroyed much of his private correspondence. (He had many things to hide, as it turns out.)
These were the opinions I gained from reading this highly recommended biography of our second president. Privately, I also believe that Adams was undervalued because he did not look the part. He was relatively short and fat and not impressive in appearance, in contrast to the tall and patrician-appearing Washington and Jefferson.
This is an extremely well-written biography which reads much like a novel, seamlessly including massive research. I highly recommend it as a way to re-evaluate our second president.
So why doesn't he get the popular recognition today received by some of his contemporaries? In modern eyes, the Alien and Sedition Act, particularly the limitations on the press, is the primary blot on his record. Although he didn't sponsor the act, he didn't veto it when it passed in Congress.
Mainly, I have come to believe, he is undervalued because he was not a politician. Along with Washington, he believed that political parties were harmful to the emerging democracy. Thus he was caught between the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, and the Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson, both of whom did all they could to undermine him. He knew from the beginning that Hamilton was not his friend, but he believed that Jefferson was, until he finally realized that he, too, was secretly plotting against him.
And yet later in life, when both he and Jefferson were retired, Adams forgave him and began an extensive correspondence. That's more than most would have done, but Adams was a strong adherent of Christian precepts, including forgiveness.
More than any of the Founding Fathers, Adams' life is an open book, because he preserved his letters and writings, including his letters to his wife. In contrast, Jefferson destroyed much of his private correspondence. (He had many things to hide, as it turns out.)
These were the opinions I gained from reading this highly recommended biography of our second president. Privately, I also believe that Adams was undervalued because he did not look the part. He was relatively short and fat and not impressive in appearance, in contrast to the tall and patrician-appearing Washington and Jefferson.
This is an extremely well-written biography which reads much like a novel, seamlessly including massive research. I highly recommend it as a way to re-evaluate our second president.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
THE COMMITMENTS by RODDY DOYLE (1989)
This short novel by the Irish writer Roddy Doyle reminds me very much of the mock-documentary movie This Is Spinal Tap. I know a movie has also been adapted from this book, but I have not seen it. This is the story of a group of Dublin working-class youths who style themselves as a soul band. It chronicles their small triumphs and petty tribulations, as greed, egotism, and women tarnish their dream. It is hilarious.
Warning: All of this is written in the vernacular of a specific time and place, and thus many terms and phrases are unfamiliar to the American reader of the here and now. However, this does not distract from enjoyment.
This novel provided me with a day's pleasant distraction and enjoyment. It is highly entertaining.
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Doyle's 1993 novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha won England's Booker Prize.
Warning: All of this is written in the vernacular of a specific time and place, and thus many terms and phrases are unfamiliar to the American reader of the here and now. However, this does not distract from enjoyment.
This novel provided me with a day's pleasant distraction and enjoyment. It is highly entertaining.
-------------
Doyle's 1993 novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha won England's Booker Prize.
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
THOMAS JEFFERSON THE ART OF POWER by JON MEACHAM (2012)
This is the second Jefferson biography I have read (American Sphinx, reviewed 9/17), along with several other accounts of the fathers of our nation. Contrary to the other authors, Jon Meacham paints a largely favorable portrait of our third president. For instance, he calls it "pragmatic" that Jefferson accused his predecessors of aspiring to be monarchs, yet behaved more like a monarch himself, wielding unprecedented executive power while president, in addition to indulging himself in a lavish lifestyle. He includes the smallest details of Jefferson's daily life, yet leaves out the instances when Jefferson secretly used others to defame his opponents and then lied about it if he got found out, or when he expressed conflicting opinions to different people at the same time. He does comment on Jefferson's lifetime avoidance of conflict with others, but presents it as an admirable trait rather than mentioning that it often meant that Jefferson shook someone's hand while stabbing him in the back.
Meacham also admits that Jefferson owned hundreds of slaves and fathered at least one child with his slave Sally Hemmings. (How could he not, with the current DNA evidence as proof.) However, he somewhat excuses this as being typical of the times in Virginia. He does not comment on the ironic fact that this same man proclaimed that "all men are created equal."
The sub-title of this book accurately reflects Jefferson's greatest talent -- he knew how to gain power. While Washington and Adams were our first leaders, Jefferson was our first politician, not above lying to achieve his desired ends. Meacham skirts around this issue, but even his favorable account reveals that Jefferson's public words did not always match his actions.
I am even more confirmed in my opinion that Jefferson is undeserving of the adulation accorded to him today. I believe that he was a champion of states rights mainly because he wanted his elitist, slave-holding lifestyle to continue, and that his first allegiance was always to Virginia rather than to the United States.
Meacham also admits that Jefferson owned hundreds of slaves and fathered at least one child with his slave Sally Hemmings. (How could he not, with the current DNA evidence as proof.) However, he somewhat excuses this as being typical of the times in Virginia. He does not comment on the ironic fact that this same man proclaimed that "all men are created equal."
The sub-title of this book accurately reflects Jefferson's greatest talent -- he knew how to gain power. While Washington and Adams were our first leaders, Jefferson was our first politician, not above lying to achieve his desired ends. Meacham skirts around this issue, but even his favorable account reveals that Jefferson's public words did not always match his actions.
I am even more confirmed in my opinion that Jefferson is undeserving of the adulation accorded to him today. I believe that he was a champion of states rights mainly because he wanted his elitist, slave-holding lifestyle to continue, and that his first allegiance was always to Virginia rather than to the United States.
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