Returning to her London flat one night, Lauren is greeted at the door by heThis review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5
Returning to her London flat one night, Lauren is greeted at the door by her loving husband, Michael. It would normally be very nice - but Lauren isn't married. At least she doesn't remember being married. Yet the photos around the flat, and the photos and messages on her phone all suggest that she's been married to Michael for years.
When Michael goes up to the attic to change a lightbulb, he never returns. Instead, another man emerges as her husband, and her flat and her phone all indicate that they've been married for years
Lauren comes to realize that there is something unique and strange happening with her attic, giving her new husbands any time one passes through the opening barrier. And it is only the husband who change. And thus begins a years-long rotation of husbands into and out of Lauren's life. Some are downright frightening, some she can't imagine ever marrying in the first place. Some are quite acceptable but ... could there be a better one out there?
This is a debut novel for author Holly Gramazio and it's a delightful, allegorical romp. Are we ever satisfied? Is there always something 'better'? It's the 'greener pastures' theory in full mode.
This allegory is evident pretty much from the start. What does it take - two, three? - husband changes to see that Lauren wonders what the next might be like? Of course those who are wrong are generally very clearly wrong, but in one case, Lauren begins to question herself, rather than her husbands, when EVERYone likes her husband so much more than she does. He's almost too perfect. So what does she want? That question is maybe never really answered.
Once the meaning of this morality tale is established (early), this becomes an urban fantasy adventure and as such it's quite repetitious. We come to expect (again, very early one) that Lauren is going to rotate through men so our continuing to read is based on 'what's the next man going to be'?
Gramazio does a fine job of changing up who the men are - making them different - and just as we might get truly bored one (temporary) husband stands out for his uniqueness among the hundreds that she'll flip through (I don't want to give too much away).
Still, it feels as though Lauren should come to some realizations about her situation, and herself, much earlier. Does she simply get hooked on the thrill of getting a new man? Is she someone who can never be satisfied? That's never really addressed. In some ways this is a question for the reader, presumably, to discover in themselves. But that would suggest that this book is really only intended for single women. (Let's face it - if the roles were reversed and it was a man who could constantly get a different wife, the 'message' of the story would be very different.)
Personally, I think we get the message early and don't need to see quite so many different husbands that are clearly not 'right' but more who were actually a reasonable choice and still discarded would have been much more interesting.
While this is clearly fantasy, I suspect this will get listed instead as 'contemporary' or 'chick lit'. Looking for a good book? The Husbands by Holly Gramazio is a modern allegorical tale showcasing the 'grass is always greener on the other side' proverb, delightfully told.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
I remember reading Oliver Twist back in high school (oh, the snickering oveThis review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5
I remember reading Oliver Twist back in high school (oh, the snickering over the name of the character of Master Bates) but that was a long time ago and so, since I had a free copy from Open Road Media on my Kindle, I thought I’d give it another read.
This book definitely stands the test of time (not all classics do) and as an adult reader, I’m sure I picked up on some things that hadn’t occurred to me in my teens (I’m sure my English teachers were trying to get some of this across). I hadn’t realized how much ‘the workhouses’ played a part in some of Dickens’ work (I’m thinking of Scrooge’s comments, in addition to the plight of Oliver’s mother). Dickens paints a bleak look at 1800’s England.
I hadn’t remembered that Fagin played such a major role in the book. When I think of a villain, I tend to think of Bill Sikes and his killing of Nancy. Of course Sikes is part of Fagin’s gang.
I felt less optimistic at the end, perhaps because I see how the negative behavior in the book is as much a part of the human condition as is the positive behavior. Oliver has had to suffer through life, for no fault of his own while Fagin and Sikes have preyed on kids like Oliver and the Dodger and Nancy for their own means. One might argue that circumstances have dictated their behaviors, but there will always be those who find it easier to prey on others for personal gain – just look at the internet scams and hacking today.
Sometimes when we read a classic we get caught up in the characters and stories, but Dickens was also a solid storyteller with a beautiful way with words. From his extremely descriptive character names (you tned to know what kind of person a character will be just from their name) to his narrative descriptions. One rather innocuous passage caught my eye for how beautiful it was:
…she glanced from the table to the fireplace, where the smallest of all possible kettles was singing a small song in a small voice…
Looking for a good book? If you haven’t read Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, or if you read it a long time ago, or think you know it because you’ve seen the film or the play, do yourself a favor and give it a read....more
Prior to this the only thing I’ve read by Mary Shelley was Frankenstein andThis review originally published in Looking for a Good Book. Rated 2.0 of 5
Prior to this the only thing I’ve read by Mary Shelley was Frankenstein and so I thought I might broaden my reading horizons by checking out some of her other works. Given the premise here and how sci-fi it seems, I thought this might be a good place to start.
The Last Man narrates the story of, well, the last man on earth. Set in Shelley’s future (now almost our past), a plague has wiped out all of humanity save for one man.
The book doesn’t start with the last man, but rather it spends a great deal of time spent of reflection and philosophy. This is slow going. Seriously slooooooowwwwwww going. I can’t imagine any modern reader getting through this purely for the sake of reading enjoyment. English majors and literature students may have to suffer through, and I can imagine the kinds of papers one might have to write, examining the general philosophy of the day and how Shelley’s book challenges that thinking.
Frankly, I struggled to get through this. This was slow and dry (as I expected) but I really couldn’t see how or when it was going to get to the story.
It does pick up some. Our narrator, Lionel (a rather wretched young man), travels through Europe trying to bring about a better humanity, but humanity slowly is dying out – because of humanity and its bringing about the plague.
There is still a great deal of meditation and philosophy (on man’s role in the hierarchy of nature) and the writing style is 1800’s ‘romance’ which makes this difficult for this modern reader, but at least the story becomes more apparent.
I’m still amazed when I read classic works like this and the descriptions of the plague are still so apropos to today and what we experienced during the Covid pandemic. Here Shelley writes:
When once disease was introduced into the rural districts, its effects appeared more horrible, more exigent, and more difficult to cure, than in towns. There was a companionship in suffering there, and, the neighbours keeping constant watch on each other, and inspired by the active benevolence of Adrian, succour was afforded, and the path of destruction smoothed. But in the country, among the scattered farm-houses, in lone cottages, in fields, and barns, tragedies were acted harrowing to the soul, unseen, unheard, unnoticed. Medical aid was less easily procured, food was more difficult to obtain, and human beings, unwithheld by shame, for they were unbeheld of their fellows, ventured on deeds of greater wickedness, or gave way more readily to their abject fears.
I really wouldn’t recommend this, but if early 1800’s literature is appealing to you, perhaps this is something to put on your Kindle or pick up in a used book store somewhere.
Looking for a good book? Mary Shelley is not famous for her novel, The Last Man, and for good reason....more
In this fourth, and final, volume in the Olav Audunsson series by Sigrid UnThis review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5
In this fourth, and final, volume in the Olav Audunsson series by Sigrid Undset, Winter, Olav's life is wrapped up as the man, now in his twilight years, looks on at his life and guilt over some of his actions (as detailed in the previous three books) overwhelms him and he wants to set things right with what time he has left. Watching his son, Eirik make mistakes, may be the most difficult thing for Olav to see as he reflects on his own poor choices. Forgiveness might be impossible, but he might be able to clear his conscience with some effort.
It's difficult to say whether or not this would have the same impact on a reader if this were the only volume of the series to be read. There is some reflection on past deeds, but to not have read of the events definitely would prove to be a disadvantage - this is the end of a long life and things are slower, more reflective. The excitement happens in the previous three volumes.
But this is an important look at not only Olav's life, but a look at the end of an era (though the death of anyone elderly ends an era). Just as Tevya learned to adapt to new ways in Fiddler on the Roof, Olav learns to adapt. Olav expects that one of his final tasks will be to find husbands for his daughters, yet he's willing to go back on his word to one man in order to allow his daughter to marry the man she loves rather than the man he's selected. This is not the Olav of the earlier books!
Some of the beauty of this book, and the series, is the writing (Sigrid Undset) and/or translation (Tiina Nunnally). Often through my reading I would remind myself that this is not a translation of an ancient, Medieval text - the landscape of this era is so well defined her by Undset. Nor is this a 'modern' day writer writing about this age - the driving concerns of Olav and his contemporaries is every bit as 'modern' as we find today.
And this is one of my takeaways here ... mankind hasn't changed much over the centuries. Technology has changed, but what drives us as humans hasn't.
The challenges that face Olav, even now in his winter years, are reflected in what's happening with his country as well. From war with the Swedes to trying to find a religion (or a way to talk with God), we see how we face a constant need to reinvent ourselves, how everything we do affects those around us. But making amends or setting things right doesn't come easily - even once the attempt is made.
He had never imagined that something like this would happen - that when he was finally prepared to throw down his weapons and surrender, no one would be there to receive them. And he sensed that the deathlike calm he'd been feeling was actually the utmost apprehension, for he was now shivering with cold and despair because he would be forced to take this leap one more time. I can't help but wonder if the similarities to Olav and Christ are intentional. In addition to the act of allowing a child to have free will (to chose her own spouse), we have Eirik say, near the end:
God's ways are hidden. But never will I believe that it happened because Father's sin was worse than that of most other men. Maybe it happened in order to present an example - the rest of us go about our lives untroubled by our misdeeds. God chose Father to pay the full price, because He knew Father's heart was stronger and more steadfast - not like those of us who are incapable of swallowing even a single drop of the Lord's righteousness. It's a powerful book and a very appropriate end to the series. I'm not sure I could recommend this as a standalone, but this is definitely four books you should read.
Looking for a good book? Olav Audunsson: Winter, by Sigrid Undset is the fourth book in a series and the end of journey for a man, Olav Audunsson, living in medieval Norway. It's a great end to a great series.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Homer's The Iliad has been one of those books that I'd never read but alwayThis review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5
Homer's The Iliad has been one of those books that I'd never read but always meant to 'get around to it.' When I saw this ARC for a new translation, I thought it might spur me on, but even so it's been ten years! Finally, though, I devoted time to this reading and all I can say is ... really?
The translation by Barry B. Powell is fantastic. It is very readable to a modern reader and the notes are extensive, often helping to understand some of the relationships, locations, or what weapons of war are being used. I will say that while it is helpful on the one hand, it also slows the reading down. There is so much to unpack in a classic like this.
But the story ... I can honestly say that I didn't realize that it was basically a very long poem/story about war, fighting, and killing. One man after another kills and/or dies and someone is anguished by this. And then there's Achilles .... What a jerk! He's like that bombastic starting quarterback from your high school football team. He's a good athlete and he knows it, and he's ranked at the top of your class, and he lets you know. He's the guy you want on your team, but you don't have to like him.
Achilles brags about how good he is and when he finally kills Hector, the hero for the Trojans, he just has to show off a little and drag the body around behind him to mutilate it as much as possible./ And when the body doesn't mutilate (because even the gods liked Hector), he carries it with him everywhere, even when he's at home and eating dinner. After all, if he can't mutilate it he can at least prevent the Trojans from having the body for mourning and ceremonial letting go.
I'm glad I finally read this, and I'm really glad I read Powell's translation. The first few books in The Iliad set us up and are quite interesting, and the last four or five books is when it gets really interesting. But the fifteen or so books in the middle just feel so long and repetitive (for this casual reader) that it's easy to see why The Iliad doesn't have quite the same strength as a story as does The Odyssey.
Looking for a good book? Barry B. Powell translates Homer's The Iliad and makes it about as easy to read a classic as anyone can.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. ...more
My familiarity with Oscar Wilde is based primarily on his plays. What colleThis review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.5 of 5
My familiarity with Oscar Wilde is based primarily on his plays. What college theatre student isn't familiar with The Importance of Being Earnest which generally leads to reading some of his other works. Only one other play is included in this collection (which, honestly, was a little disappointing), that being An Ideal Husband. For the most part, this book is a decent sampler of all that Wilde had to offer and interested readers can certainly seek out more pretty handily. The only work of fiction that I had previously read was The Picture of Dorian Gray (and that reading was decades ago), and the non-fiction was completely new to me.
However, what I took away from reading through this was that my impression of Wilde has changed greatly since my college play reading days. Whereas he at one time seemed so clever and witty, I now see a man who was so completely full of himself. What was once clever repartee now seems out of place - as if really all he wanted to do was be quotable. When looking at these one-line quotes in his work, it's easy to see how they can get pulled out and put in quote books. But looking at the work as a whole, most of these quotes seem out of place with the characters or situations. It was eye-opening. It was disappointing. Am I just more jaded today? Or just less impressed with someone clearly highly intelligent but so full of himself? I couldn't help but be reminded of a few people I know, which didn't help my reaction (and no ... no one who is reading this, so don't bother asking).
The best piece in this book ... the most honest piece ... was "De Profundis" a lengthy letter written by Wilde, from prison, to Lord Alfred Douglas (friend and lover). Here Wilde shows his intelligence but without the sassy wit. That wit is what got him in trouble, thinking he could flaunt who and what he was, even though it was illegal at that time (sounds like someone in todays' news - flaunting their illegal activities and surprised it has caught up to them). The letter is honest and his hurt is genuine. Though I don't get the impression that he realizes yet that he only has himself to blame.
(Please note that I completely disagree with the reasons Wilde was imprisoned ("gross indecency" - ie same-sex relations or homosexuality) but like it or not, it was a law and many were being punished for it, so flaunting it, just because you are someone of some fame, seems more than a little risky.)
Overall, this book unfortunately had the opposite affect on me as one would hope from a sampler. I went from thinking I generally liked Wilde, to not being so interested in reading more of his works.
This book contains the following:
Fiction The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) The Devoted Friend (1888) The Happy Prince (1888) The Selfish Giant (1888) The Birthday of the Infanta (1891) The Fisherman and His Soul (1891) The Star-Child (1891) The Young King (1891) Plays An Ideal Husband (1895) The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) Nonfiction The Decay of Lying: An Observation (1891) De Profundis (1897) Looking for a good book? Oscar Wilde Dover Reader is a sampler of Oscar Wilde's work. Take that as you will. This reader came away with less interest in reading Wilde ever again.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
It's been a few years since I read some of Margaret Atwood's short fiction This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5
It's been a few years since I read some of Margaret Atwood's short fiction but it was her collection Bluebeard's Egg, that I read after reading The Handmaid's Tale back in the 1980's, that endeared me to her writing and to the brilliance of a well-written short story. Some forty years later and she's still producing terrific work. There are recurring characters in a number of the stories - Nell and Tig - an older married couple who look back at their lives and the people they've interacted with. Then some of the later stories in the collection feature only Nell, reflecting on a life that has changed with Tig's death. It is often said about Shakespeare that he wrote so well about what it means to be human, but I think the same thing can be said about Margaret Atwood. These might be short works of fiction, but it would be easy to mistake these for essays. More than once I thought the voice of the narrator was Atwood's. I felt this way the most, I think, with the story titled "My Evil Mother" which follows a mother/daughter relationship through many years and shows us how, sometimes sadly, we become our parents. Perhaps it's just because the last pet in my house died during my reading of this book, making this the first time in 30+ years that I've been pet-less, but the story "Morte de Smudgie" in which Nell grieves the loss of her cat, definitely touched a note with me. "The Dead Interview" - where Margaret Atwood interviews George Orwell - was fun and almost believable (When did she meet Orwell ... oh, wait, she didn't - this is fiction!). But perhaps my favorite story in the collection was "Bad Teeth." There aren't any duds here - Atwood is too good a writer and too well established in her career to publish anything that isn't up to her standard - but, odd as it might sound, given my long history with science fiction, the stories that are much for scifi in nature were my least favorites here. "Metempsychosis" has a snail's soul inhabiting a human body. While well written, I couldn't connect with this. If you've never been interested in reading short stories I'd highly recommend starting with a Margaret Atwood collection, and this is as fine as any she's published. This book contains the following: Tig & Nell "first aid" "Two scorched men" "morte de smudgie" My Evil Mother "My Evil Mother" "The Dead Interview" "Impatient Griselda" "Bad Teeth" "Freeforall" "Metempsychosis: or, The Journey of the Soul" "Airborne: A Symposium" "Death by Clamshell" Nell & Tig "A Dusty Lunch" "Widows" "Wooden Box" "Old Babes in the Woods" Looking for a good book? Old Babes in the Woods in a collection of short stories by Margaret Atwood. Each of the stories is a reflection on what it means to be human. This collection is highly recommended. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
Gilmore (Gil) Crowell is working on his doctoral thesis - and has been for This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5
Gilmore (Gil) Crowell is working on his doctoral thesis - and has been for perhaps a bit too long. He's doing an anthropological study of the prostitutes of Tijuana. He pays them for their time and then only talks with them, asking questions and recording their responses. To earn money to pay for these interviews, Gil teaches English in a jail. The income does not equal the expenses and Gil struggles to keep up. But at the same time, he is almost addicted to his visits with the streetwalkers down south despite never taking advantage of their professional services. In looking for another method to pay for his visits, Gil builds the workers a website (or, rather, has one built for them since he has no computer skills himself) but the idea is met with much resistance from the girls to whom he offers the chance to 'advertise'.
But things go south (metaphorically speaking) for Gil. First with his job when he's fired, then with his dissertation as his one and only supporter leaves, and then with his apartment as his landlord kicks him out. And he has fallen in love with one of his subjects. Coming of age gets harder to do the older you are when it happens. Fortunately for Gil, good things do sometimes happen to good people.
Author Zeb Beck has written a wry and (to use his own term) melancholic comedy. Nothing here will make you laugh out loud. In fact you're more likely to agree with those around Gil and think he deserves whatever he gets. Not because he's a jerk or in anyway bad - on the contrary, Beck goes out of his way to make sure we understand that Gil is a good guy. But he really lacks drive or ambition.
Because of this, I really went back and forth on my feelings for our protagonist. I didn't dislike him, but I really wanted him to take some responsibility for SOMEthing in his life. He is really obsessed with talking with the prostitutes in Tijuana and we never really learn why that it is. We do, however, see that they have more drive and ambition than he.
SPOILER ALERT ... things do fall in place for Gil at the very end, and while an argument could be made that it comes about because of action he took (action that I would argue is pretty unrealistic but in line with this sort of comedy), he still hasn't really stepped up to be responsible for anything and has simply gotten lucky. Is it lucky that there's interest in his dissertation? I think so, especially given that we really don't know much about it other than the very general subject.
I will note that I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would once I had the book in hand. I'm not a fan of the cover art (knowing nothing about the author or the story, seeing this on a shelf would not have gotten me to pick it up to check it out) and I think the word 'melancholy' in the title might make it a hard sell. Who wants to spend time with someone who's 'melancholy'?
This is a hard book to classify, and while I wouldn't put Beck in the same category as these authors, you could think of fiction like A Confederacy of Dunces, Slaughterhouse 5, or Catch-22 but a little less ambitious.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, through LibraryThing, in exchange for an honest review....more
Sasha Severn was there the moment the world changed for the worse. It was hThis review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 5.0 of 5
Sasha Severn was there the moment the world changed for the worse. It was her father, the last beekeeper, who was taken away, put on trial, and locked up for 23 years for his work with bees. And to make matters worse, after he hid his research he made his young daughter (11 at the time) lie at the trial.
It's more than a decade later, the bees have all disappeared and that means there's a food shortage without their number one pollinator. Life has changed greatly and Sasha has decided to return to her family home (having lived with her uncle since her father was sent to prison). She discovers a group of squatters have taken up residence and, fearing they would run her off if they knew she was the daughter of the last beekeeper, she keeps her identity a secret but asks if she can join them, promising to earn her keep by working.
Hesitant (no one trusts anyone these days), they slowly begin to accept her and they become friends over time. For Sasha, one of her reasons for returning was to locate her father's missing journals - what was so important in those journals that she had to lie under oath? But while at the family home, Sasha is sure she has seen a bee on multiple occasions. She might be one of the few people who actually knows what a bee looks like anymore.
But others who've claimed to have seen a bee have mysteriously disappeared. Does the government, which now carefully controls the growth and distribution of food have a sinister interest in making sure the bees don't make a comeback?
This book is SO good. There is so much going on, all of it subtle and well integrated so we never feel like we've missed out on any detail.
This is a book about people, specifically Sasha, but about her father, her uncle, her friends and acquaintances as well, and everyone is unique and clearly defined. And unlike so many dystopian futures, these people aren't wallowing in self-pity or living as sword and arrow-wielding savages. They are living as normally as possible, concerned with their day-to-day lives but also how to make the future better and brighter.
The science behind this dystopia is also really great. This isn't war. This isn't nuclear atrocity. But there's still a bit of governmental/political conspiracy in the mix. The decline of the bee population has been in the news for a few years now and it's great to see a skilled writer taking a hard look at the possible outcomes of the issue.
There's romance here, but it's ... not exactly subtle but it's not the foremost issue for anyone. Again, this is a book about people and part of such a narrative is their different relationships.
It would be difficult to point out a 'best part' of this book, but I really appreciated the misdirection with some of the characters. We get sucked in to the beautiful prose and we come to believe that our narrative point of view is not only trustworthy but omniscient, though we have no real reason to think this way, so when some of the characters act in a way we don't expect, it is a surprise, but upon reflection, we realize that it's we readers who became too trustworthy.
Science fiction, thriller, mystery, romance ... this book has it all, expertly told. I hope to see this in the hands of everyone on the beach this summer.
Looking for a good book? This is it ... The Last Beekeeper by Julie Carrick Dalton. Do yourself a favor and give it a read. It doesn't matter what type of fiction you normally read, this will likely satisfy your palate.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
Have you ever been curious about the process of making a major motion pictuThis review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5
Have you ever been curious about the process of making a major motion picture? Why not read about, in fiction form, from a man who's been on the inside for decades. The story...
A well-recognize and lauded movie director has taken on the task of adapting a 1970's comic book into a major superhero movie. We follow the director, his producer, their new-to-the-business production assistant, a cast of seasoned pros and fresh new faces, and the whole gamut of crew and technicians as they prepare and shoot the film on a tight timeline in remote areas of New Mexico.
But before we get to the making of the movie, we spend some time with TREV-VORR/Robert Andersen - the man who created the Firefall comic book that was published by an underground publisher (back in the days when there were few small press comic publishers).
But before we get to the making of the comic book, we spend some time with Bob Falls - the distant uncle of Robert Andersen. Falls has served in the Vietnam War - used a flame-thrower - and returned home a distant and dark man. But he shared some stories with his nephew, he would go on to take those stories and create a superhero, Firefall, based on his uncle.
This book has so much Tom Hanks in it. Hanks seems like such an incredibly nice, honest, authentic man and this book is a nice, honest, authentic read
Hanks has seen a lot of characters in his time in Hollywood and he gives us some really clear characters here - almost every single one of them a person we come to like and want the best for. There is really only one exception to this and that exception is made crystal clear right from the start and that character will get their comeuppance!
I really enjoyed the read. Hanks fills the reader in on some of the standard Hollywood language through footnotes (these were fun to read) and we really do get the feeling that we're on set, along for the ride. The parallels to the Marvel Cinematic Universe are obvious, but here, it's the director of the film, Bill Johnson, who is the creative genius putting it all together.
I would label this as a 'cozy bestseller.' Clearly it will sit on the Bestseller List for a few weeks, in large part because it's Hanks. But it's a 'cozy' story ... there's no conflict, there's no drama. There are moments of conflict (the not-likeable character) and drama (the death of someone) but the only over-arching drama to the book is the challenge of filming a major motion picture in under two months. To the layman that does seem Herculean, but it happens all the time. I love Hanks' line in the book: Making movies is about solving more problems thank you cause.
My guess is that we'll see a lot of people reading this on beaches this summer.
Hanks is not the first Hollywood actor to add author to his curriculum vitae, but he may be the biggest Hollywood star as certainly has shown himself to be one of the finer writers as well.
Looking for a good book? The Making of Another Major Motion Picture by Tom Hanks is an engaging, direct read. There's no major drama here, but for a lot of readers, that will prove to be a good thing.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
Ray Hanrahan is a once-famous painter now looking to have an exhibit of newThis review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.0 of 5
Ray Hanrahan is a once-famous painter now looking to have an exhibit of new work and hopefully reviving his fame. Ray is not a nice man. He's a narcissist who loves to make his family miserable. His favorite target is his wife, Lucia. She's an artist herself and she's been getting more attention and accolades than Ray. Her art isn't the only way she defies her husband - she's having an affair with a local female politician, Priya. Ray and Lucia's children are not immune to Ray's behavior, though the oldest daughter, Leah, fiercely protects her dad and his interests. Son, Patrick, is perhaps overly sensitive and spends his time looking to get away from the house, and Jess, the younger daughter who did manage to escape the disfunction of home but is in a relationship with Martyn who happens to be obsessed with Ray and his work and would love to live in the Hanrahan home.
The action of the book takes place over the course of two days as Ray plans a privately funded art exhibit of his work. It's the first in a long time and he's more uptight and assholery than usual, and he calls all the family in to help him get the exhibit ready. Bringing this family into this much contact with one another is a recipe for fights, angst, breakdowns, accusations, and admissions. All the things needed for a good comic drama.
Where to start with a book like this?
I did not find this funny or humorous (it's been called a 'comedy' and "furiously funny"). I guess I just don't find abusive personalities redeeming or funny or worthy of my time. Those who change are perhaps at least interesting or offer up some kind of hope, but Ray's personality is long-standing and absolute. Lucia was the most interesting - seeing how she's coped and dealt with Ray's behavior and how she uses it as motivation for her own work. But even this is a bit off-kilter - is she masochistic in using Ray's behavior to spur her?
The kids ... my god. There's no hope here. Even Jess can't seem to escape the family when her partner drags her back in.
Honestly, given the tight sequence of events and the over-the-top character types presented here, I think this would make a much better stage play. Actually seeing the people, and hopefully in the hands of a skilled director, we could at least see and empathize with, laugh with or at, and come to understand them a little bit better.
I really wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
Looking for a good book? If narcissistic behavior and cruel characters are your thing, you might enjoy The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson, but even then I wouldn't bet on it.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
Reading the description of this book I thought I might be in for something This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5
Reading the description of this book I thought I might be in for something along the lines of the 1985 film, After Hours. Lola is a hip, modern New Yorker. She's an editor, now in her early 30's. She's had her string of boyfriends and lovers but is currently living a boyfriend whom she will be marrying soon.
On one particular night out with some friends Lola steps away from the gathering to pick up a pack of cigarettes when she runs into an old boyfriend - someone she hasn't thought about in a very long time. The timing, however, creates some anxiety as Lola is currently in a relationship with 'Boots' and she's been stressing over whether or not this is 'the one' - the potential life-long marriage. Of course, running into this old boyfriend now prompts her to consider and compare.
But as the evening wears on, Lola continues to run into ex-boyfriends (and she's had quite a few). The meetings all feel as though they are chance encounters, but what are the odds that she should run into so many just at the time she is considering a life-changing moment? Slim, of course, but what could be behind it? There is indeed something at play, a cult, oddly enough. A cult of ex-boyfriends? Could it be?
As Lola continues her odd night of encounters, she realizes she has fewer and fewer reasons to be delaying her wedding to Boots.
I really thought this was going to be a deliciously odd book, right up my alley, but was disappointed in the presentation.
This isn't the exciting, quirky story I was hoping for ... the kind where you eagerly look forward to the next paragraph, the next page, the next chapter, to see what comes next (more quirkiness or a revelation?!). This was a slow, methodical layering of a story. That works often enough, but with an idea so off-the-wall, we need a pace and energy to match, and this does not. Some of this has to do with the language. Author Sloane Crosley writes with a rich, brilliant language, but that actually holds this story back. We get caught up in the prose, or stumble over the prose, instead of the action.
The concept is pretty brilliant ... a cult of ex-boyfriends - and even the over-arcing story of the woman trying to figure out her life and her future life makes for a potentially best-selling book. I think I'd like to see this same concept given to a dozen different writers to see how different the stories would be because I really like the concept.
Looking for a good book? Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley is an off-beat, satire, romance that doesn't quite provide the wit and charm that it promises.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
Madrid, 1868. Don Jaime Astarloa is a fencing master. He is reputed to be tThis review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.0 of 5
Madrid, 1868. Don Jaime Astarloa is a fencing master. He is reputed to be the only fencing master in the world to know how to execute a rare, unstoppable thrust move. Don Jaime is approached by a young woman, Adela, who asks him to be her fencing instructor. It is a highly unusual request - for a woman to learn fencing - and Jaime insists that it would not be proper. But there is something compelling about the woman, who insists that she has had fencing training (in a country that isn't so repressed). He agrees to test her skills and sees that indeed she is well skilled and learned and he promises to teach her all that he can. But what she really wants is to learn the thrust for which there is no counter defense. But why would this attractive young woman (and she is attractive, of course) want or need to learn such a difficult fencing move? The fact that there's a movement afoot to overthrow Queen Isabel II might have something to do with it.
Don Jaime gets unexpectantly caught up in a traitorous plot, sees friends killed, and learns that while his chivalrous ways are old-fashioned, sometimes the old ways are still the best.
This is a pleasant little book ... if one can use the term 'pleasant' for a story about fencing and subversive activities. But it's a story about a man - Don Jaime Astarloa who is facing a crossroads in his life, which mirrors the social mores crossroads in Spain some 150 years ago. Don Jaime's life has always been about fencing - a noble art and skill. But in today's world (in the mid-to-late 1800's), the gun was becoming the weapon of choice. But for someone like Astarloa, chivalry and honor are everything. How can someone kill someone else from across a field, without facing him directly? What honor is in that?
The real struggle here, then, is within Don Jaime, who tries to find a way to stay true to himself and grow with the times. Agreeing to take on a female student is his concession to being more modern - and of course it comes back to bite him in the ass!
I like that the chapters are fencing moves - the whole book is a bit like a fencing match; beat, thrust, parry, retreat, riposte!
In so many ways this is a nice, tight little novel.
But in some ways, this doesn't quite work.
We have a nice set-up of our protagonist, and a couple of supporting characters, but then we jump into the plot rather unexpectedly and the entire character set-up seems unimportant until the very last couple of pages. It's almost like having two stories that converge accidentally at the end. I was much more interested in Don Jaime's internal struggle of staying true to himself and his beliefs than I was in the secret plot the Jaime got mixed up in!
I picked up this book at one of those free libraries you see everywhere. I'm glad that I grabbed it and glad to have read it, but equally glad that I didn't pay cash for the book because I'm sure the cash/enjoyment scale wouldn't balance well. Some other lucky reader will be picking up this same book in another little free library in another state any day now.
Looking for a good book? The Fencing Master by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, like the main character in the book, is a bit old-fashioned, trying to find a way to stay relevant in a world that has sped up and seen more action.
I traded for this book at a little free library....more
"The history of every country begins in the heart of a man or a woman." - OThis review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5
"The history of every country begins in the heart of a man or a woman." - O Pioneers! by Willa Cather I first encountered Willa Cather's work when I was in college and we read My Antonia for a modern lit class. I was impressed with the writing, but I never read anything else by Cather ... until now. The American frontier ... the prairie fields of Nebraska. It is a harsh and lonely life to be one of the pioneers in a young country. Willa Cather's novel, O Pioneers! is a poetic look at the realities and struggles of these early pioneers - specifically the often unsung, over-looked women who fought and toiled in the country.
Swedish immigrants, the Bergson's, work a farm near Hanover, Nebraska. When the patriarch, John Bergson, dies, his daughter Alexandra inherits the farm and despite set-backs that have neighbors giving up and moving on, she is determined to make it work.
The book was published in 1913, and really brings the harsh reality of pioneer life into focus. But along with this almost bleak life, we also see the other side of what it takes to be a pioneer - a love of the land, a respect for neighbors and a simple belief in doing what's right.
There's not a lot of action in a book like this, but we do manage to get some romance - between Alexandra and her childhood friend Carl, and between Alexandra's younger brother Emil and Marie Shabata ... a married neighbor.
I find Cather's work to be very accessible. I don't say this about very many books from this era but I enjoy her writing and I understand a little bit of that midwestern sensibility that I've found in some of her writing.
Looking for a good book? Willa Cather's O Pioneers! is historical fiction, written about 100 years before the term became a category of literature, and every bit as poignant today as it was when it first was published....more
Oghi is just waking from a coma - the result of a car accident that took hiThis review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5
Oghi is just waking from a coma - the result of a car accident that took his wife's life. Oghi is paralyzed and disfigured and he is left alone in his bed with nothing to do but remember and reflect on his life. He thinks often of his wife and realizes that she was never able to realize any of her goals, except for one - her garden in front of their home.
One day Oghi notices that his mother-in-law is in the front yard, digging up his wife's garden and digging larger and larger holes. When Oghi tries to question his mother-in-law about it, she only answers obliquely that that she is finishing what her daughter started.
With nothing to do but reflect, Oghi imagines the worst possibilities and terror takes over.
I love psychological horror. The mind can often go to darker places than any story and that's what happens both to Oghi and to the reader of this book. Not knowing what is happening is far darker and more terrifying to Oghi.
I've seen this book often compared to Stephen King's Misery, but I liken it more to Kafka's The Trial or any of Shirley Jackson's novels. And yet ...
I wasn't a big fan of this book.
For such a short book - easily read in a weekend - there isn't much build up. We're pretty much dumped into the rising action of the story so our characters are generally anonymous or at least distant for the reader. Our focal character seems to be unreliable and yet we only have his reactions.
That psychological terror is strong, and the mother-in-law, being somewhat vague, is actually of much interest, and in this sense the book works. But as a novel, a full-length story of horror or madness, I wasn't enamored. This shouldn't be much of a surprise to regular readers of my reviews - I find the need to identify with a character to really care about a story (that identity with a character can always be a negative one if the desire is to enjoy watching the character descend into madness) and I didn't get that here.
I do like reading books from different countries and getting a different cultural look at something and this book might be my first Korean fiction (translated, of course) that I've read. The shades of Kafka and Lovecraft are fun to identify, but not great enough to elicit a strong recommendation.
-late edit -
After writing this I read through a couple of Goodreads reviews and I found one comment particularly interesting: "a transliteration of the English word “hole,” 홀 (hol) is a Korean prefix meaning “alone” and most readily refers to one who is widowed."
For me, this puts an interesting twist on the story and I wish I had known that ahead of time. I'm not sure it would have made a difference, but I might have looked at Oghi as 'the hole'.
Looking for a good book? The Hole, by Hye-Young Pyun is Korean psychological horror. Only true, devout fans of psychological horror are likely to really enjoy this book as it calls up memories of Lovecraft in the slow-moving method of madness.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. ...more
There have been changes in the jazz music scene and Edgar Pool (nicknamed "This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5
There have been changes in the jazz music scene and Edgar Pool (nicknamed "The Horn" by the young cats) has straddled a couple of the big changes, all the while staying true to his own sound. But jazz is more than just a sound - it's a way of life. The music, the booze, the drugs, and of course the women ... Edgar pushed the limits on all of these. For a man out of time (or perhaps ahead of his time), life is lonely.
This book is an exceptional example of capturing a mood. There's a story here and it's a depressing story, and the tone of the book hovers throughout. It starts with the opening sentence and never lets up.
Consider that it was four o’clock of a Monday afternoon, and under the dishwater-gray window shade—just the sort of shade one sees pulled down over the windows of cheap hotels fronting the sooty elevateds of American cities where the baffled and the derelict loiter and shift their feet—under this one shade, in the window of a building off Fifty-third Street on Eighth Avenue in New York, the wizened October sun stretched its old finger to touch the dark, flutterless lids of Walden Blue, causing him to stir among sheets a week of dawntime lying down and twilight getting up had rumpled. Opening this book is like traveling back in time and walking through the 1940's. Author John Clellon Holmes captures the gritty back-alleys, the sounds, the language, I swear ... the smells, of the day.
I was pleasantly taken by surprise with this book (I wanted to read it because of the subject of jazz music, a passion of mine) and did a little research (ie: Google) on the author. I'd never heard of John Clellon Holmes before, and now I'm ashamed to even admit it. For those maybe in the same place as I was, Holmes was considered the first 'beat' novelist with his popular book, Go.
His contemporaries ... and friends ... were Jack Kerouc, Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg. Names in which I'm much more familiar and think of when I think of the Beat generation. Not surprisingly (to me) he was referred to as the "quiet Beat."
I've long been in search of a book that not only incorporate music as a theme in the story, but in which the writing itself is almost like a score. This book is the first time I feel that the writing is score-like. This book about jazz, reads like a jazz performance, full of riffs and solos and easy to get into and enjoy.
This was really powerful and I'm while I'm really glad to have read it, I want to know why this wasn't required reading in my college days!
Looking for a good book? The Horn by John Clellon Holmes is a classic from the Beat Generation and anyone interested in the Beat period of literature or jazz music should read this.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. ...more
It's been a couple of years since the assault that tore Beartown and Hed apThis review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5
It's been a couple of years since the assault that tore Beartown and Hed apart. Some people are trying to move on, while others fight to hang on to what life was before everything fell apart. A tempest blows and brings with it some change. A local is killed as a result of the storm and a stranger and a hero roll into town with the promise of making a winner from one of the most skilled local hockey players.
But not everyone is looking to move on. At least one person is hanging on to some of the most devastating events of the past, letting hatred and anger fester and grow. Life doesn't stop in the event of a tragedy, and sometimes that's a tragedy in itself because people need the time to recover.
Once again Fredrik Backman shows us that he understands people ... he understands what it means to be human and he can show us so many different sides, the dark and the light, the frustrations and the dreams, of humanity. Not since Shakespeare has one writer consistently captured the essence of humanity. And for this, I will continue to read Backman's books.
But unlike Shakespeare's tragedies, where the bad things that happen don't seem as real or as direct, the tragedies in Backman's stories are immediate and they happen to the innocent and the caring. They happen to the good people more so than those we might think of as 'deserving' of punishment or ill-will. And this makes Backman hard to read sometimes.
What caught me with this book was the heavy-handed way Backman lays out this story. His very narrative style here is set up to lay it on thick, cover it with sweet syrup, tease us with it, and then pull it all away. "It" being the tug of heartstrings, the playing with emotions, making us react with our hearts rather than our minds. And I didn't appreciate that.
Yet while I didn't like the method by which the story was told, I still really liked spending time with these characters. I know them all. You know them all. These are people who live in every small community. The names may be different than the people in our towns, but their behavior and their motives remains the same. For the most part, I think I liked these characters as they appear here more than I did in the previous two books. The new-comers to town bring some much-needed positivity.
Backman's books are pure gold. In general, you can't go wrong with a Backman book. But some will weigh heavier on you than others. This one weighs a lot.
Looking for a good book? The Winners, by Fredrik Backman, brings about some closure to the Beartown trilogy but not all stories have a happy ending.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through both Edelweiss and Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
When Leonardo da Vinci was just past the This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5
WARNING - POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD
When Leonardo da Vinci was just past the apex of his career and Michelangelo Buonarroti was still just a young. upstarting sculptor looking to make a name for himself, the two both lived and worked in Florence, Italy at the same time. Michelangelo is still in awe of the famous master when both men look to be given a famous block of marble (famous for its poor quality and previously botched attempts at getting a figure from it). Da Vinci, in Storey's telling, is resting on his laurels, relying on his name and reputation to help him succeed. However, part of his reputation is that he is very slow in finishing his projects (if he finishes them).
Da Vinci is not pleased when the upstart Michelangelo gets the marble and he, Leonardo, needs to quickly find another commission in order to pay his bills and stay in Florence. He connects with a wealthy man who appears to appreciate Leonardo's genius in all things, including his military planning and employs Leonardo to build his 'tank' (a spectacular failure) and to reroute an entire river (with horrific effects). Meanwhile, he will meet often with a young housewife and attempt to paint her portrait - a small painting of the lovely Lisa.
Michelangelo, meanwhile, must confront a family who disapproves of his profession in general and more-so once they learn of his sacrilegious behavior of examining dead bodies. And when it is learned that his statue will feature a nude figure ...! The young sculptor will also face his own fears about his own skills and how they might be perceived by others.
The two artists, who have had much contempt for each other since the decision of granting the marble to Michelangelo, will feel the awe of the others' finished work and have mutual respect for the others' skills.
I wish it hadn't taken me so long to getting around to reading this book. Author Stephanie Storey's writing was direct and compelling and I was pulled into this historical fiction novel quite completely and thoroughly.
Way too long ago, when I was in high school, I had anticipated a career in art, so this story of two of the world's most famous artists had a great deal of appeal to me. Add my more recent appreciation for historical fiction and this book seems almost tailor-made for me. Fortunately the writing is strong and carries it off well.
I definitely learned a few things along the way - I ended up doing a lot of Googling - and it seems as though Storey did some really good research for this work. Perhaps most fascinating is the history behind the marble stone from which Michelangelo carved the famous David statue.
The book alternates the POV with each chapter, going from Leonardo to Michelangelo, which generally works quite well. There are only a couple of times when we get to look at the same event from the two different view-points, which I find to be the most interesting reason to use the two-POV device.
There are moments when the characters take on some more modern-day attitudes, which takes away from the 'historical' sense for me and serves a reminder that this is fiction. There's nothing particularly provocative or revealing in the book, but it is a nice way to get some history on these two artists. I'd recommend this as a really good beach read. But note that the book does cover a very specific time period and there's SO much more about these artists and their lives that isn't even touched on.
Looking for a good book? Oil and Marble, by Stephanie Storey, is a historical fiction tale of two of the world's greatest artists, Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti, whose lives connected briefly. The writing is compelling and the research strong.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review....more
Steve Almond has written a novel? That's really good news. It's better newsThis review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5
Steve Almond has written a novel? That's really good news. It's better news that this is a really powerful, epic novel.
The book begins almost as a YA angst story when two 13 year-olds from very different social and economic backgrounds are assigned to work together on a school project. The teacher believes it is good for the girls to get to know one another and see what life is like for the other. They do form a friendship which binds together not only them but their families.
But this isn't a YA novel and it twists, turns, and convulses into an anxiety filled police thriller with families torn apart, a criminal justice system that run amok, and cops that straddle the line between 'good cop' and corrupt. There are no easy answers here, and that's part of what Almond smacks the reader over the head with ... we don't always get the right answer, or the good answer, of the easy answer. And sometimes life has to go on for the survivors. And yeah, that really sucks.
The book identifies and crosses boundaries - territorial, social, gender, moral - making this a terrific social exploration that is both physically and figuratively expansive in its coverage.
I first got turned on to Steve Almond's works when I randomly picked up his collection of short stories, My Life in Heavy Metal, and I've been a fan of his work ever since (I even showed up for an in-person author discussion with Steve Almond - something I generally don't do).
Although Almond has typically written short fiction and nonfiction (Candyfreak is a must read for anyone who's ever had a favorite candy treat) this novel, sort of a debut novel if you don't count the co-authored Which Brings Me to You (and I don't), is a spectacular achievement. Its scope is broad and topical. It is no wonder that this has already been picked up to become a television series. Read it now so that you can tell your friends you read it before it was a popular show!
Looking for a good book? All the Secrets of the World by Steve Almond is a thematically heavy book but the author brings the reader into the story gently and with great curiosity before showing us the underside of the world.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
Ocean Wu has graduated from high school and, now looking to put the pressurThis review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5
Ocean Wu has graduated from high school and, now looking to put the pressure to succeed and the heaviness of depression behind her, moves to to New York. She has been accepted to a very prestigious university and will receive a very nice scholarship.
But Ocean is still uncertain about what she wants to do, and now, out of the immediate shadow of her mother and with some unique freedom, she chooses to defer her first year of college for a year and decides to live off her savings and explore life and what New York has to offer. She moves in to an apartment with two strangers (though they become fast friends).
In a frightening moment of power outage while hoping to take a subway, Ocean meets a boy - Constantine "Constant" Brave. Constant is a graffiti artist, painting maps on subway walls. Ocean is perhaps more fascinated than attracted to Constant, but his apparent freedom is highly appealing to the girl searching for her own path as an adult.
The two stay connected primarily through a shared Google Docs file, writing notes and sharing their stories with one another. This endears Ocean even more to Constant Brave so she seeks him out in person where they become more intimate. But the 'real' Constant is not the boy she was imagining and Ocean's new friends come to her rescue.
For months Ocean has kept the secret from her mother that school has been deferred and she's been on her own, but it's not a secret she can keep for long and ultimately she will need to let her mom know that, like Constant painting maps, she is also mapping out her own future.
This was a really nice slice-of-life novel of a voyage of discovery or a coming-of-age novel. We immediately feel as though we know Ocean and anyone who has experienced the angst of living up to someone else's expectations (particularly a parent's), can identify with her desire for independence.
Her journey is a bit more risky and dangerous than what most of us might face, but that danger is only a slight undertone through Amy Zhang's book. Mostly we have Ocean's journey - a creating a map as she charts new paths of discovery and new paths of love.
Ocean is the only character we really get to know in depth - her roommates have some background, but the reader doesn't really get too familiar with them, which is slightly disappointing as they offer a safe haven for Ocean and it would be nice to have a little more insight to them.
Who Constant is is a mystery, but this is okay ... that's part of Ocean's journey to discovery.
This book should be very popular with many YA readers - particularly those who are about to graduate from high school or are in their early years of college. So much of this coming of age story will resonate with these younger readers.
Looking for a good book? The Cartographers by Amy Zhang is a beautifully told story of a young woman breaking away from expectations from her family and mapping out her own path to the future.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. ...more
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