Literary Bon Vivant

The Kept Man by Jami Attenberg

2008-09-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

Hated it! I only read 49 pages of this book before I had to put it down because I just couldn't read any more. I usually don't give up on a book because you never know where truth and poignancy will turn up but I just couldn't hold out for that in this case. The plot was focused too intensely on small, depressing details while the actual interesting parts of the story were quickly grazed over. Even if this could be chalked up to a literary style I don't enjoy but others might, this book is still shockingly crass with vulgarity and yuckiness cropping up every couple of pages. I understand that life isn't always pretty and that sometimes things are vulgar and crass but this yuckiness didn't even contribute to the story and was, instead, a useless distraction from what could've been a good book.

The Good Wife by Stewart O'Nan

2008-09-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've come across an author I haven't read before that I like quite a bit: Stewart O'Nan. The first book I read of his is called The Good Wife and is a slow paced novel about a woman who waits for her husband while he spends 25 years in prison.

The great thing about O'Nan is that he's brilliant at establishing a connection between his characters and the reader, drawing you into his stories as though you're emotions are the same as their emotions. I felt anticipation each time the husband, Tommy had an appeal or came up for parole and devastated every time he didn't come home. Even though I've never waited for 25 years for someone to get out of prison, I could still identify with the underlying current that was causing his wife, Patty, so much pain: waiting. That's the talent of O'Nan: He takes a common point of suffering or joy that everyone has experienced and attaches it to a story that we can invest ourselves into and BAM: We're experiencing those things all over again.

I'm also reading his book Wish You Were Here and it's more of the same. The narrative is different enough to still be an interesting read but the same concept applies. One thing I love in this book that you should watch for if you read it is how he is able to make me see the scenery he's describing in my mind's eye. It's set on a lake in NY state and I swear, I feel like I've been there before because he's so good at drawing me into the setting. One of the main characters, Ken is a photographer who's having sort of an artist's block; he can't take any good pictures and he feels like he's trying too hard and ruining his shots. O'Nan will be describing the scenery surrounding Ken and I can see that what he's describing would make a beautiful photograph and I think, take the picture now, Ken! but he never does; he misses the shot and I feel so frustrated. I think that's really great writing.

I do have a couple of complaints though: I don't know anything about the author as a person but I think some of his personal hang ups are really coming through in his writing. For one thing, all of the adults in his books still smoke pot all the time. These people have children and jobs and they still get stoned on a regular basis. Maybe no one told O'Nan that most people grow out of that after college. I live in San Diego and I don't know of too many responsible, loving parents getting stoned in the garage every night before bed. Still, I really like his books and I'll continue to read him.

Angels Fall by Nora Roberts

2007-08-27T14:00:00.001-07:00

I wouldn't usually do a review on a romance novel, not because this genre doesn't merit a review, but because I usually read these books as a form of entertainment for myself. I like to sit down with a good Harlequin and take a break from my life. I don't do any analyzing or concentrating when reading these books, I just take a time out and fall into the story. It's like my version of watching T.V. But I'm making an exception for this one because this novel really breaks the mold on romance as so many of Nora Roberts' romantic thrillers do.

I think the best way to tout the value of this novel is to point out the ways in which it's NOT like other romance novels. In most romance novels, the same basic plot always exists: A strong, independent woman who is not interested in settling down and becoming a wife falls in love with a diamond in the rough, unlikely suitor who is gruff, rough and kind of mean but tender and giving on the inside. They initially fight against their attraction and are on the very verge of throwing the whole opportunity away because of foolish pride when Mr. Right comes to his senses and proposes. She, of course says yes, they marry immediately and have a baby one year later. (For an easy refresher course on the basic romance story read Roberts' "The MacGregor Brides" where you'll find this outlined in triplicate.) I'm a big fan of this traditional story and it's exactly what I was expecting when I sat down with "Angels Fall." I was pleasantly surprised, however, when the characters took on an unexpected depth, the suspense kept me awake and the mysterious villain scared me enough to motivate me to get up and lock all the doors in my house.

The heroine and her beau were ready and willing to be emotionally supportive of each other right from the beginning and their relationship took time to develop from a sturdy friendship into something monumentally important. They were actually more concerned with the murderer than with each other, an aspect very uncommon in a romance novel. They didn't even have sex until page 219! That's about 169 pages later than normal.

Another great thing about this novel was that passion was not the only emotion in the forefront as far as tone goes. Fear played an enormous roll in the atmosphere and not just fear of commitment. These characters actually feared for their lives and the lives of their loved ones in a very real, edgy way. The plot was very unpredictable and I didn't even suspect who the killer was until about 20 pages from the end. The building suspense felt like a careful dance skating along the edge of sensuality and death and kept me tearing through the pages, determined to find out what would happen before I had to try to go to sleep again.

Nora Roberts, an usual, was a real winner but here she was really at her best. Scary!!!

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb

2007-08-03T22:32:00.000-07:00

This detailed depiction of the emotional struggles of two identical twin brothers was a very difficult read for me. To put it into perspective: I knocked out Harry Potter in a day and a half and this book took me over a month to finish, and I had a Spandau Ballet song in my head the entire time. The story is very well written and The characters are very compelling. I couldn't give up on it before I reached the end but I couldn't stick with it for too long either; it was just SO SAD! It's one of those plots where you feel like saying, "Come on! How many bad things can happen to the same little family!" But when I asked myself that question I quickly came up with several real life examples of the pain on these pages, got depressed and read on. I was fighting so hard for these brothers to come out on top and I was tormented every time they were pushed back below the flood line. Still, I found a true to life example of the strength of family ties and the trials we're willing to put ourselves through all in the name of family. I'm glad I muscled through this book but I can safely say I won't be reading it again unless I find myself in the mood to slit my wrists.

My favorite quote:

"'My theory is that Olivia Newton-John went into labor the same day and they mixed up our babies in the nursery,' Sheffer said, under her breath. 'There's just no other explanation." p. 817

The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter

2007-08-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

Great book! I loved this book. Charles Baxter seems to be revealing his own outlook on love in this poetic novel that seems to be semi-autobiographical. It begins with the author politely introducing himself and explaining how he will be writing a novel about the relationships of the people he knows and making only subtle changes for dramatic effect or to protect their identities. The result is a startlingly heartfelt and realistic description of love that any reader could relate to. Here I find commiseration for any lover, be they unrequited, comfortably weathered, or passionately new to each other. He addresses all the intricacies of affection from almost every conceivable vantage point and gives his audience an intimate glimpse into complex characters who are endearingly flawed and insecure. As I read, I found my emotions interchangeable with those spelled out in these characters. This novel is from page to page a sweet, familiar catharsis and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Some of my favorite quotes:

"They're quite crazy, dear- men are. What you look for is one of them who's insanity is large enough, and calm and generous enough, to include you." p. 138

"To this day I don't know exactly what she loved about me and that's because I don't have to know. She just does. It was the entire menu of myself. She ordered all of it." p. 246

"My dad smelled of grease and dime-store aftershave. Hugging him you kind of collide with his stomach before you get to his face, but that was okay. My dad's stomach is like the foyer to the rest of him." p. 261

"This is all inappropriate- a Jew as a godfather? -but I have to decided to indulge in what Kierkegaard calls 'the blissful security of the moment.'" p. 286

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

2007-08-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

The anticipation I felt leading up to the release of the much awaited 7th and final Harry Potter book was so great that I don't think the book had any hope of living up to my expectations. I enjoyed the book and it was a quick, entertaining read but to me, it felt like the plot was lacking. The book stretched on for several hundred pages with really only a few major events taking place; Harry and Ron's relationship turmoil, Harry and Hermione camping in the woods, Harry and Hermione visiting places from his past and the wizard war. Although these events were interesting and painstakingly detailed in a way only Rowling can, they didn't seem to substantiate such a long book. In comparison, the ending seemed abrupt and trite, with only one short chapter dedicated to the future of the hero we've all been worrying about for nearly a decade. Still, I was pleased with the ending and felt very comfortable bidding farewell to Harry and company under the parting circumstances. A satisfactory end to a whirlwind journey that I started years ago.