wyenotgo
Ottawa Public Library
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wyenotgo's rating:
Added Jan 23, 2023
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-timeThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Book
by Haddon, MarkBook - 2004 | Anchor Canada edition.Book, 2004. Anchor Canada edition.
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Jan 15, 2023
Comment:
The expected and the unexpected. Opening this novel, one may expect to be immersed in the remarkable mind of an autistic teenager — and that expectation is certainly met; at times, to an uncomfortable degree. This not a quiet place. What I had not anticipated was to find myself immersed in the middle of a bitter domestic drama. But perhaps that ought to have been expected as well, considering the devastating impact that the behavior of a marginally functional (albeit brilliant) child can wreak upon a family.
Success of such a book is critically depended upon character development and here we are faced with a dilemma: I wanted to cheer for Christopher. But his personality disorder is the elephant in the room. He cannot bear to have people get really close to him either physically or emotionally and I found myself uncomfortable in his presence.
A highly original book and, I suppose somewhat courageous.
So: Is this an enjoyable book to read? Far from it. But is it engrossing and compelling? Absolutely. I read it in one sitting, simply because I could not put it down.The expected and the unexpected. Opening this novel, one may expect to be immersed in the remarkable mind of an autistic teenager — and that expectation is certainly met; at times, to an uncomfortable degree. This not a quiet place. What I had not…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Jan 15, 2023
Comment:
The protagonist here would appear to be a caricature of Alexander McCall Smith himself, namely a writer living in Scotland who sets out to marinate in some local color that is relevant to the book he’s working on — in this case concerning Tuscan food and wine. What more congenial setting could one wish for than a small hilltop town in that delightful part of Italy?
I notice a number of fellow readers who have scoffed at this small novel and given it highly unfavorable reviews. Personally, I think they may have missed the point entirely. Silly? Yes. Far-fetched? You bet! Pollyanna-ish? Of course! There is no way that AMC intended this to be taken seriously. It’s just delightfully tasty entertainment, like much of what he writes. But amateurish? By no means. AMC knows exactly what he is doing.
The whole story really evolves out of an outrageous scam to which our hero falls victim. The bulldozer (an idea every bit as preposterous as the scam that led to it) is the hobby-horse that AMC, his protagonist and his plot (such as it is) will ride to a conclusion (of sorts). But do not attempt to read any more into this book than that. It’s just harmless fun.
Which was exactly what I needed after finishing a series of books that ranged from sad to dreary.The protagonist here would appear to be a caricature of Alexander McCall Smith himself, namely a writer living in Scotland who sets out to marinate in some local color that is relevant to the book he’s working on — in this case concerning Tuscan…
The Library at NightThe Library at Night, Book
by Manguel, AlbertoBook - 2006 | 1st ed.Book, 2006. 1st ed.
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Jan 15, 2023
Comment:
One might characterize this book as “the idea of library”. At the outset, Manguel presents the notion of “Library as Myth”, seeing it as a vehicle aimed at the Egyptian pursuit of immortality: "There is a line of poetry, a sentence in a fable, a word in an essay, by which my existence is justified; find that line, and immortality is assured."
He comes full circle at the end by characterizing “Library as Identity” and “Library as Home”, a means of understanding who we are and where we belong. In between, he explores the many ways that libraries in their various forms — personal, institutional, virtual and even imaginary — have both reflected and shaped the societies wherein they were conceived and built.
The desire for universality of scope and access becomes for Manguel a topic of special interest, i.e. the impact of the Worldwide Web. Despite striving to be even handed, he derides the Web as being the antithesis of the humanist ideal of "an unbounded space that belongs to no one and knowledge of a rich past that belongs to all". In his view, the Web defines itself as a space that belongs to all and that precludes a sense of the past altogether. "The past is, for the web user, irrelevant, since all that counts is what is currently displayed. Compared to a book that betrays its age in its physical aspect, a text called up on the screen has no history…… The Web is quasi-instantaneous; it occupies no time except the nightmare of a constant present. All surface and no volume, all present and no past, the Web aspires to be every user’s home, in which communication is possible with every other user at the speed of thought. That is its main characteristic: speed."
Manguel is much concerned with the physical aspects of library: its shape, location, origin, longevity, lighting, layout, arrangement of contents; and its relationship with its readers, its community, its nation; and with the motivations and aspirations of its creators and users.
Disturbingly, he points out that "Readers, censors know, are defined by the books they read. In the aftermath of 11 September 2001, the US Congress passed a law, Section 215 of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, allowing federal agents to obtain records of books borrowed at any public library or bought at any public bookstore. Unlike traditional search warrants, this new power does not require officers to have evidence of any crime, nor provide evidence to a court that their target is suspected of one. Nor are library staff allowed to tell targeted individuals that they are being investigated." And, as is to be expected, the book includes a pointed discussion of the history of book banning and burning.
Along the way, Manguel (as would any person much devoted to the written word) invokes a great host of the great writers of the past and our present day — Defoe to Frye, Samuel Johnson to Ginzberg, Petrach to Eliot — and in so doing reminded me of the vast gaps within my own history of reading.One might characterize this book as “the idea of library”. At the outset, Manguel presents the notion of “Library as Myth”, seeing it as a vehicle aimed at the Egyptian pursuit of immortality: "There is a line of poetry, a sentence in a fable, a…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Jan 15, 2023
Comment:
Here we have what is arguably the most complicated timeline to be found in any novel that I’ve yet encountered — along with a fractured narrative that is told from the POV of no less than six main characters, beginning with Aethon and proceeding to alternate among Zeno, Seymour, Anna, Omier and Konstance (oh yes, and there’s Diogenes, who apparently invented the underlying story to begin with). To call this ambitious is an understatement. To his credit, Doerr manages to hold the whole contraption together — although I had serious doubts about it for the first hundred pages; the early stages was not easy going and I can well understand some readers losing patience with it. In the end, Doerr achieves a remarkable degree of symmetry, largely by constantly returning to the admittedly silly Aethon tale — a shaky foundation upon which to build a 620 page novel!
The whole thing is a paean to the art of storytelling. And a cautionary tale about:
- Corporate mega-power
- Urban sprawl
- Environmental terrorism (not to minimize the menace of climate change)
- The horror of war, be it 15th century or 20th
- and most disturbing of the lot: Virtual reality. Egad!
Each of the characters mentioned above has their own story to tell; they vary from Zeno’s which is by far the most engaging and sympathetic, thru Seymour’s which is the most unsettling, to that of Konstance, which is the least convincing (as I find to be the case with most dystopian tales).
After the glory of All the Light We Cannot See, I was expecting a lot from this book. And it did not disappoint, even though I feel that with this book Doerr overreached somewhat, in places being a bit too clever for his own good.
I’ll conclude with a note of encouragement to readers who are embarking upon a reading of this dauntingly long and complicated book: One of our most basic animal instincts is one that prompts us to find our way home, which, in the end is what each of the characters somehow manages to do, each in their own fashion.Here we have what is arguably the most complicated timeline to be found in any novel that I’ve yet encountered — along with a fractured narrative that is told from the POV of no less than six main characters, beginning with Aethon and proceeding to…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Jan 15, 2023
Comment:
A merciless send-up of a deeply corrupt society. Hysterically funny in places, it satirizes every aspect of 1840’s feudal Russia: its privileged aristocracy, its suffocating bureaucracy, its lazy, thieving servants, its incompetent landowners, even its abused, benighted serfs who could be worked to death, bought and sold at will (even if they were dead). The very notion that a grafter like Chichikov might be able to concoct a scheme to buy “dead souls” is of course the central joke in all of this. Perhaps most disturbing is the fact that Chichikov was able to get away with his schemes largely because (as is any such society) all the equally corrupt officials were fearful of exposing him and thereby shining too bright a light on their own misdeeds.
Like any truly great comedy, this one carries a deeply satirical message at its core. And no one exceeds the Russian writers when it comes to black humor. In this novel, Gogol set a standard for this sort of thing that was to some degree emulated by other Russian novelists who came after, including Dostoevsky and even Solzhenitsyn; but I don’t think any of them succeeded in matching Golgol’s biting absurdity.
Beside all of the satire, Gogol was also capable of crafting delightfully innocent humor when he chose to do so; and that provides welcome relief from what is, after all an ugly portrait of Russia and its people:
These remarks were interrupted by a hissing sound, so strange that Chichikov took fright; the hissing sounded as if the room was suddenly full of snakes. But looking up, he calmed down when he grasped that the wall clock was trying to strike. The hissing was followed by gasping, and finally, gathering all its strength, the clock struck two with a noise like someone banging a broken pot with a stick, after which the pendulum resumed its peaceful ticking to the left and to the right.
At its heart, the Russia of today is not really any better, a land controlled by a brutal warlord and exploited by a horde of corrupt oligarchs. The joke has grown awfully thin.A merciless send-up of a deeply corrupt society. Hysterically funny in places, it satirizes every aspect of 1840’s feudal Russia: its privileged aristocracy, its suffocating bureaucracy, its lazy, thieving servants, its incompetent landowners, even…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Dec 26, 2022
The Gustav SonataThe Gustav Sonata, Large Print
by Tremain, RoseLarge Print - 2017 | Complete and unabridged.Large Print, 2017. Complete and unabridged.
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Dec 26, 2022
Comment:
This is a book that seems to provoke vastly different reactions from different readers. The first question to be raised is: What is it really about?
To begin with, it’s about the friendship of two boys who first meet in Kindergarten, establishing a powerful relationship that continues to the end of the book when they are in their sixties. But it’s also about Switzerland, the challenges of remaining neutral; and that uniquely Swiss philosophy of maintaining personal equilibrium, “mastering oneself”. So in a sense, the plot has to do with the regrettable things that happen whenever one allows one’s passions to be revealed — and in particular, when a person takes actions that are driven by those passions.
Gustav, the protagonist seldom allows his passions to upset his equilibrium but he falls victim to events arising from the behavior of others — his father Erich, his friend Anton, his mother Emilie — who fail to master their passions.
What takes place in the story has much to do with time and place, especially the period leading up to WW2, when many thousands of Jews, fleeing Germany and Austria, were seeking refuge in Switzerland.
Rose Tremain has put a great deal of thought into the structure of this book, setting it forth in sonata form of three contrasting movements. Continuing with that musical analogy, I might suggest that despite the contrast among movements, the entire work in set in a minor key; that is, there’s an overall mood of sadness; the lighting is subdued. And Tremaine writes in plain, unadorned language; no lyrical prose, no flights of fancy and (mercifully) no euphemisms. Never inspiring, but always easy to take.
No suspension of disbelief is required: these are all people, events and actions that might well have taken place. There are sorrows, unrealized dreams, failed relationships, betrayals — all in keeping with the minor key that prevails. In fact, it seems to me that, by the end, Tremaine may have begun to regret the lack of joy in her story: she titles the final chapter “Allegro Vivace” in hopes of wrapping up on a brighter note. But I think she failed. It’s too late, too many disappointments have accumulated and the best she was able to achieve was a mood of tranquility, quiet acceptance, as those of her characters still living fade into old age.This is a book that seems to provoke vastly different reactions from different readers. The first question to be raised is: What is it really about?
To begin with, it’s about the friendship of two boys who first meet in Kindergarten, establishing a…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Dec 26, 2022
Comment:
The title sums it up: This is a very dark place indeed. A darkness that lurks within the human spirit. Evil has been set loose. When the structures and rules that ordinarily govern society are suddenly removed, a vacuum is left, a place where depravity, greed and chaos take over. Disaster invariably sets in motion both the best and the worst examples of human behavior.
For those who, like myself loved "By Gaslight": Here we have all the lugubrious and stringently atmospheric aspects of that fine novel but without the compelling story to provide entertainment value.
It’s immediately apparent that Price is a poet; many passages are pure poetry, presented in prose format. And much is revealed about the underlying realities of human experience, especially when under duress. He understood that in times of disaster what is true and what is untrue are sometimes one and the same.
I don’t believe I have ever read a book that is as unremittingly gloomy as this — unless it might be "The Grapes of Wrath". This is unquestionably a brilliantly conceived and executed piece of work but be forewarned: If you are a person inclined to suffer from depression or you’re not currently in a relatively happy state of mind, you may want to give this one a pass, at least for now.The title sums it up: This is a very dark place indeed. A darkness that lurks within the human spirit. Evil has been set loose. When the structures and rules that ordinarily govern society are suddenly removed, a vacuum is left, a place where…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Dec 17, 2022
Comment:
Rather than a mystery, I would classify this as a “lighthearted thriller” if such a thing is possible. That is, although there are indeed quite serious life-threatening episodes and narrow escapes for our heroine, we can tell that Agatha Christie didn’t intend it to be taken all that seriously. There’s plenty of humor, the baddies never seem to be truly evil or disgusting and there’s a charming love story thrown in, along with a travelogue covering some of the most attractive bits of southern Africa. And it’s all placed in a time warp shortly before the Boer War, rendering the whole thing somewhat like a museum piece. So the “Perils of Pauline” plot comes across as light entertainment. Christie here displays her multiple literary talents, being able to seamlessly bridge several genres.
Suspension of disbelief is, of course required; viewed with a straight face, very little of this could actually have taken place as described. No matter, it’s all just good fun.Rather than a mystery, I would classify this as a “lighthearted thriller” if such a thing is possible. That is, although there are indeed quite serious life-threatening episodes and narrow escapes for our heroine, we can tell that Agatha Christie…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Dec 01, 2022
Comment:
The title essay explores the corrosive effect of privilege, the consequences of playing a zero-sum game, one where winning is all that matters and one’s winnings must be guarded with all available force. This is, of course, aimed at a uniquely American world view whereby the USA sees itself under attack by bands of fanatics. Kingsolver points out the fallacy of attributing fanaticism to sectarian ideology, or religious dogma — or even “hostility to our freedom” as if that could possibly make sense. Fanaticism is born of deep grievance and fostered by opportunist demagogues who see it as a vehicle for personal power; that scenario has played out time and again, from Nazi Germany to Ireland to Somalia to Yugoslavia and beyond.
There’s a heavy air of regret in evidence — regret for lost opportunities, lost ideals, for what might have been done differently. That first essay, arising out of the aftermath of 9-11, explores the question “how has it come to this?” Kingsolver examines the underlying structures and incentives that cause nations — especially the USA — to behave in ways that even many of their own citizens find objectionable. She touches on the pernicious political schism that has overtaken the USA, one that has obliterated any remaining common ground, the population divided into two warring camps, each intent only on discrediting the opposing tribe.
In her conclusion to the first essay, Kingsolver attempts to strike a note of hope, albeit a faint one. Her ‘small wonder’, symbolized by a nurturing bear, seems more like wishful thinking than a glimpse of relief.
From that point onward, we are handed back to the Barbara Kingsolver we’ve come to know and love, a passionate, often iconoclastic advocate for the natural world and a relentless crusader against the predations being wrought by the anthropocene. These are all intensely personal essays, revealing much about Kingsolver herself while fervently advocating a more reasoned and nuanced public response to the compelling issues of our day.
In would have been impossible for some of these essays not to come across as preachy: Kingsolver cares deeply about issues such as US foreign policy, poverty, immigration and above all patriotism — all hot button topics in today’s deeply divided America. It’s easy to see why she receives hate mail; even her admiration of FDR would enrage many people in the USA these days — which perhaps only demonstrates the gravity of her concerns.
Essays, as a general thing, are not intended to be light entertainment or even enjoyable reading. And some of this is at best depressing to read; but thought-provoking, cogent and pithy, as essays ought to be. At the risk of rendering this review intolerably long, I feel compelled to quote one passage:
“I have children who are more precious to me than life, and every molecule in me wants to promise them we’ll get through this. We won’t blow up the world before they get a crack at doing all the things grown-ups get to do in this howling hoot of a party: stand on your own two feet, get your heart broken, get over it, vote, drive a car, not drive a car, get dog-tired doing something that makes you proud, play the radio station YOU want, wear your heart on your sleeve, dance on the table, make a scene, be ridiculous, be amazing, be stronger than you knew, make a sacrifice that matters, find out what you’re made of, cook a perfect meal, read a perfect book, kiss for an hour, fall in love for keeps, make love, make a baby, stand over your own naked child weeping for dread and wonder at the miracle.”
What more can be said?The title essay explores the corrosive effect of privilege, the consequences of playing a zero-sum game, one where winning is all that matters and one’s winnings must be guarded with all available force. This is, of course, aimed at a uniquely…
The Theater of WarThe Theater of War, BookWhat Ancient Greek Tragedies Can Teach Us Today
by Doerries, BryanBook - 2015 | First edition.Book, 2015. First edition.
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Nov 11, 2022
Comment:
It was with a healthy degree of skepticism that I picked up this book. Although I have a very high regard for the classics, including the impressive works of the ancient Greeks, I generally avoid books that claim to have discovered some marvelous new way to solve emotional problems and allay human suffering: those usually turn out to be written by smarmy pitchmen, evangelists or con artists. Being a memoir of a theater director also set out the ‘caution’ flag: beware of ego-tripping self-aggrandisement.
Happily, such was not the case; Doerries’ book greatly exceeded expectations. He makes a convincing case that sitting through performances of very raw Greek tragedy can be cathartic, liberating and beneficial for persons who are deeply troubled by grief, overly stressed by ongoing experiences or deeply traumatized by horrific life events. In places, the book was extremely moving.
The reality of any sort of trauma is that it can never be objectified; pain and grief are deeply personal; they inhabit us to a degree that cannot be successfully buried or put aside. The reality we endure cannot really be “shared” by someone else: we experience it entirely alone. Doerries discovered that exposure to the extreme trauma that often arises in Greek tragedy can help audience members feel less alone in their torment, more able to open up, discuss their feelings, make sense of what they are suffering.It was with a healthy degree of skepticism that I picked up this book. Although I have a very high regard for the classics, including the impressive works of the ancient Greeks, I generally avoid books that claim to have discovered some marvelous…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Nov 09, 2022
Comment:
All of the features that I recall from Hardy’s work stand out: his deep attachment to the landscape of the south of England; a thorough investment in his characters, their motivations and the (often unwise) choices they make; and a plot that is often driven by quirks of fate and/or triggered by seemingly trivial actions or events — in this case, the Parson’s decision to inform Jack Durbeyfield about his illustrious but long gone forbears. Hardy is quickly constructing a trap for his heroine, built of her parents’ foolish dreams. Tess’s instincts tell her that getting involved with Alec is a mistake, and yet her sense of obligation to her family convinces her to go along with the foolish hopes of her mother. A plot device that is typical of Hardy.
While Fate may be pulling many strings, there’s an even more compelling theme at work: Injustice. I wonder if Hardy’s own fate was to have suffered disillusionment, having lived long enough to see the darker side of the late 19th century. It seems to me that writers such as George Eliot, Charlotte Bronté and Charles Dickens, all of them born some 20 or so years earlier than Hardy and dying much sooner, were able to retain more optimism, even humor, permitting their protagonists to recover from misfortunes and rise above injustice.
I’m intrigued at Hardy’s choice of Stonehenge — a place of drama, mystery and perhaps, fateful or dramatic events — as the setting for the dénouement. The prehistoric aspect of the site might be symbolic of an ancient destiny, tied to Tess’s long gone forebears that has finally caught up with her. Perhaps the cosmic significance that is attributed to Stonehenge, its relationship with the sun and to ancient ritual, is meant to suggest the finality, the inevitability of Tess’s fate.
This is Hardy in his most mature state, where all of the features that typify his work are on display. And yet, I do not find it as satisfying as The Mayor of Casterbridge or even The Return of the Native, largely because it is so unremittingly pessimistic. The story arch, reminiscent of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, is a downward spiral, where each attempt at regaining altitude (i.e. hope or even respite) is immediately followed by another reversal as the protagonist descends into loss and despair.
The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus stated that "A person's character is his fate." It was not in Tess's nature to rebel against those who mistreated her, nor did her upbringing prepare her for what she would face. It could be said that she fell victim to the neglect, prejudice and malfeasance of others; but that does not imply any sort of predestination.
A strong 4 stars, despite the gloom. The presence of a Greek chorus bemoaning Tess’s fate would have been the final touch to a tragedy like this.All of the features that I recall from Hardy’s work stand out: his deep attachment to the landscape of the south of England; a thorough investment in his characters, their motivations and the (often unwise) choices they make; and a plot that is…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Nov 07, 2022
Comment:
I’ve struggled along with this novel for the past week. There are a number of problems and even though I’ve searched for something gracious and positive to say about it, I’m coming up empty. Long before I near the end, I began to skip over entire paragraphs, searching for points of interest.
Those startling lines that open the narrative offered hope that we would at least encounter entertainment, if not actual humor: sorry, there’s precious little of either. Funny stories work for me only if I find it easy to relate to the characters about whom the stories are told, and/or if they are told in scintillating language where one can envision the winks and mannerisms of a mischievous narrator.
Then there’s the ploy of switching back and forth between 1st and 3rd person narration; that rarely works well and I just found it annoying this time.
Which necessarily brings us to Prentice, the protagonist. Coming-of-age generally implies the gaining of maturity, or at least improved insight; but Prentice seems to be suffering from arrested development. OK, he’s not as irritating as Holden Caulfield but he gives it a good try. He is at least recognizable; but the other primary characters — Rory, Hamish, Fergus, Kenneth, etc. — seem to blend together in a sort of mush. I found it impossible to care a whit about any of them, with the possible exception of Fiona, who might have become quite interesting if given half a chance.
Given the Scottish setting, I was hoping for a compelling sense of place, local color, the bracing air of the highlands, the presence of a verdant loch. That too failed to materialize. All we were left with was a rather jaded family narrative. Simply a disappointment.
I’ll give it a reluctant 2 stars for ending on a more optimistic note — and for never becoming morose through all the dark episodes of day-to-day conflict, sibling rivalry and failed relationships.I’ve struggled along with this novel for the past week. There are a number of problems and even though I’ve searched for something gracious and positive to say about it, I’m coming up empty. Long before I near the end, I began to skip over entire…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Nov 05, 2022
Comment:
An astonishing piece of literature. We are taken along on the life-affirming journey of a dying man in company with his Down Syndrome son, engaged in the taking of a whimsical kind of census. In reality a search for meaning. The writing is both spare and lyrical, at times baffling and yet strangely earthbound, largely due to the setting and the homely people they encounter.
Most remarkable is Jesse Ball's multi-layered allegory of the Cormorant, invoking an episode in Paradise Lost — which prompted me to go back and re-read that passage. In fact, Milton wrote only that Satan "sat like a cormorant" which doesn't necessarily mean that Satan assumed the appearance of a cormorant but perhaps simply assumed the cormorant's iconic upright stance, drying its wings.
BTW, the name cormorant literally means "sea-raven", so perhaps Ball was not the first person to erroneously perceive the cormorant as a corvid.
Finding myself lacking in words adequate to describe this book, I will resort to a couple of quotes. Relating his experience in traveling along bumpy back-roads: "This was the experience of being a tinker, I suppose, long ago — traveling from town to town with clattering wares. Our wares (the census and its documents) have no sound though — just the inchoate shape of lives, and so they cannot clatter."
Observing man's troubled relationship with the animal world (invoking the words of a philosopher of his own invention named "Mutter") he writes "For us, we must diminish those beasts, those cows, those goats that we would lead, we must break the brain of the horse that we would ride, so that we can crow that he lets us ride him. But anything changed becomes artifice, becomes less than it was, when it is made to suit the human hand. Our human victories by their nature have no glory."
Decrying man's need for consensus, he asks "Is there none who can simply wander alone beneath a sort of cloth tent painted with dreams?"
The final pages deliver a highly emotional impact, as the dying man sends his son away on the train and contemplates digging for himself a grave.An astonishing piece of literature. We are taken along on the life-affirming journey of a dying man in company with his Down Syndrome son, engaged in the taking of a whimsical kind of census. In reality a search for meaning. The writing is both…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Nov 02, 2022
Comment:
I fear that I’m not going to do this book justice by my review. It’s very well written and I can find no fault with it — that is, within the context of what it is: a solid piece of YA literature. And I do read and appreciate YA books now and then. The characters are well drawn and Wolk’s prose is right on the money, capturing the spirit of the place, a mountainous area in Maine. The tale is compelling, as YA stories go. She deftly captures the mindset of her young protagonist, especially her conflicted state of mind:
But this bond with my father and the wilderness itself made a rift between me and my mother — and my sister especially — who both seemed to think I had betrayed them by being happy when they were not.
There are many moments where Wolk’s prose is simply stunning, especially where she captures the atmosphere of that wild place and the way it resonates with Ellie.
The problem is that the farther I read the less and less I became engaged with the book. It just was not working for me and I found myself, almost against my will, calling up scenes from various “family” TV series, the sort of treacly stuff that makes me squirm and quickly change the channel. Yes, this book is gritty enough in places but most of it is too comfortably Hallmark for my taste. I found it a struggle to work my way through to the end.
Not quite my cup of tea.I fear that I’m not going to do this book justice by my review. It’s very well written and I can find no fault with it — that is, within the context of what it is: a solid piece of YA literature. And I do read and appreciate YA books now and then.…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Nov 02, 2022
Comment:
So here I go, tackling another book by Claire Fuller. I've still got a few angry bruises from my last encounter with Fuller's edgy, unsettling material. She's worth taking on, even if she makes you mad.
It strikes me that in of her novels, Fuller treats her characters like lab rats. She chooses people who are, from the outset, social outliers, individuals who are burdened with emotional and/or psychological baggage of some sort, places them in an isolated setting, and pokes and prods them to see how they will behave under stress; especially when the usual social constraints of colleagues, family or community are removed. Their own hang-ups may be left behind — or are allows to run rampant.
So here we have three very unusual people, almost marooned in a decidedly unnatural setting; they dwell in a sort of cocoon, in effect a time capsule consisting of an abandoned and rapidly decaying country estate. Frances, the socially inept, awkward, repressed 39-year-old woman begins to emerge into a much delayed adolescence of sorts; but she finds herself in daily close contact with a couple whose relationship and whose individual personalities are also badly warped. None of these three are in close communication with the realities of the everyday world.
As was the case in "Our Endless Numbered Days", there is no possibility that this is going to end well.So here I go, tackling another book by Claire Fuller. I've still got a few angry bruises from my last encounter with Fuller's edgy, unsettling material. She's worth taking on, even if she makes you mad.
It strikes me that in of her novels, Fuller…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Nov 01, 2022
Comment:
Like most books by Ruta Sepetys, this one features teenage characters and it may be regarded as YA material, but it’s likely to appeal to most adult readers. It is, in fact simply historical fiction with the story being told from a teenager’s POV. Thoroughly researched, factual and entirely realistic in tone, it recounts the last few tumultuous weeks of the Ceausescu regime in Romania in 1989.
Sepetys always seems to choose historical topics and events that have been largely overlooked — in news coverage, courses of study and written history. It has been said that history is written by the winners; but in the case of Ceausescu’s Romania and what came afterward, it’s unclear who won, if anyone. Ceausescu and his wife were arrested, tried and quickly shot but whether the damage they had wrought could ever be repaired seems doubtful. The revolution succeeded only in replacing the Ceausescu kleptocracy with another communist regime and almost all of Ceausescu’s thugs escaped punishment. It has taken Romania over 30 years to emerge as a sustainable state and member of the European community.
Clear-eyed, true-to-life and very personal in its mood, the story is told in a series of rapid-fire chapters, making it a quick read. And yet, Sepetys manages to include many lyrical passages, elevating the book above a simple account of events. Most memorable is the brief poem that captures the impact of events upon Cristian, the young protagonist.Like most books by Ruta Sepetys, this one features teenage characters and it may be regarded as YA material, but it’s likely to appeal to most adult readers. It is, in fact simply historical fiction with the story being told from a teenager’s POV.…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Oct 30, 2022
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Some may question my shelving this as “crime”, since it hardly fits in with what we usually associate with crime; but there certainly is a heinous crime committed here. The ease with which adults, so often swept up in their own pursuits, are able to victimize children is a topic that I always find deeply disturbing. This book brought to mind some of the worst aspects of Claire Fuller’s Our Endless Numbered Days and Kristin Hanna’s The Great Alone. The most troubling aspect of it is that the perpetrators usually get away with their misdeeds.
From the very first sentences, we know that these people are heading for disaster and that some of them may not survive to the end of it. And even if they do survive, can this become a compelling story? To make this tale work for the reader, the author must bring much more to the table than just relating a harrowing adventure: there must be a powerful sense of place, rich character development, precise pacing, suspense — and above all, crisp, incisive prose. Carl Nixon is a skillful writer; he almost pulls it off. But in the end, he doesn’t quite succeed.Some may question my shelving this as “crime”, since it hardly fits in with what we usually associate with crime; but there certainly is a heinous crime committed here. The ease with which adults, so often swept up in their own pursuits, are able to…
The Narrowboat SummerThe Narrowboat Summer, Book
by Youngson, AnneBook - 2021 | First US edition.Book, 2021. First US edition.
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Oct 27, 2022
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This is, first and foremost, about life choices. About possibilities, degrees of freedom, the borders between order and chaos. And attempting to define what is “worth doing” — and not.
Two women in middle age, by an improbable degree of serendipity, encounter one another, along with the owner of a Narrowboat on the English canal system at a critical inflexion point in their lives: at the precise moment when their aims, their personalities and opportunities coincide perfectly. Eve, though professionally successful, has suddenly found herself unemployed. Sally has abruptly left her seemingly successful marriage, largely due to boredom. Anastasia needs to have her boat taken to a maintenance yard across country while she enters hospital for a time. (as I said, improbable coincidence, but we need this for the story).
Much of the story’s appeal stems from its effect of slowing down time: a boat on a canal proceeds at walking speed. Hundreds of locks are traversed along the way, each requiring a pause while the gates open and close, the waters shift, boats rise and fall, fellow travelers are encountered, news, gossip, meals, drinks, stories are shared. New friends are made. The entire book goes along at that pace. Although there is a destination, the timeline takes a backseat to experiences, learnings, insights.
This book doesn’t quite deliver the emotional impact of Youngson’s "Meet Me at the Museum", but it has much of the charm and quiet wisdom. Low-key but very satisfying, probably ideal as a summer read.This is, first and foremost, about life choices. About possibilities, degrees of freedom, the borders between order and chaos. And attempting to define what is “worth doing” — and not.
Two women in middle age, by an improbable degree of serendipity,…
ILL - COURT, CLOISTER, AND CITYILL - COURT, CLOISTER, AND CITY, Book
by Kaufmann, Thomas DaCostaBookBook
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Added Oct 13, 2022
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This book might be summed up as “how the renaissance found its way across central Europe and what it looked like when it got there.” But it’s nowhere near as simple as that; Kaufman covers so much ground and explores so many aspects of central European culture, and does so with such erudition, that it would be inappropriate to comment on just a few examples, to the exclusion of others. It’s also a book that demands dedicated reading while also prompting one to explore related topics — e.g. the political history of the Holy Roman Empire, the Thirty Years War, the emergence of renaissance humanism, etc. I will need to return to the book multiple time to do it justice.
Any individual chapter — e.g. the chapter on Dürer and his contemporaries, considering its intellectual depth and breadth of inquiry — would merit a comprehensive review. It’s unlikely that any review I could offer would do justice to the entire work.
Kaufman makes a compelling case for the Holy Roman Empire — with its vast number of principalities, each with their own court, prepared to patronize artists, architects and other learned men — being a golden era for the advancement of renaissance art and culture across Europe. Rather than a few large nation states, each determined to guard and promote its own ideas and forms of culture, the HRE was made up of many ethnicities and local cultures where each was regularly exposed to the influence of its neighbors; and renaissance-informed artists frequently traveled from one jurisdiction to another, carrying new ideas with them. So the HRE might, ironically, be viewed as a forerunner of the EU of our day — a common market of ideas rather than a common market of goods and services.
Today, largely because of the kleptocratic behavior of despots, the building of vast palaces and the accumulation of precious artistic artifacts is rightly condemned as wasteful self-glorification and an egregious burden on the rest of society. But Kaufman argues that the princely patronage of artists over centuries has caused to come into being great works that may otherwise never have been created. And the treasures they accumulated have often become the cultural legacy of succeeding generations. Hence an argument in favor of the princely pursuit of magnificence. Certainly anyone who has visited the Hermitage or the Uffizi is likely to applaud the achievements of Catherine the Great or the Medici, whether we approve of their motives or not
The book reminds us that one may learn every bit as much about the nature of a society from a study of its art and architecture as from the history of its wars and prominent personalities.
Impressive, richly detailed, scholarly — while also being completely engaging and readable.This book might be summed up as “how the renaissance found its way across central Europe and what it looked like when it got there.” But it’s nowhere near as simple as that; Kaufman covers so much ground and explores so many aspects of central…
The Heroine With 1,001 FacesThe Heroine With 1,001 Faces, Book
by Tatar, MariaBook - 2021 | First edition.Book, 2021. First edition.
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Sep 26, 2022
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It seems to me that when Maria Tatar set out to write this book, she faced several problems, and I’m not sure she overcame any of them altogether. First off, the book could not avoid being viewed, rightly or wrongly as either a sequel/response to Joseph Campbell’s seminal work or on the other hand an attempt to refute it. It is in fact neither, even though it was inspired by The Hero With a Thousand Faces; but regrettably, it risks being viewed as a feminist rant, railing against all those who have retold or invented stories of masculine “heroes” throughout the ages. These are treacherous waters for a writer to navigate.
But I believe there’s an even more daunting issue facing Tatar, namely: Just what does constitute heroism anyway? Is there some wondrous set of criteria, checkpoints, characteristics, motives, achievements, qualifications that determine whether a person or that person’s deeds are “heroic”? I doubt that very much. In fact, heroism is a construct, a thesis, a considered opinion shared by some, challenged by others. Heroes have coalesced over centuries, evolving out of legend while others have been created overnight by the sensation of the day — by media, social and otherwise, by military dispatches, by neighborhood gossip, by potentates and politicians in need of an icon. And most decidedly by minstrels, poets, novelists, historians, evangelists and by any sort of charlatan having an axe to grind.
Tatar set off on a quest to identify and celebrate heroines to “balance the story” so to speak, a story that is so clearly slanted in favor of masculine heroics. In doing so, she finds it necessary to question the claim of heroism on the part of a great range of individuals both real and apocryphal, ancient and modern. Did Jason, Odysseus, Moses — or Mandela for that matter — truly qualify as heroes? And were the women who inspired/supported/awaited/comforted/challenged them any less heroic? Tatar asserts that they were equally heroic in their ways but her argument trips over the same lack of objective criteria that plagues heroism of any gender. And therein lies the nub of the problem, that word “objective”. Heroism is not objective at all; it is profoundly subjective. What it really comes down to is that heroism is a matter of opinion. It’s a contrived concept, impossible to quantify. It leaves Maria Tatar with an argument no one can win. For each of us, heroism is what we perceive it to be.
Campbell posited an overarching formula that every hero’s journey can be seen to follow; it is the essence of storytelling in any genre. Tatar follows in his footsteps, seeks to illuminate the overlooked stories of feminine heroism. But I don’t think she opens up any new vistas. The most telling insight she offers is that the real heroes, if such there be, are the writers, of any gender, who recreate for us the heroes that we instinctively crave. And each writer of our day who revisits, reconstructs or deconstructs the epic tales of old provides us with new opportunities to be inspired, enraged, enlightened or entertained. And that’s a good thing.It seems to me that when Maria Tatar set out to write this book, she faced several problems, and I’m not sure she overcame any of them altogether. First off, the book could not avoid being viewed, rightly or wrongly as either a sequel/response to…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Sep 25, 2022
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I find much to celebrate and admire in Hume’s philosophy. It really centers around his bold assertion that “abstract or demonstrative reason never influences any of our actions, but only as it directs our judgment concerning causes and effects”. He sees reason as simply a means of achieving the ends already determined by our passions. He seems to see reasoning as learned behavior, while it’s our inborn passions and our perceptions and instinctive reaction to external stimuli that motivates our behavior. In this, Hume reveals himself to be a skeptic, a humanist and certainly no sentimentalist.
Here is the work of an orderly mind, a clear, precise thinker who insists on defining and categorizing every function of the human mind; he is almost mathematical in his discourse. What I find especially appealing in what he writes is that it’s entirely devoid of the sort of new-age twaddle that often passes for philosophy today. The greatness of Hume’s intellectual capacity might best be demonstrated by his insistence on an empirical basis for his arguments, this in an era where access to vast amounts of experimental data that we take for granted today was entirely unavailable to him. He took this road not because it was easy but because for him that was the only acceptable way.
However: In addressing the topic of morals, Hume is equally bold in his stance and it’s in that realm that I find some of his arguments to be less compelling, primarily because he seems to extrapolate his basic ideas a bit too far. He posits that an action may be judged as morally laudable or objectionable only in terms its effect on us and others. He seems to reject the notion of a universal code of good or evil that would apply in all circumstances. Taking such a stance was doubtless a factor in his uncomfortable relationship with the Church. He never actually challenged the validity of Canon law, but like a precocious child who refuses to accept “because I say so” as a valid rule of behavior, he seeks to understand the underlying functional motivations behind our conventions, practices, even our laws. He is undoubtedly correct in stating that “The qualities of the mind are selfishness and limited generosity”. And his assertion that government came into existence simply because man’s nature is to act in his own interest at all time, often to the detriment of society as a whole, does have a ring of truth to it. But in a complex society, nothing is ever that simple and clear-cut.
That said, he does wrap up on a note of optimism by asserting that, despite mankind’s tendency to seek our own best interests and our history of degenerating in practice from the virtues we applaud, the sense of morality is natural in humans. It is not an invention or a caprice. The urge to justice has been with us ever since the development of the very first functional society.
But even here, Hume essentially takes his argument back to utility, means to an end; that is, that justice prevails simply because without it, no society is likely to survive for long but would soon collapse into chaos. I would only point out that some societies have managed to survive for quite some time with no justice whatsoever, purely through the force of arms and a vigorous secret police.
I also feel compelled to complain about Hume’s language and his writing style. Even for the late 19th century — a period when stilted phrasing and obtuse vocabulary was accepted, at least in learned works of non-fiction — Hume seems to be an extreme example. There are a great many of his arguments that easily could have been stated in much more straightforward language and far fewer words. His clear, precise thoughts are less appealing than they ought to be, because they are expressed in awkward language, which, for today’s reader, is an unwelcome obstacle.I find much to celebrate and admire in Hume’s philosophy. It really centers around his bold assertion that “abstract or demonstrative reason never influences any of our actions, but only as it directs our judgment concerning causes and effects”. He…
What Strange ParadiseWhat Strange Paradise, Book
by El Akkad, OmarBook - 2021 | Hardcover edition.Book, 2021. Hardcover edition.
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Added Sep 25, 2022
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Omar Al Akkad is a remarkably skilled, insightful and imaginative writer, in terms of both his prose and his narrative dexterity. I use that latter word with intent: this is a narrative that can be read in several different ways. At a casual reading, it’s an engaging but ultimately disappointing tale of a depressingly well-known aspect of today’s world, one of seemingly endless hordes of desperate refugees, vicious human smugglers who prey upon them and the ill-equipped local officials and relief agencies in European countries, overwhelmed, dispirited and increasingly resentful of the ugly mess landing on their shores. I felt let down at the end, unable to see the point of all that had taken place. But then I went back and had a second look at it and decided that there’s another story here entirely, one that hits a lot harder. I wonder if other readers agree with me. It seems that the Giller prize committee did. Perhaps they got it right this time.
All that aside, the book can be a satisfying read on the basis of its language alone. The glare of the Mediterranean sun; the numbing reality of a society in economic free-fall; the unwieldiness of bureaucratic overload; and above all the sheer terror of helpless masses of people at the mercy of the elements and the ruthless men who exploit them — all of those elements are made real and immediate by Al Akkad’s mastery of language.
For reasons that may be apparent to some readers, I’ve shelved this as allegorical. Many others will no doubt disagree.Omar Al Akkad is a remarkably skilled, insightful and imaginative writer, in terms of both his prose and his narrative dexterity. I use that latter word with intent: this is a narrative that can be read in several different ways. At a casual…
wyenotgo's rating:
Added Sep 04, 2022
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I suppose this is a coming-of-age story, although it’s unclear whether Charlie does much growing up; but never mind, we’re with him all the way, cheering him along as he finds his way through the full catastrophe of being 13 years old, intersex, functionally parentless, disillusioned, frustrated and Jewish (although he apparently doesn’t qualify for a Bar Mitzvah).
There’s a lot of ground covered here: from genetics to installation art to the reality of aging to arguments with God — to one of the longest (and probably the most humorous) sermons you’re likely to encounter. We also meet a small cast of memorable characters and what has to be the most hopeless excuse for a dog, one that manages to be simultaneously disgusting and ridiculous, a creature that only a boy could love.
Lots to celebrate as well: Weeza, a long-haul trucker: ”I’m at a truck stop outside Spokane. Been driving all night in a sort of fatigue state between sensory deprivation and sensory overload. Can actually feel thoughts streaming by like red taillights in the dark. Not thoughts, sensations: whiff of diesel, shunt of wheels over concrete, burn of chew tobacco against gums. On and on, on and on. Crackle of radio fading in and out of local stations, wipers knocking drizzle across glass. After a while the highway becomes this blazing white birth canal pushing me forwards. By the time I pull into Darlene’s truck stop (pneumatic hiss of brakes, goose honk of air horn, drag of a million tons of inertia) I’m born again into the silence at the side of the road, into dawn seeping out over an industrial plant, into the homey funk of whatever Darlene’s been frying up for breakfast. Hallelujah and draw up a chair!”
Or Oscar’s experience of old age: "Time was an old man with a limp, full of aches and pains, eyes so wrecked that even hindsight was a blur. Time was the sound of footsteps following him down the corridor to the bathroom. Three, four times a night, his old man’s bladder kaput. But mostly, time was the death’s head grinning at him as he sat at his wife’s dresser, peering into the glass. He was losing weight, bones hollowing out, flesh disintegrating. Only his memory was heavy and growing heavier by the day."
What it all boils down to is a search for identity, a need for answers — which is what a lot of us find ourselves doing. Méira Cook is a writer entirely new to me but one I will surely seek out again.I suppose this is a coming-of-age story, although it’s unclear whether Charlie does much growing up; but never mind, we’re with him all the way, cheering him along as he finds his way through the full catastrophe of being 13 years old, intersex,…
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