the fantastic mr. fox :: roald dahl

Title: The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Author: Roald Dahl
Published: Puffin, 2008
Read: November 2009; NYC
Format: trade paperback

Three greedy, mean-spirited farmers plot to take out the fantastic Mr. Fox the next time he emerges from his fox hole. All the while, beneath their very feet, a grand heist is being pulled off by the wily fox and his fellow hole-dwellers.

I don't have a lot to stay about this one. It's a children's book. There is no subtext, really. It's not written especially beautifully and it's not notably heartwarming. It's just a cute, entertaining adventure with fun characters and a colorful world.

A joyful caper; definitely worth the 30 or so minutes it takes to read.
4 out of 5 stars

Jenny & the Jaws of Life :: Jincy Willett

Title: Jenny the Jaws of Life

Author: Jincy Willett
Read: November 2009; NYC
Format: trade paperback

For years and years, my stance has been firm. I'm not a fan of the short story. Brevity, in my opinion, ends up costing the plot and characters too much. And then, really, what's the point?

Though, reading and loving Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge got me thinking. Sure, those stories - in total - read like a novel, but they're stories nonetheless! Impressed with what these authors are doing with the format these days, I'm making a point to read more - even if it's against my instincts. This effort, plus a couple of full-throated endorsements, brought Jenny & the Jaws of Life to me.

The 13 stories that make up this collection are just perfect. Some are better than others, of course, but both individually and all together they left me in want of absolutely nothing. The characters and their worlds are richly drawn. Willett's writing glides between despair, horror, nonsense and joy - all with elegance and gorgeous wit.

One of my favorites of the set is "Melinda Falling". It was after reading this story that I realized that this book was really special. Willett paces the the story's joy and sadness at a beautiful tempo. At just 15 pages, you get a full sense of Melinda, her husband and the humor and loneliness of their world. Just lovely. Really.

The second title story, "The Jaws of Life," is equally brilliant. Like the collection as a whole, the story balances opposing emotions and challenges moral expectations. It also showcases a frenetic energy similar to Roth's Portnoy's Complaint.

I don't want to give away much more of the stories, because this is just one of those books I really insist everyone read. It was exactly what I needed to read at during a very difficult time in my life. And I'm certain that no matter what time you are in in your life, dear internet, you'll benefit from reading it too.

Beautifully written, poignant, sad, hilarious.

5 out of 5 stars

james and the giant peach :: roald dahl

Title: James and the Giant Peach
Author: Roald Dahl
Published: Puffin, 2008
Read: October 2009; NYC, CT
Format: trade paperback

After a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger, James accidentally sets an amazing voyage in place. He becomes captain of an enormous peach and finds travel companions in a gang of giant insects. Together, they face adventure and embark on lives far more extraordinary than the ones they knew before.

Like most of Dahl's children's books, James and the Giant Peach is a wonderful, comforting joy to read. I have nothing to say by way of criticism and will not theorize about possible messages or subtexts. Instead, I'll relish in one of Dahl's more darling moments:

'...Some of us, of course, are born with more spots than others, but we never change them. The number of spots that a Ladybird has is simply a way of showing which branch of the family she belongs to. I, for example, am a Nine-Spotted Ladybird. I am very lucky. It is a fine thing to be.'

'It is, indeed,' said James, gazing at the beautiful shell with the nine black spots on it.

'On the other hand,' the Ladybird went on, 'some of my less fortunate relatives have no more than two spots altogether on their shells! Can you imagine that? They are called Two-Spotted Ladybirds, and very common and ill-mannered they are, I regret to say. And then, of course, you have the Five-Spotted Ladybirds as well. They are much nicer than the Two-Spotted ones, although I myself find them a trifle too saucy for my taste.'

'But they are all of them loved?' said James.

'Yes,' the Ladybird answered quietly. 'They are all of them loved.'

Perfect. Charming. Sweet:
5 out of 5 stars.

a wrinkle in time :: madeline l'engle

Title: A Wrinkle in Time
Author: Madeline L'Engle
Publisher: Dell
Read: September 2009, NYC
Format: mass market paperback

Meg Murry is misunderstood. As she contemplates how to fit in better at school and make life more bearable, something interesting happens. She embarks on an interdimensional adventure with her remarkable 5 year old brother Charles Wallace, the handsome and popular Calvin O'Keefe and a trio of unusual old ladies. Meg is motivated to go along on the journey in the first place because she desperately wants to find (and rescue?) her long-missing father. In pursuing this end, she learns more about her parents, the universe and, of course, her own abilities.

1) A Wrinkle in Time is one of the first novels I remember reading (4th grade, Miss Mallory's class). While I remembered some of the characters' names, I remembered NONE of the plot.

2) Even though I didn't remember much of the story, I did experience weird sense-memory of reading it over 20 years ago (gasp!). Images I haven't thought about in many years rebuilt themselves around me. It was a weird sensation and topical, really, given the whole time travel theme.

3) I was caught off guard by all Christianity references. I obviously did not remember that from childhood.

4) When I last visited him, my very clever nephew - 9.5-year-old Noah, also an avid reader - and I chatted about the book (I was just about to start it). It seems sometime in the last year or so he had attempted reading it, but found it 'too complicated'. I can see that. Some of the most interesting concepts (interdimensional travel, mind control and homogeneity, etc) in this book are, in my opinion, a little too complex for it's target audience. And, stripping these out, what's left is not that memorable. This is why I didn't recall any of the plot. I'd say that this series is ideally for 5th graders and above. A year can make such a big difference in what kids are able to process. Though, I guess when 1 year amounts to more than 10% of your life to that point, it makes sense. But I digress.

An excellent, comforting, interesting story. I look forward to finally getting to the rest of the series: 4 out of 5 stars.

Man in the Dark :: Paul Auster

Title: Man in the Dark
Author: Paul Auster
Read: August 2009; NYC
Format: kindle

August Brill, book critic, is an invalid. He lives a lonely life with with broken women: his daughter who has been left by her husband and his granddaughter who is mourning her boyfriend. Stuck in bed, August lays in bed all night and spins a story to occupy his mind. He imagines a young man, Owen Brick, who wakes to find himself in an alternate world where 9/11 never happened and where the liberal states have seceded. To get back to themselves, everyone must reorient themselves, explore their situations, and confront difficult challenges head on.

This is another one of those Auster novels with layered stories and layered meaning; where fragility, mortality, and loneliness are prominent themes. Man in the Dark is not my favorite, though. While it's not completely bleak, it is still too gray for my tastes and lacks the magic, mystery, or sweetness that the author can do so well. Instead, we get a heavy-handed suspense narrative couched within an exploration of sadness and loss.

A fast read and well-written, so not not worth it.

3 out of 5 stars

some thoughts about auster

I'm working on 3 back-posts for some Austers I read this year: Man in the Dark, The Brooklyn Follies and Oracle Night. Thinking about all 3 at once made me come to the following realizations:

• i possibly don't get it
  
• i should not read Auster on kindle. i end up reading too fast and don't take the appropriate amount of time to unpack it
  
• not fun
• maybe i picked the wrong three to read in the same summer, but the format seems pretty one-note
  
• i tend to read auster when i'm indecisive: i want to read something substantive, but fast. (lesson: when i want to read something quickly, i should probably just read something that is light too)
• i continue to read his novels, though often underwhelmed, because i'm looking for something more like Book of Illusions. seems like BOI really stands alone, style-wise.
  

aside

formal statement: i'm just not that into using oxford commas.

the kite runner :: khaled hosseini

Title: The Kite Runner
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Publisher: Riverhead (Penguin), 2003
Read: September 2009; NYC, Hartford
Format: trade paperback

Nutshell: In a cowardly move, 12-year-old Amir idly watches as his best friend and servant, Hassan, is brutally attacked. Racked with guilt, Amir can no longer face the angelic servant and drives Hassan and his family away. The shame of this two-fold treason haunts Amir's entire life - from his flight from the Afghani revolution to his life as an adult in California’s Bay Area. 20+ years after leaving Afghanistan, he is given the chance to atone. He returns to his homeland, but his path to redemption is not easy. It's unclear whether Amir is brave enough - even in his adulthood - to confront the perilous challenge.

Some thoughts:
- The novel is monotonously melancholic. Despite this, I was still riveted.
- There's an almost spoken quality about the way Amir recounts his story - it almost feels like the words are being read to, and not by, you.
- The sentimentality seems like it's aspiring to be poignant. It can feel a little heavy-handed.
- Amir's conflicted feelings for his father are more believable than the unresolved guilt he has about Hassan. Throughout his life, Amir fears and idolizes his father. He seeks approval and resents the fact that he must earn it. Hosseini does a good job of transferring this confusion onto the reader; I wasn't sure what to make of the father at first.
- I'm not sure what to make of Amir as a character. I feel that the shame that haunts him is a little overdone. I mean, I get that what he did was Not Cool, but he was like 12. His guilt comes off as whiney at times. Yet, at the same time, his love for Hassan is convincing. And, he seems to regret not being a better person. I go back and forth. Maybe that's the point.
- The backdrop of the Russian occupation and Afghani revolution provide rich context, but the political message is limited. Hosseini sets the scene with the gruesome reality of the time, but avoids the pitfall of preachy tangents.

Other thoughts (related to the book):
- I saw this movie on a plane like 3 years ago (I recommend it) so I knew what was going to happen. Obviously, this affected my reading. Still, I hung on the words, so that says something. That said, I think you can choose reading or seeing it. No need for both.
- While reading this, I was also watching HBO’s 2008 mini-series Generation Kill. It was a lot of war (different wars, I realize) to take in one sitting. Anyway, the combination really brought me down and probably tainted my overall experience.

I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about The Kite Runner. Mostly, I really enjoyed it. After all, it's well-written and emotional. But it's the emotion that gives me pause. Is Amir - and consequently the novel - too earnest? Maybe.

Touching, though possibly too sincere:
4 out of 5 stars.

the nine :: jeffrey toobin

Title: The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court
Author: Jeffrey Toobin
Publisher: Anchor, 2008
Read: August 2009; San Francisco, NYC
Format: trade paperback

Raise your hand if you love the Supreme Court. (raising hand).

Why exactly do I love the SCOTUS (inside jargon!)? Is it the appealingly nerdy mysticism that shrouds the Bench? Maybe it's that the judges are brilliant beyond my comprehension. The building and bench are in themselves pretty cool too: imposing, elevated, transcendent. I say, It's all this and more! In his The Nine, CNN legal expert Jeffrey Toobin shows that he agrees.

Depending on your POV (I guess), the tome is a left-leaning study of The Supreme Court from the Rehnquist Court through Alito’s appointment in 2005. Toobin guides a tour of the significant cases and peppers in thoughtful insights along the way. Of critical interest to him (and consequently the reader) is the evolution of the justices’ judicial philosophies, fascinatingly laid out through the judges' parsed opinions. Further, another stand out feature of The Nine's is its account of the Court beyond the docket. Humanizing and often amusing, these anecdotes make this otherwise dry topic a more engaging experience.

Miscellaneous facts from the book

The Lineup (per the book's timeline)

The Liberals
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Clinton)
Stephen Breyer (Clinton)
John Paul Stevens (Ford)
David Souter (Bush #1)

The Conservatives
William Rehnquist, deceased (Chief, Reagan; Associate, Nixon)
Clarence Thomas (Bush #1)
Antonin Scalia (Reagan)
John Roberts (Chief, Bush #2)
Samuel Alito (Bush #2)

The Swings
Sandra Day O’Connor, retired (Reagan)
Anthony Kennedy (Reagan)

Factoids

• Consistently liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg and incendiary conservative Antonin Scalia spend New Years' Eves with each other's families
• Many powerful Washingtonians, including Sandra Day O'Connor, regularly set David Souter (a lifelong bachelor) up on dates
• Sandra Day O'Connor had her clerks come into work early to participate in an exercise class with her.
• Roberts clerked for Rehnquist; was then the only SCOTUS judge to serve with the justice they worked under
• Clarence Thomas refuses to make commencement speeches or other appearances at Ivy League schools

Important Themes/Opinions/Controversies

• Roe v. Wade (duh)/Casey v. Planned Parenthood
• Right to privacy?
• Church and state/school prayer
• Affirmative action
• 2000 presidential election
• Stare decisis (honoring precedent)

It’s impossible to disassociate politics when considering SCOTUS and its decisions. Now more than ever, though, I understand that each justice has an underlying Constitutional philosophy to which they try to stay true. It’s not simply a matter of personal opinion and not just some arbitrary sense of right and wrong. Whether you agree or not, a justice's opinion on a given case is probably beyond sound if viewed impartially. The judges are tasked with interpreting the what Toobin aptly calls the Constitution's “majestic generalities”. Indeed. So majestic, in fact, that we need a special gang of impressive old people to help us understand it.

Obviously, I really liked the book. The one criticism that I do have is that it kind of loses momentum at the end. The pacing goes little off in the last section and the epilogue and afterword feel cobbled on, as they commonly do. Maybe it's unavoidable, though. How can you satisfyingly wrap up an account that doesn’t actually end? Regardless, it could stand a more finessed conclusion. This forgivable shortcoming is hardly a deal breaker, though.

Fascinating, informative and often entertaining:
4 out of 5 stars

the curious incident of the dog in the night-time :: mark haddon

Title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Author: Mark Haddon
Publisher: VIntage, 2003
Read: August 2009; JFK>SFO, San Francisco
Format: trade paperback

Nutshell: Christopher Boone is a 15 year old math prodigy with what appears to be Asperger Syndrome or some form of high-functioning autism or something (though his condition is never explicitly defined). Wandering around in the middle of the night - as he sometimes does - he finds his neighbor's dog killed, via pitchfork. He takes it upon himself to investigate and document the case. While doing so, he uncovers a deep secret that upsets his well-ordered world, driving him to run away. By surviving the ensuing misadventures, some terrifying to him, his confidence grows. As do his hopes for the future.

I picked this up at the used book store down the street for $4 and read most of it in the last third of a plane ride to San Francisco. I think that if I had sunk any more resources than that into reading it, I would feel slightly ripped off. It's not that the book is bad. Not by any means. In fact, it's engaging and quirky in a pleasant way. Cute even. It's just neither compelling, informative nor beautiful. And, really, these are the qualities I want in the books I read.

The author does take an admirable risk by writing Christopher in the first-person. It's well executed and the effect is never cartoonish or offensive. Actually, it aids in rounding out the character: you sympathize with and never pity him - a too common pitfall in books with mentally challenged characters.

In the end, though, the story is kind of predictable. And the writing, though light and amusing, is pretty much just okay. If the The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time lands in front of you and you happen to have a couple of hours to kill, I say why not. You're unlikely to regret it. I just wouldn't necessarily rush to the library for this one.

Sweet, quirky, but not super memorable:
3 out of 5 stars

what i loved :: siri hustvedt

Title: What I Loved

Author: Siri Hustvedt

Publisher: Picador, 2004 

Read: August 2009; NYC 
, NYC>BOS
Format: mass market paperback

1 Minute Summary: Before losing his vision completely, art history professor and narrator Leo Hertzberg sets out to record the last 25 years of his life. His reverie begins in 1975 when he meets and befriends rising artist Bill Weschler. What follows is Leo’s account of their friendship and the convergence of their lives: an exploration of their marriages, children and the challenges that shape both of their families.

At fewer than 400 pages, a sprawling plot and rich subtext make What I Loved pretty dense - especially for a contemporary novel. It's kept simple enough through its organization, though: the story is told in flashback format - but chronologically - and is organized into three distinct parts.

Part one is heartiest in both plot and message. Here, the foundation is set in detail: the two men meet, their wives are introduced, friendship grows between the couples, each has a child and we follow the progress of both families until tragedy strikes. It's also in part one - from before the children are born until they are very young - that we are shown the main characters most consumed by their academic and artistic pursuits. Through descriptions of the couples’ works and conversations, we are exposed to their world views. To be totally honest, I got a little nervous at these frequent philosophical-waxings. I felt it teetered a little too close to pretentious at times and I was afraid I'd find the characters irredeemably insufferable if it didn't ease up.

Thankfully, it did. The characters' focal points soon moved from their own careers/output to their new families, and so went the focus of the text. Where Hustvedt initially appears sort of heavy handed in demonstrating the intellectualism of the couples (and of that particular time in New York City), it becomes clear that she's just laying the groundwork for the artful development of her story.

Part two deals with the fallout of a tragedy (pardon the vagueness - no spoilers!). The reactions in this section echo the characters' philosophical deliberations from part one. We see how their individual beliefs inform their internal experiences of sorrow, but we also witness their earnest grief in action. This section is largely concerned with sadness and what distance and time can do to affect one's experience of pain. Very little 'happens' in part two and yet it's riveting nonetheless, highlighting the effectiveness of Hustvedt's graceful and feeling prose.

The third part is markedly different from the rest of the book. The primary concern of this more plot-driven, sometimes caper-like, section are the sociopathic, compulsive actions of one of the sons and the adults' evolving reactions to them. The plot unfolds quickly while below the surface we examine how biological, physical and emotional closeness as well as loyalty and familial love are challenged when those very ties are abused. It’s heart-wrenching to see the disintegration of relationships that seemed, until this point, so unwavering.

As a whole, the novel seems focused on perspectives. In particular, it examines how perceptions and perspectives are set and how they can change over time, space and, as one character puts it, how “mixed up” or enmeshed everything and everyone is. When faced with the various events of their lives, our characters are forced to re/consider their loyalties, the way they love and the way they hurt.

As a reader, I felt challenged by the characters' contemplations. More than once, I had to take a break from the text to think about what I'd just read. This isn't something I find myself doing very often. Or ever, really. The novel is just that affecting. It's taken me a while even just to write this stupid report.

Thoughtful on so many levels, the added bonus is that the writing is not just beautiful, but often lyrical. Yes, the overall mood is on the somber side, but even when it is at its most elegiac, the words ooze sincerity and intense emotion. Adding, of course, to the book's overall effect.

A beautiful, haunting novel that weighs heavily after reading: 

4.5 out of 5 stars

the girl who played with fire :: stieg larsson

Title: The Girl Who Played with Fire
Author: Stieg Larsson
Publisher: Knopf, 2009
Read: August 2009; NYC
Format: Kindle

In This One: We reconnect with Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist over a year after the Vanger investigation and Wennerstrom Affair (of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – see earlier post). Blomkvist is back at the publishing helm of his Millennium magazine, which soon plans to release a book and special issue on sex trafficking. One night, Mikael finds the writers of the book and article – a couple – murdered in their apartment; a gun with Lisbeth’s finger prints on it is found at the scene. On the other side of town, on the same night, Salander’s court-appointed guardian is also discovered murdered. The police investigation soon focuses on Lisbeth as its prime suspect. Though Lisbeth has cut Blomkvist out of her life, they work separately - but together - to unearth the truth about the killings.

Top Observations and Thoughts

1. Like TGWTDT, there is sometimes too much detail and time spent on trivialities (e.g., a list of every ikea item Salander furnishes her posh new apartment with and exactly how much she spent at the store)

2. The villains are awesomely scary. There are many and each presents a different kind of deviousness, ranging from the seemingly physically-invincible giant to the various sinister tormentors, unjustly in positions of authority.

3. I think it would be helpful to know more about the geographic layout of Sweden. As characters dash from location to location, it would be useful to know how long it should take to get from setting A to setting B. Especially at the end, the book is intensely suspenseful on every page. Knowing these details could maybe have taken the edge off.

4. A lot goes on in this book. There is a ton of action and several different storylines, most of which converge. Yet, there are also some seemingly purposeless threads. Why? Maybe it’s because the books are in a series and they're meant to be significant later?

5. Larsson offers a delicious plenty of red herrings. I'm easily duped, but there are so many evil characters you never know which one is ultimately to blame. Until the end of course.

6. Even though the characters are the same, TGWPWF avoids becoming a formulaic series. This book is a different type of suspense novel than his last: you know who (prob) did it, but we wait to find out the interconnectedness of all the evil men. The effect is equally riveting--maybe even more so--as the straightforward suspense in TGWTDT.

7. I appreciate that the almost wholly plot-driven novel adds in a little layer of complexity through its anti-misogynist subtext.

This book is awesome. I don’t read a lot of suspense, but having bought into the ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ phenomenon, I eagerly attacked this book as soon as it was released in the US. My expectations were high—I really liked the first book and had heard that the follow up was even better. It totally was.

The pageturneriest page turner I’ve ever read.

5 out of 5 stars

the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society :: mary ann shafer, annie burrows

Title: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Author: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Burrows
Publisher: Dial Press, 2009
Read: August 2009; NYC
Format: trade paperback

What Happens: Juliet Ashton both writes and receives a lot of letters.

In them, we learn that World War II has just ended and that recently-occupied Europe is starting to pick up the pieces. Juliet’s popular newspaper column ends along with the war and she, too, is trying to figure out what’s next.

She soon receives a letter from a member of a ‘Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’ on Guernsey, a small island in the English Channel. Her curiosity about the club and its members eventually prompts her to visit. There, she meets lively characters, learns of the war's effect on the islands and eventually discovers how she wants to spend the next chapter of her life.

Okay: So, beyond my humble opinion that it’s good, there’s not a lot to say about this one. It’s not super deep, heart-wrenching or anything like that. I found it really satisfying and entertaining, nonetheless. Its strengths, I suppose, lie in the characters and plot execution.

It’s important to note that almost every letter is either written to or by Juliet, the center of the epistolary novel's flurry. In her early letters, she sometimes comes off as flippant and maybe even a bit spoiled. Sure, we see that she is witty and clever, but wonder - if just initially - whether, in her, these will be good or bad traits. Thankfully, as we continue to read her letters, her character fills out: Yes, she can be glib, but she is also sensitive, caring and self-aware.

The other characters are incredibly lovable, but their development is a little thinner, of course. Although we read them through their own words, we’re only privy to those that address Juliet. All told, though, it’s no less satisfying than any other limited-perspective narration.

As for the plot, I suppose enjoyment of it rests in whether you can get behind the whole epistolary novel thing. Some decry them as gimmicky. Some (maybe more) tout their long literary history. Either way, The Guernsey...Society successfully employs the mode to execute the plot. Some might argue that the use of the device is more successful than the plot itself.

I mean, the letters don't just unfold the characters, they advance the plot and lay out Guernsey's rich history as well. They provide an imaginative execution for what is maybe not the world’s most groundbreaking plot. That is, the letters and how they move the book along make fresh what is, at its core, another story of self-discovery and love.

Overall, The Guernsey...Society is a lovely story and sentimental in just the right amount. Personally, I didn’t cry or anything. I do know some people who did, though. You know who you are.

Also excellent: it takes no time to read. This earns the whole letter thing another point in my eyes.

Light, charming and sweet. Definitely worth the couple of hours it takes to read:
4 out of 5 stars.

Oracle Night :: Paul Auster

Title: Oracle Night
Author: Paul Auster
Read: May 2009; Madrid
Format: kindle

Oracle Night is yet another one of Auster's lonely-writer, nested-narrative novels.

Suffering from an undetermined illness and recovering from a recent episode, Sidney Orr returns to writing. In his convalescence, he had been filling his days with mundane activities: lunch, errands, etc. However, one day he visits a mysterious stationery store in his Brooklyn neighborhood. There, he purchases a mystical, Portuguese notebook and begins to write after a long drought. The story that Sidney begins to write is complicated and I don't care to recall it. Just know that it begins as an exercise, but then the writing pours out of him and what he creates becomes fuller and darker.

Like much of Auster's writing, Oracle Night concerns itself with the process of writing and the relationship between writer, life, and work.

Auster, to me, is a go-to author when you want to read something substantive, but you don't want to commit a lot of time to it. He's brilliant with mood and meaning; through this he's able to construct layers that are readable and suspenseful, but also challenging. We come to expect this from the author, but Oracle Night took it a little too far, I think. Maybe one layer too many? Maybe we could have dialed back the alienation a bit? Though, maybe that was me. I read this while traveling alone in a foreign city.

Anyway, it was an interesting read. And since it's not much of a time commitment, it's worth picking up. But don't be shocked if you find yourself on the verge of an eye-roll every once in a while.

Captivating and well-paced, with a healthy dose of mystery.

3 out of 5 stars

the no. 1 ladies' detective agency :: alexander mccall smith

Title: The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

Author: Alexander McCall Smith

Publisher: Anchor

Read: June 2009; Madrid, MAD>JFK

Format: Kindle

In sum: The Botswana backdrop and its lively inhabitants are given their first chance to charm you in the pilot of McCall-Smith’s popular mystery series.

I understand why people have latched onto this series. Sort of. The #1 Lady herself, Precious Ramotswe, is a wonderful character, full of sensitivity, warmth and courage. She's experienced loss, heartbreak and abuse. But she not only makes the best of her situation, but is even brave enough to take the risk of opening a Ladies' Detective Agency, her longtime dream.

While business is slow at first, her first cases do allow McCall-Smith to set the geographic and cultural landscape of Mma Ramotswe's Botswana. The mysteries center around adultery, religious zeal, Southern African life, fraud and child abuse. But, the heaviness of these topics is far from dwelled upon. Instead, more time and pages are devoted to painting the scene of Gaborone, telling Prcious' history and developing her lovely and memorable companions. Specifically, her skillful. rigid and hilarious secretary Mma Makutsi breathes incredible life to every scene she is in. Also, the adorable, doting Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni warms the page, even when he doesn't bring excitement.

Great characters and setting aside, I felt the pace of this first installment to be a little too slow for my tastes. What I remember most of the novel is wanting more to happen or, rather, for it to move more quickly. I know it's a little unfair to enjoy the effect of the author's descriptive writing but find its telling tedious, but that's just how it is.

Also unfair: For me, it was hard to observe the Death of This Author and, frankly, I felt funny about this older white man writing in with sing-songy, cartoonish cadence for this Botswanan woman. The whole thing left a vaguely colonialist taste in my mouth, which I recognize to be wholly undeserved, untrue and unfair. Yes, I know he is African. It still felt funny, though.

Sweet. But slow:
2.5 out of 5 stars*


*I keep going back and forth between 2.5 and 3 for this one. The deciding factor? I've had the second book loaded up on my Kindle for months and have not at all been tempted to read it.

gossip girl 1 & 2 :: cecily von ziegesar

Title: Gossip Girl #1: A Novel
Title: Gossip Girl #2: You Know You Love Me
Author: Cecil von Ziegesar
Published: Poppy, 2002
Read: May 2009; Barcelona & Mallou, Spain
Format: Kindle

Before I left for a longish trip this spring, I loaded up my Kindle with what I hoped would keep me entertained on the road. I really like the show, so I thought I'd eat this popular YA series up. I bought the first three, assuming I'd like them at least enough to get through a few short novels.

I gave the series a solid shot by reading the first two installments. Plot-wise, they're pretty thin and I've conflated them in my mind. Basically, an omniscient, anonymous blogger called 'Gossip Girl' exposes the privileged world of Upper East Side Manhattan teens. They're precocious, beautiful and smart. Also, they go to fancy schools and have too much freedom.

This stuff is established:
- Blair Waldorf is bulimic, obsessed with Yale and mad at Serena - I don't remember why
- Serena van der Woodsen is beautiful, oblivious and effortlessly good at everything interesting
- Everyone thinks that Nate is perfect looking, but he is usually stoned and seems like a pretty bad boyfriend (to Blair)
- Vanessa Abrams is a misfit, shaves her head and makes films
- Dan Humphrey is awkwardly intense about Serena and writes her embarassing poetry
- Jenny Humphrey is busty and makes questionable decisions

I didn't finish the prequel (It Had to Be You: The Gossip Girl Prequel), but not because the books were boring or terrible or anything. It's that the show isn't just more entertaining, it's actually much better in every important way: plot, character development, dialogue, setting, etc. I feel like the books don't do anything better than the show does. So really, what's the point, you know?

Some YA books are so clever, well-written or deliciously addictive that they appeal to a wider audience than originally intended. The GG books, or at least these first two, don't fall into that camp. Not a big deal. They weren't intended for me anyway.

Entertaining, but maybe not worth it. Especially if you are a fan of the show. Or if you're older than 15.
3 out of 5 stars.

prep :: curtis sittenfeld

Title: Prep
Author: Curtis Sittenfeld
Publisher: Random House, 2005
Read: May 2009; NYC, Paris, Barcelona
Format: trade paperback

Nutshell: Ambitious in a big-fish-small-pond kind of way, Lee Fiora leaves her middle-class family behind in South Bend, Indiana to attend Ault, a prestigious New England prep school. There, she is confronted with the standard set of teen-angst problems: fitting in, socio-economic differences, crushes, dating and academics. We follow her 4 years at Ault and watch how she stumbles through situations that should change her, but do not.

I rarely meet a book that I absolutely don't like. The predictable and tiresome Prep, though, is an exception to this rule. Here are 5 reasons why:

1. It's character-driven, but I found Lee completely unlikeable.

2. Her unwarranted low self-esteem never eases up. She doesn't ever grow out of it, nor does she seem to want to.

3. The situations she gets into are believable enough, I guess. But the fact that she never learns from them is not. Hello? Lee? Where is your dignity?

4. The most relatable character is Lee's father, who calls her out for what she is: a whiny brat. I resented relating to this middle aged man.

5. I'm not sure what Sittenfeld wants readers to feel about Lee. But I don't think this confusion is some kind of clever or nuanced device. I think that she tries to earn sympathy for Lee through forced empathy - by way of first person perspective - and fails.

It's not like the novel was a total and complete waste of time. Sittenfeld's writing is earnest, emotional and engaging enough. Also, for me, it felt new to read a prep school story told from a girl's point of view. Of course, the girl in question is far from a strong female character and I guess that's ultimately disappointing, too. Prep seems like a wasted opportunity to showcase the evolution of a confused girl into a dignified young woman. In the end, though, it just furthers the stereotype of girls as insipid, whiny and cripplingly insecure.

Overdramatic and angsty. And not in that good way, either.
2 out of 5 stars.

The Brooklyn Follies :: Paul Auster

Title: The Brooklyn Follies
Author: Paul Auster
Read: Nassau, the Bahamas, NYC
Format: kindle

Nathan Glass thinks he's dying so he moves to NY. He reacquaints himself with his estranged, but beloved, nephew Tom. Tom was a promisingly intelligent young man, but has lost his way as well. In the course of rediscovering their relationship, Nathan and Tom figure out how to survive and rebuild with the help of Tom's little niece Lucy, an outrageous book dealer, and a neighborhood woman.

I liked Brooklyn Follies fine, though I can see why fans of the author might not. While Nathan is a classic Auster protagonist - lonely and somehow infirm - there is a lightness and hope (that might be too strong a word) to the novel that is unusual to his work. Purists might find it a stilted departure, but I found it nice. That being said, I wasn't especially moved by it and it was kind of forgettable.

A worthwhile read if you want something quick, but not empty.

3 out of 5 stars

the girl with the dragon tattoo :: stieg larson

Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Author: Stieg Larsson
Publisher: Knopf, 2007 (US translation)
Read: March 2009; NYC
Format: Kindle

In a nutshell:
Swedish journalist and magazine publisher Mikael Blomkvist is hired to investigate the decades-old disappearance and presumed death of Harriet Vanger. Given the tumult in his personal and professional life, and always up for a challenge, Blomkvist agrees to the unusual request. Joining him is 24 year old misanthropic-genius-hacker, Lisbeth Salander. Together, they unearth deeply hidden secrets and justice is ultimately, if not totally legally, doled out.

TGWTDT is part one (of three) in the late Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Series. The trilogy centers around characters at Blomkvist's Millennium magazine and the title character, Lisbeth Salander. Since the author passed away in 2004, the translated US editions will be posthumously released through 2010.

So:
I have to say, it kind of took a while for me to get into this one. It starts out with several complex story lines that, while interesting and easy enough to follow, seemed to take a while in the telling. I found myself losing focus and getting all judge-y, fearing that the novel itself lacked focus. The book is an international sensation, though, so I figured it was probably going to be worth pushing through. A smart gamble, it turns out, because as soon as the separate threads started to gain sight of each other, the novel gripped me, with surprising developments and twists through to the very end.

Plot-wise, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is everything a good crime novel should be: twisty, turny and for the most part unpredictable. I’ll admit that I’m easily duped, but I didn’t know where the story would land pretty much until it was laid out in front of me. And really, isn’t that the best mark of a suspense novel? Also, each branch of the plot is layered with detail upon detail, bringing real life to the story. You could possibly argue that there is too much detail at times - this might be what made the beginning seem so slow to me, after all. I think for the most part, though, that in the end the effect is a better-imagined world with rich and more relatable dimension.

For a plot-driven novel, Larsson satisfyingly develops and executes his primary characters. Salander and Blomkvist, at first come off almost one-dimensionally steadfast and principled. I wondered whether this willfulness would eventually - and banally - lead to their downfall. Thankfully (and again, I shouldn’t have doubted), Larsson cultivates his characters throughout the work, planting a great mix of the realistic and unrealistic. The leads are heroes and victims, moral yet untraditional. The balances are artfully struck and provide the depth that catapults TGWTDT over other suspense novels where plot alone tends to rule.

A sum of many fascinating parts - corporate critique, classic detective novel, suspense thriller and indictment of misogyny - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is definitely a worthwhile read that leaves followers clamoring for the quick translation of volumes 2 & 3.

4 out of 5 stars.

the supreme court :: william h. rehnquist

Title: The Supreme Court
Author: William H. Rehnquist
Publisher: Vintage, 2002
Read: March 2009; NYC
Format: Kindle

The Supreme Court is a well-written, engaging overview of the Supreme Court as told by the conservative, but affable, former judge. Anecdotes from Justice Rehnquist's experiences both on The Bench and as a clerk enliven what would otherwise be a history lesson on significant supreme court cases. While known for his conservatism, Rehnquist manages to keep his accounts fairly, well, fair (duh). He does remain true to his conservative interpretations, but provides a pretty round view on any controversies that pop up.

It takes a strong voice to keep me interested in non-fiction and Justice Rehnquist certainly possesses one. I didn't lose any sleep from reading and I even took some breaks (something I rarely do), but I did always go back. My interest stayed consistently piqued and I learned quite a bit, though mostly about things I should probably have known already anyway. While I did not exactly find it riveting, I think it successfully - and gracefully - delivered on its promise and accomplished what I imagine its ultimate goal was: to enlighten and entertain civilians (non-lawyers) with a mild curiosity about the judicial branch.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

mission statement

first: i’ll read just about anything and i beg you not to judge me, thank you very much.

Reading Comprehension is a repository for what I think about the books i read. through vague (no spoilers!), one-sided exposition, i aim to start conversations about every piece of drivel or literature i consume. sometimes i will write a lot. sometimes i will use bullet points.

a note about the stars: I couldn't think of a better or more clever rating system than 1-5 stars.

1 - hated
2 - didn't like
3 - liked
4 - really liked
5 - loved

enjoy.