review :: Summer Crossing

 Summer Crossing

Summer Crossing is a book I have had on my bookshelf for years after I my aunt gave me her duplicate copy. In between book club books, I needed a short read. So I picked up Summer Crossing, not having read any of Capote's other works. I didn't realize until after I had finished that the book was the first novel he wrote--although the last to be published.

Truman Capote is a great writer. Even this first book, which the author himself abandoned at one point in time, showcases his talent. I did not love the story, but it was intriguing. It's coming-of-age, meets class-conflict, meets love story meets tragic ending. And all in just six chapters.

The main character, Grady McNeil, reminds me, in some ways, of Undine Spragg in Wharton's The Custom of the Country. You can just see the irrevocable spiraling out of control in her decisions and choices during a whirlwind summer.

The ending is abrupt and leaves one wondering. I can't help but think what Capote may have changed and added had he had the change to truly revise and refine the story before his death.

All in all I enjoyed the writing style and voice and liked it well enough to read some of his more well-known works in the future.

review :: The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner

Khalid Hosseini

The Kite Runner had been on my to-read list for a while, so when I joined my facecbook book club I was more than happy with the book of choice for the month of August.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a compelling view of a world I know nothing of--Afghanistan, class issues, and immigration. I did, however, find that the story itself carried this book heavily, as the writing was not spectacular. At times, it was almost soap opera-esque with some of the dramatic surprises and progression of ill-fated events. I also found Amir's adult character in the second half of the book somewhat unsatisfying; it was difficult to connect the adult Amir with the child Amir. His character seemed to change. 

Relationship of varying kinds is explored--father/son, friend/friend, mentor/mentee, enemy/enemy, man/woman--and the various nuances and challenges of loving, longing, and scorning. Hosseini employs contrast to create interest and add layers to this story, most noticeably in the portrayal of Amir and Baba's journey and adjustment to life in America.

Both eye-opening and heartbreaking, Hosseini has crafted a thought-provoking and enlightening contemporary novel. 

review :: The Enchantress of Florence

The Enchantress of Florence

Salman Rushdie

This was a surprisingly slow read for me. I did not love this book, nor did I hate it. It was okay. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had started reading the book in a different setting and mindset. When I started The Enchantress of Florence, it was on a long plane ride home to San Diego, and I was tired. I read too much too fast. In the end, I had a difficult time keeping track of the characters, events, and time lines.

Rushdie has an interesting writing style--he writes to divert, but the reader cannot simply sit back, read, and be diverted. The reader must be present and fully engaged. Full of fantasy, myth, and magic, The Enchantress of Florence is a lovely story, and intricately woven.

The intersection of cultures of the East and West in the 16th century made for a great historical backdrop, and the book was full of historical characters: Niccolò Machiavelli, the great Medici dynasty, even Vlad Dracula made an appearance! However, I did not find myself drawn in to the settings like I hoped. 

Overall, I found the story imaginative and clever, intriguing enough for me to read more of Rushdie, although not as good as I anticipated.

review :: The Historian

The Historian

Elizabeth Kostova

Intriguing. Compelling. Intricate. All three words describe The Historian. Elizabeth Kostova has created a fascinating blend of fact and fantasy, weaving the (true) historical roots of the living, breathing Vlad Dracula and the mythical persistent existence of the vampire legend.

There were some telling indications that this was a debut novel. I thought there were a few character flaws where some of the characters made some choices or actions that didn't quite seem to match up with who they really were. For example, the main female character, Helen, is a stiff, aloof, austere Eastern European. It seemed her warming up to Paul (the main male character), her receipt of his affections, and the return of her own was a bit abrupt for her reserved personality.

That aside, the complexity of the story was impressive. This is good storytelling, and it goes deep, layer after layer. I was interested to see how Kostova would draft a modern vampire story, and she did it well. It is not quite terrifying and graphic like Dracula, but nor is it trite, and there are definite moments to make one hold their breath.

Kostova packed this full-length novel with an amazing trail of history and travel across Eastern Europe, and she pulls it off without being too academic.

Overall, a great read, especially for anyone who finds the Dracula legend interesting. There were moments in the writing that I felt a real kinship with Kostova; I think our styles are similar, and that makes me want to read more of her. I'll definitely be picking up a copy of The Swan Thieves at some point in the near future.

review :: A Woman in Berlin

A Woman in Berlin

Anonymous

Admittedly, I usually do not read the front matter of a book, even though I know it is there for a perfectly good reason--to enhance the reading experience!

A Woman in Berlin is prefaced by a foreword, an introduction, and a translator's note. I read all three before diving into the book itself, and I'm really glad I did. Without having done so I would have missed out on some of the social and cultural context surrounding the events. I did not know, for example, that German women were not supposed to discuss the reality of rape--it was seen as shameful.  

I purchased this book while going through a World War II reading phase, during which I read The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman (a graphic novel) and Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi, both of which I would recommend.

Stones from the River was the first World War II book I had read that was written from the point of view of a German. While I of course knew that not every German followed and believed in Hitler's regime, it had never occurred to me to sympathize for them. They were victims too.  That realization is what made me really want to read more from that perspective about this epic event in world history.

A Woman in Berlin is not a gripping tale. It is a diary of eight weeks in the Russian-conquered city of Berlin during the spring of 1945, and as such, it is brutal and honest and personal. The author was a journalist, pre- and post-war. Her powers of observation come shining through in her accounts of what transpired to her and her neighbors during the Russian occupation. Full of courage and intellect, this is a poignant and personal portrayal of the effects of war and defeat, a stunning glimpse of what humanity is capable of surviving.

There are some heartbreakingly vulnerable comments in the diary, as well as evident moments of gumption, so that you truly do get a feel for who this woman was and what she was like. I did find myself wondering, after I reached the end, what happened to her  and in her life after the diary. That sense of mystery is just one of the alluring threads that keeps this story alive in your mind long after you've closed the cover.

review :: The Birth of Venus

The Birth of Venus

Sarah Dunant

The Birth of Venus takes place in 15th-century Florence and begins just at the fall of the Medici reign of power. This novel is not magnificently-written and there are some character flaws. I mostly enjoyed the story because of the time period and the profusion of art history.

The book has nothing to do with the Botticelli painting for which it is named--although it is mentioned in the story. Rather, it is metaphorical as the story follows the coming-of-age of a14-year-old Alessandra Cecchi during a time of great unrest and transformation in the lavish city.

I appreciated the blending of historical characters and event with the fictional characters and plot created by Dunant. The appearances of such recognizable people as Lorenzo de Medici,  Sandro Botticelli, and Michelangelo are subtle and appropriate.

There are several surprise turning points throughout that keep the plot unpredictable and it's not overwhelmingly feministic--which I was wary of once I started getting to know Alessandra's character. Overall, this was a satisfying read, and I would recommend it for people who are interested in the time period and enjoy art history.

review :: Kafka on the Shore

Kafka on the Shore

Haruki Murakami

Kafka on the Shore is a compelling and intriguing story guided by haunting characters and a complex intertwining of lives, time, and memories. The translation was fantastic and the writing reads as seamlessly as if Murakami had written it in English first. 

Murakami definitely pushes the boundaries of time and reality and leaves much up to the reader for contemplation. There are many elements to the story and a strong dose of the metaphysical, making this a book that could be read and pondered several times in reflection on some its deeper meanings, implications, and themes.

There are lots of layers to peel and examine in this riveting tale, but the reader who does not enjoy magical realism and the suspension of belief would not appreciate Murakami's unique style. 

review :: East of Eden

East of Eden

John Steinbeck

I really, really enjoy Steinbeck's writing. A lot. I expected much from East of Eden, as several of my friends have read it over the last couple of years and raved. I was not disappointed. 

East of Eden is truly epic. The story follows the lives of two families--the Trasks and the Hamiltons--and their helpless portrayal of fallen mankind. With mesmerizing characters, Steinbeck illustrates for us the age-old questions and mysteries of existence, love beyond comprehension, and the fatal tragedy of love's absence. 

On top of brilliant characters, the setting of Salinas Valley is alive and animated, and paints a rich backdrop for this modern retelling of the Biblical book of Genesis.

One of my favorite passages comes from Sam Hamilton, talking about his crotchety old horse, Doxology:

Everything was wrong with him, hoofs like flapjacks, a hock so thick and short and straight there seems no joint at all. He's hammerheaded and swaybacked. He has a pinched chest and a big behind. He has an iron mouth and he still fights the crupper. With a saddle he feels as though you were riding a sled over a gravel pit. He can't trot and he stumbles over his feet when he walks. I have never in thirty-three years found one good thing about him. He even has an ugly disposition. To this day I don't dare walk behind him because he will surely take a kick at me. When I feed him mash he tries to bite my hand. And I love him.

I was really pleased with the way the story ended. Steinbeck does not tie everything up and trim the frayed edges. It almost ends in media res. You just know that the characters are going to continue on living and struggling to live and make right choices and experience everything that human existence has to offer.

review :: Dracula

Dracula

Bram Stoker 

One of the most interesting things about Dracula is that the word "vampire" is not used in regard to humans--or what Dr. Van Helsing refers to as the Undead-- until nearly the end of the book. The only mention of it until then is in reference to vampire bats.  I found this most intriguing. It really added to the sense of mystery and dark dread surrounding the fearsome creature.

The entire story is told through letters, journal entries from the various points of view of the protagonists, and a few newspaper clippings. This was done very well; seamlessly, in fact. I sometimes have a difficult time reading the diary or journal entry portions of novels, but the prose Stoker created reads story-like throughout.

From the beginning, I was a very curious how this tale would play out. The first quarter of the book consists of Jonathan Harker's travel to Castle Dracula on business and his slow discovery of who Count Dracula is and of his own imprisonment in the castle. His experiences are ghastly. When the story moves from Harker's journal to his fiancee's letters to a friend, I wondered where it was going, or how the letters and the fate of Jonathan Harker would tie together. One thing you never find out in the story is how Jonathan Harker escapes Count Dracula and his castle in the first place...I do wish that had been included. I thought he was a goner.

This gothic novel is scary as all get out! I have already admitted that I had to stop reading it before going to sleep at night--which is when I do most of my reading. I definitely had a few disturbing nights of rest, thanks to Stoker's gruesome tale. The plot kept me breathless at moments with its intensity.

While its main theme is horror, I found that Dracula is also a love story. Woven into the plot are threads of love--both requited and un--sacrifice, and bereavement for what (and who) is lost. And no vampire is any match for those fighting for redemption and release of those they hold dearest.

So much has been written or made into film on the vampire theme since Dracula was released in 1897. Today's vampire has been hugely romanticized. I have to say, there is nothing appealing, romantic, or sexy about Count Dracula.

See what I mean?

Not having read the Twilight Series, or seen either of the movies, or watched any of the vampire-related shows on television (The Vampire Diaries or True Blood), I cannot offer any true insight. All I can say is that we have come a long way from our introduction to the vampire as a mythological being who feeds on life essence.

Would I recommend Dracula? Yes...but it is not for the faint of heart!

review :: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

J. K. Rowling

Most impressive is how Rowling managed to weave together everything from the previous six books (six years, in Harry's life) for a seamless conclusion. Every question you ever had during the series is answered in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I don't want to give the story away to anyone who may not have read it, so I will spare details. I had my own suspicions about how I thought certain things would turn out, but Rowling's masterful storytelling kept me second-guessing myself. I found I was right about certain aspects of some things, but there were many surprises, along the way.

The end of the story is quite profound--theologically and morally. In my review of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince I mentioned that I thought it was the most grown-up of the series to that point, and this seventh book is on par with that maturity, with an almost spiritual motif.

It is the classic tale of good versus evil, of sacrifice and redemption--a story that never grows old no matter how many times it is told.

I did not expect to be so impressed with the Harry Potter series, but I see why it is so wildly popular, and congratulate J. K. Rowling on her vision for an extraordinary story, and the creativity with which to erect it. She truly earned the right to become a bestselling author. I would, and will, read this series again. And probably again after that. And again after that.

review :: Mansfield Park

Mansfield Park

Jane Austen

I must admit, this is not my favorite novel of Austen's. It was difficult for me to feel any attachment to the characters, because I found them all--each in their own unique way--rather annoying. Even Fanny Price, the protagonist, was vexing. She was too much of a push-over, too yielding, too timid. Granted, she did stand firm in her decision to turn down a marriage proposal to a man whose morals she found to be wanting. But I found myself more exasperated with her than empathizing with her.

In the last chapter of the book, Austen switches the point of view from omniscient narrator to intrusive author. This chapter summarizes what happens to each character following the circumstances in which they have found themselves. We never read the story of Edmund realizing he could actually love Fanny. We do not hear or see him declare his feelings or request her hand. Austen simply tells us that it has happened. I was a bit put out about this. I wanted to see Edmund and Fanny come together, not hear about it.

I feel terrible to admit it, but I think I liked the movie better.

review :: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

J. K. Rowling

This sixth installment in the Harry Potter series is the most "grown-up" of the books so far. Perhaps it is because Harry Potter himself and his comrades are coming of age--growing up, dating, trying to make decisions about their futures, and coming to grips with the reality of a dangerous world gone wrong. I think there may be more to it than just that though. Rowling's writing steadily adapts to her older audience throughout the novels, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a great illustration of that.

The story was both engaging and somehow tragic. Darker than its predecessors, the novel shows more of the precarious balance between good and evil, right and wrong.

I am left in anticipation of reading the next book in the series, and alternately saddened that I've almost reached the end.

review :: People of the Book

People of the Book

Geraldine Brooks

What I enjoy most about this book is the journey the reader takes, following the story of the Sarajevo Haggadah backwards, centuries in time, to its strange origin.

Throughout the novel, we see the haggadah come to life through the eyes of Hanna (the present-day protagonist). However, the reader is privy to its birth and development--steps of history on which Hanna can only speculate and guess.

By the end of the novel, only the reader knows the true and full story of the Sarajevo Haggadah. I found myself wanting to tell Hanna. I wished that I could step into the pages of the book and say, "I know what happened! Let me fill you in." Brooks created a character that I cared about and felt connected to.

I give this book four stars. The writing style was not necessarily my favorite, but the story and characters were brilliant. This is a novel I would recommend, especially to anyone who enjoys history.