Category Archives: book reviews

Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto

Posted by melydia on November 5, 2008 None comments

Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto: This is the true story, told as a graphic novel, of a NYC cartoonist and her battle with breast cancer. She is diagnosed mere weeks before her wedding to restauranteur Silvano Marchetto, and between that, her job, and the constant nuisance of models hitting on her fiance, things start to get a little harried. The comic format lends levity when needed, but never detracts from the serious parts. Since Marchetto describes every excruciating step of her diagnosis and treatment in great detail, I learned a lot about the process. My mom had breast cancer a few years ago (she survived and is doing fine now, thank goodness), but since I was living 700 miles away at the time I didn’t really experience it first-hand. I don’t usually like reading survivor stories, but this one was pleasantly non-glurgy, even if I couldn’t always relate to her fashionista tendencies. This is something I would urge all women to read, especially those dealing with a recent diagnosis. It’s funny and touching and ultimately uplifting.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

Posted by melydia on November 4, 2008 1 comments

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson: To be perfectly frank, I don’t get it. The story begins with a man named Hackworth creating an interactive primer for his young daughter, but before he can give it to her he is mugged by a gang of boys. One of these boys grabs the book and brings it home for his little sister, Nell. The book itself is awesome: interactive, multifunctional, and just all around nifty. I wish I had one. Unfortunately, after this things start getting confusing. Hackworth lives with a group called the Drummers, who share a collective consciousness and have a lot of orgies. Then there’s this group called the Fists of Righteous Harmony who start making trouble, and then there are a quarter of a million little Chinese girls getting together, and then there’s this mysterious group called Cryptnet… Part of me feels what I’ve felt when reading other Stephenson books: that while he’s excellent at world-building, he’s not so hot at endings. There’s also a possibility that I’m simply not smart enough to appreciate his work. I’m fine with that. I was kind of surprised at how meh I felt about the latter half of this book, since I enjoyed Snow Crash and Zodiac so much, but perhaps this marks a turning point in his writing. The next book he wrote was Cryptonomicon, on which I gave up after 250 pages. I guess I should stick with Stephenson’s older works from now on.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Posted by melydia on October 24, 2008 3 comments

Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon: The gorgeous governess Lucy marries the much older and wealthier Sir Michael Audley, much to the dismay of his daughter Alicia. Michael’s nephew Robert visits with his recently widowed friend George Talboys, who then mysteriously disappears. I was a little disappointed when I figured out the titular secret in the second chapter, but as I read on I discovered that solving that mystery is not the point of the book. This story is not a whodunit so much as it about the battle of wits between Robert and Lucy, all carefully kept within the bounds of Victorian propriety.

I am usually wary of so-called “classics”, after so many bleary-eyed attempts in school to discover the symbolism and hidden truths lurking somewhere between the lines, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover Braddon was a writer of thrillers for the general public. The footnotes in this particular edition were especially helpful given the large number of pop culture references. These take away from any timelessness this story might have had, but it was still fun to watch Robert connecting the dots and building up evidence.

Robert is an intriguing character as he makes the slow transformation from lazy trust fund kid to passionate mystery solver. Alicia is delightfully obnoxious as well. The ending did not impress me much – it felt too neat, especially the final word on George Talboys’s disappearance – but after hundreds of pages of build-up I suppose there wasn’t much else to be done. It felt almost as if Braddon had written herself into a corner. All the same, it was a pleasant way to pass the time, if not a terribly memorable story.

Also posted on Blog a Penguin Classic and BookCrossing.

SCUM Manifesto by Valerie Solanas

Posted by melydia on October 21, 2008 None comments

SCUM Manifesto by Valerie Solanas: Why are manifestos so often written by crazies? This 50-page anti-male screed by the woman most famous for shooting Andy Warhol is, well, kind of hard to read. I can ignore the man hatred – that’s a matter of opinion – but many of her suggestions for improving the world are simply batty. First, that her notion of communism would work. It’s inconceivable that all the people of the world would work together towards Solanas’s idea of the common good. Second, “automation” does not mean zero work. Machines must be created and maintained. (Of course, I suppose Solanas would expect men to take care of this.) Third, old age is not a disease, and scientists do not hold the secret to immortality. That’s patently absurd. If they did, don’t you think these supposedly selfish and insecure men would have made themselves immortal by now? So in short, while this was a reasonably entertaining read in parts purely for the novelty factor, it’s not something I would recommend. They’re not dangerous ideas, merely nonsensical ones.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Steering the Craft by Ursula K. LeGuin

Posted by melydia on October 3, 2008 None comments

Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin: The structure of this book is quite simple but surprisingly useful. Each chapter covers a certain aspect of writing (point of view, description, dialogue, etc.), beginning with a brief overview, giving sample passages from other works, and ending with an exercise. The exercise comes with critiquing suggestions for those writing in groups and things to consider for those working alone. The occasional opinion essay comes up now and again, always labeled as such, so you know when you’re learning a rule and when you’re just getting another angle on the topic. I admit I didn’t actually do any of the exercises, but they were interesting and worthy. Much better than your standard “describe your morning routine” exercises that show up in most writing books. I also felt like I was being treated like an adult. Le Guin is not taking you by the hand here; she is showing you the path. There is no talk of publication or rejection letters, nothing about recapturing your creativity or affirming your right to write. This book was clearly not written for people looking to write a bestselling novel or take up a brand new hobby. It is, in short, a book for people who enjoy writing and would like to do so better. Would that more writing books were of this calibre.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Stiff by Mary Roach

Posted by melydia on October 1, 2008 None comments

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach: My mother and grandmother, who enjoy reading violent thrillers, were both completely disgusted by the mere title of this book. That amused me.

And while I admit that the chapter on decay turned me into a vegetarian for a day, by and large the descriptions of the various fates that befall our bodies after death were occasionally disturbing, often hilarious, and yet never irreverent. I’d never given much thought to the process of embalming or cremation, much less the history of the funerary business in general. This book certainly was an educational experience in terms of cadaver research as well. I admit that before this book I’d never considered donating my body to science, but it sounds like an interesting idea. However, I agree with the author: ultimately, the fate of my body rests with the loved ones who survive me. If it bothers them to know I’m going to end up in some anatomy class, they’re the ones who will have to live with it, not me. Ending up as part of live-saving research or garden compost hold their appeal, but giving closure to my friends and family is far more important. After all, I won’t know the difference.

In short, I give this book a thumbs up for giving me all kinds of new things to think about. Definitely recommended.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Nation by Terry Pratchett

Posted by melydia on September 15, 2008 None comments

Nation by Terry Pratchett: A tidal wave wipes out the entire population of the island, leaving only two people: the native Mau, who was in a canoe at the time, and the English girl Daphne, who was on a ship that plowed into the island. What begins as tragedy turns into a story of hope and laughter. Refugees from neighboring islands trickle in, and slowly the Nation is reborn. Though this was not half as funny as the back cover promised, it was a fun read and brought up some interesting questions and religion and science. The epilogue, however, felt unnecessary. It did nothing for the story and made the ending seem somehow less satisfying. But otherwise it’s a fine story.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

Posted by melydia on August 29, 2008 None comments

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant: This is not a book I would have ordinarily picked up. I’d heard it was kind of like Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, but it’s really not at all. Yes, it’s about a woman and a painter in Europe, but that’s about where the similarity ends. In truth, I have no idea where the title comes from, except that it’s a famous painting from the same era. Anyway, this is the life story of Alessandra Cecchi, an unusually well-educated Florentine woman in the Renaissance. Her whole life she has dreamed of becoming an artist, but such things are not considered proper for a woman. Though she is irresistibly drawn to a painter hired to paint her family’s chapel, her parents marry her off to a much older man. At the same time, the brutally fundamentalist monk Savonarola has come to power, bringing terror to the city under the guise of piety.

This is an extremely passionate and graphic book. Everything is described in vivid detail, from the violence to the sex to the art. If you can handle the mental images, this is a marvelously written story. Alessandra is a believable and sympathetic narrator, progressive and intelligent without being anachronistic. The story is compelling, sometimes suspenseful, often thought-provoking. There were times when I had a lot of trouble putting it down. I will definitely be looking up Dunant’s other works.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Waiting for Gertrude by Bill Richardson

Posted by melydia on August 7, 2008 None comments

Waiting for Gertrude by Bill Richardson: Many famous people are buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. This book is written with the idea that the feral cats roaming the grounds are actually the reincarnations of the graves’ residents. The plot revolves around Alice B. Toklas as she waits for the reincarnation of Gertrude Stein to arrive. In the meantime there are side dramas involving Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Sarah Bernhardt, Chopin, and many more. I believe I would have gotten more out of this had I been more familiar with the works and attitudes of the characters in real life (Stein in particular), but it was still an enjoyable and very quick read.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Posted by melydia on July 15, 2008 None comments

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux: I get the distinct impression that had this book not been made into a fabulously popular musical, it would have been largely forgotten. The writing is largely dreadful, with long passages of dialogue consisting mainly of people repeating themselves and each other. Meh.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

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