Tag Archives: book reviews

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

Posted by melydia on August 31, 2010 None comments

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn: I picked this up because a friend highly recommended it, saying it was one of her favorite books of all time. Basically, the narrator comes across a classified ad in the newspaper advertising a teacher in search of a student with an interest in saving the world. The narrator, who was too young to join the hippie movement but was nonetheless enchanted by their ideals, looks up this teacher out of curiosity. From then on the book is almost entirely their sessions together, learning about the mythology of the “Taker” and “Leaver” cultures, respectively, and how to “save the world”. I alternated between interest in the story and exasperation at the preaching. The ending was too predictable and too convenient, but I’m not sure how else it could have ended. As for the philosophy, well, it certainly wasn’t a life-changing experience for me. I was left with too many questions. Living in harmony with the planet is certainly a worthy endeavor, but never are issues addressed like, for example, travel. Transportation requires a disruption of the natural order: trees and animal habitats must be swept away to lay roads, runways, and rails. Sure, it’s easier to adapt to your surroundings if you never go anywhere, but such isolation also sows xenophobia and superstition. This is not to say we shouldn’t strive to coexist peacefully with the rest of nature, or that it is our right and duty to reshape the world to suit our purposes. Not at all. I just felt that the arguments presented here were incomplete. They also propose that we who have plenty should not aid those suffering from famine and drought. I understand the idea behind it – it will just lead to overpopulation and more famine in the future – but I am not comfortable with the lack of compassion.

All that said, I must give this book high marks for giving me quite a lot to think about. Its insufficient arguments and somewhat ham-fisted narrative style aside, it made me ponder things I’d never even considered in the past. It instilled in me a desire to research the ideas presented in order to form my own opinions on subjects I never knew were up for debate. I certainly recommend it to anyone in search of a thought-provoking read.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Holes by Louis Sachar

Posted by melydia on August 26, 2010 1 comments

Holes by Louis Sachar: Stanley Yelnats is wrongfully convicted of shoe theft and sent to a juvenile detention camp to dig holes in a dry lake bed. Little does he realize, but he is about to be caught up on intertwining stories spanning several generations of his family and friends. Though I figured out how it would end early on, I still had lots of fun getting there. I loved how neatly everything tied together and how realistic most of the characters were, despite their rather silly names, like Armpit and Mr. Sir. I’m not surprised this won so many awards – it does a good job of storytelling without unnecessary conflict or controversy. Thumbs up.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson

Posted by melydia on August 25, 2010 None comments

Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson: I love Moomins. Let me say that up front. They’re sweet and adorable and funny. In this tale, a comet is speeding toward the earth, so Moomintroll and Sniff have to journey to the observatory in the mountains to find out what can be done about it. Along the way they make many friends, and though there is a chronological order to these stories, you don’t need to read them in order. If something’s not explained, it’s probably not important (or purposely mysterious, like the Hattifatteners). The illustrations are darling and I enjoyed every moment of the journey. I love how all the Moomins are so accepting of everyone, no matter how bizarre or unfriendly. One day I hope to read the original comics, but for now I’m plenty happy with the books.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Posted by melydia on August 24, 2010 1 comments

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry: It’s interesting how many novels about the Nazis are written from the point of view of a child. This is no exception: Annemarie is a 10-year-old girl living in 1943 Copenhagen, which Germany invaded years before. Her best friend Ellen is a Jew, and one day her parents flee to avoid “relocation.” Annemarie’s parents take in Ellen and have her pose as their daughter. There’s quite a bit of tension every time the Nazis show up; I doubt I could have been that calm in the face of such danger at that age. Don’t skip the afterword, which explains what parts of the book were based in fact; a surprising amount of details and twists turn out not to be just clever literary devices. It’s a good glimpse of history, and unlike most books written about this time period, I didn’t cry even once. Which was a nice change.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Posted by melydia on August 23, 2010 4 comments

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt: Winnie Foster meets the Tucks, a family accidentally made immortal by a strange spring in the forest. I’m always interested in stories about immortality. Many of the common motifs involve the ability to be killed (Highlander, vampires) or stipulate that the immortality is only as long as the individual is rejuvenated with some sort of elixir of life. Here, the Tucks not only don’t age or get sick, they cannot be killed. Drinking from the spring is completely irreversible, and they will be around until the end of time. Which is a pretty scary prospect, if you think about it, and the dilemma is handled well here. The ending is bittersweet and satisfying. Now I want to go find a toad of my own.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Posted by melydia on August 18, 2010 None comments

Looking for Alaska by John Green: Miles is the new kid at Culver Creek boarding school where he meets the alluring, mysterious, and infuriating Alaska Young and instantly falls for her. The story follows his junior year, with each chapter titled “[such-and-such] Days Before.” This is actually a good technique, because it prepares the reader for The Pivotal Event. I actually predicted it during the second chapter, but knowing what was coming did not detract from its impact. And even with the sad bits, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Miles and his friends drink, swear, smoke, have sex, and pull pranks – in other words, they’re real teenagers. I loved them all, but had a bit of a crush on The Colonel. Part of me wishes I’d read this when I was a teenager (though of course it wasn’t written yet), but the rest of me is glad I got to read it at all. I’m so glad a friend of mine recommended Green (read: shoved the book into my hands). I’ll definitely be seeking out his other works. His characters are so funny, likable, and most importantly real that I just don’t want to let them go, and I’m always ready to meet more of them.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Don’t Know Much About History by Kenneth C. Davis

Posted by melydia on August 17, 2010 None comments

Don’t Know Much About History by Kenneth C. Davis: A friendly question-and-answer format with entertaining answers about American history from Columbus to Clinton. The post-Watergate coverage is pretty slim, but at that point it could probably be assumed that most readers remembered those years clearly. (There is an updated version, but my copy was printed in 1995.) I learned quite a bit about those bits we skipped in school, like the Vietnam and Korean Wars. Though it could not replace a traditional history course, since there is an assumption that you know enough basic information to ask the questions being answered, it is an excellent refresher for those who have long since forgotten the names and dates they learned in school. Like most good popular history books, it brings out the human side of history, turning the names into people and the dates into actions with consequences.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Posted by melydia on August 10, 2010 1 comments

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory: I’d heard of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII and the primary reason for his schism with the Catholic Church. However, I’d never heard of her sister, Mary, who was also the king’s mistress and possibly the mother of two of his children. This book is told from Mary’s point of view, beginning when Anne returns to the English court after spending her childhood in France, and ending at the conclusion of her reign as queen. While Anne is the focal point for much of the book, Mary’s transition from content courtier to distressed mother longing to live in the country with her children was the more compelling story. I was especially moved by her struggle between loyalty and disdain for her family. However, while the plot and description were lovely, the writing was somewhat amateurish. The adverbs in particular got a little tiresome. Almost every single line of dialogue ended with “said somethingly.” She said sweetly, he said irritably. It was distracting. All the same, I got sucked into the political and sexual intrigue of a time obsessed with social standing and royal heirs, every thought laced with ambition and superstition. Even knowing how it must end, I was still held in suspense during those final few chapters. Were the events described completely factual? I have no idea, and it really doesn’t matter. I read historical fiction to get a feel for the time period and the people. If I want names and dates, I’ll read a history book. This was a fun little trip to the past.

Aside: when did “piss” and “shit” become swear words? They show up quite a bit in medieval and Tudor novels. When did “poop” become the more family-friendly term? (I’d Google it but I’m honestly a little afraid what I’d find, totally unrelated to linguistics.)

Also posted on BookCrossing.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Posted by melydia on August 4, 2010 None comments

WG 2010-26 celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

I read this book for the first time in August 2007, and this is what I had to say then:

We did this play in high school; I was called at the last minute to be an extra in the courtroom scene. I remember being struck by the quiet power of the dialogue. Now, over a decade later, I’ve finally read the novel on which it was based and rediscovered that feeling. I’ve found there are very few books that live up to so much hype – recently a group of librarians declared this to be the best book of the 20th century – but this is one of those rare exceptions. It’s thought-provoking and complex while remaining very readable and entertaining. I definitely recommend this book.

This sort of vagueness in a review is common when I am just blown away by a book. I have trouble articulating specific aspects when the whole thing is done so well.

Harper Lee herself no longer gives interviews, but CNN was talking to one of her friends not long ago and evidently her reason for never writing another book was because she could never top TKAM.

And she’s probably right.

The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight by Gina Ochsner

Posted by melydia on August 2, 2010 2 comments

The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight by Gina Ochsner: Um. Well, this takes place in post-Soviet Russia, and is more or less about three widows – an Eastern Orthodox Christian, a Muslim, and a Jew – who all live in the same condemned apartment building with their children. Christian Lukeria torments her overweight granddaughter Tanya who spends a lot of her time obsessing over clouds and colors; Muslim Azade learns people’s secrets by smelling their excrement and worries over where she went wrong with her son Vitek; Jewish Olga frets over the fate of her idiot son Yuri and his selfish girlfriend Zoya. Also, there’s a gaggle of feral children running around. The book begins with the suicide of Mircha, Azade’s husband, whose ghost shows up soon after to cause mischief. Much of the actual plot revolves around the local museum where Yuri, Zoya, and Tanya all work. None of the exhibits are originals, and in fact most were created by Tanya herself out of candy wrappers and glue. However, when the possibility arises of a grant from some wealthy Americans, the entire apartment building is in a tizzy. The ending is happy – more or less – though it feels forced and borders on deus ex machina. This is the sort of novel where you have to just absorb things as they come and not approach it expecting some sort of coherent storyline. Mostly it’s about a group of characters, and much of the book is spent explaining their personalities, motivations, and histories. And that’s usually fine by me, except that this time around everyone was so exceptionally screwed up that I couldn’t muster the least bit of sympathy for any of them. Perhaps another reader would find it darkly humorous but mostly I was just glad when it was over.

Also posted on BookCrossing.
Read as part of the Books Won Reading Challenge.

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