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#270 ~ America America
America America
Published by: Random House
Published on: May 2009
Page Count: 496
Genre: Literary Fiction
My Reading Format: Hardcover given to me as a gift by one of my closest friends, Kristin (can’t wait to see you next month!)
Available Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook, audiobook
My Review
Corey Sifter grew up in a working class family in New York state. There was nothing special about his earlier life other than that he had the good fortune to grow up in town founded by the Metarey family. The city was now virtually run by Metarey’s son, Liam. Liam is a kind-hearted and generous man. One day in the early 1970s, while Corey was helping his father extricate some clogged piping from twisted tree roots, Liam took notice of the young man and ultimately offered him a summer job on the grounds of his estate. There, he gets to know the Metarey family, especially his daughters Christian and Clara. Corey and Christian hit it off as friends nearly immediately. Clara seemed to have almost the opposite reaction to him. Throughout that summer, Liam grows more confident in Corey’s abilities and eventually asks him to help out with Senator Bonwiller’s campaign to be the Democratic candidate for president against Richard M. Nixon. The impact of Matarey’s mentor-ship and Corey’s role in the Bonwiller campaign matures him and, although he doesn’t fully understand all that was involved, sets the direction of his life.
I’m not one to enjoy novels about modern day politics. I get tired of all the news of the day and the calls to participate in surveys that I really don’t care to deal with it on my own time. A good friend of mine gave it to me as a Christmas present a couple of years ago. It’s for the best that I didn’t investigate this book more before reading it. I might not have. There was much more to it than evil Republicans and Communist Democrats. Still, when I finished it, my overall opinion was lukewarm. After discussing it with Michelle from My Books. My Life., however, I began to see it in a new way. It’s caused me to think a great deal about the roll of the politician as messenger and ambassador. Mostly, it brings to light the importance of telling the next generation our stories. Just as we learn through our own personal experiences, humanity as a whole can learn from those who have gone before them.
I spent a good deal of time comparing Senator Bonwiller with some of Ted Kennedy’s less heroic moments. Had there not been more to this story, I might have been tempted to put it down. In the end, it was the characters who stood out for me that made all of the difference. Trieste and Mr. McGower were great characters, as minor as they may have been. Trieste is a reminder of what is so wonderful about being young, with your entire life ahead of you. Mr. McGower are reminders of what is wonderful about your average, hard working American. It was nice to get a taste of the innocent and the honorable amidst the powerful and corrupt.
I’ll probably never be this novel’s champion because of the subject matter. I would suggest it for those who enjoy reading about politics and for those in book clubs. If your group is in the mood for something a bit more serious, I don’t think you can go wrong. Conversation about the story made all of the difference for me. [If you missed Michelle's post about our discussion yesterday, check it out.]
Other Voices
Devourer of Books
Lit and Life
#269 ~ Cutting for Stone
Cutting for Stone
Published by: Vintage
Published on: January, 2010 (paperback)
Page Count: 688
Genre: Literary Fiction / Historical Fiction
My Reading Format: A paperback copy that I purchased for myself from Powell’s.
Available Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook, audiobook
Synopsis from the Publisher
A sweeping, emotionally riveting first novel—an enthralling family saga of Africa and America, doctors and patients, exile and home.
Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon at a mission hospital in Addis Ababa. Orphaned by their mother’s death in childbirth and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. Yet it will be love, not politics—their passion for the same woman—that will tear them apart and force Marion, fresh out of medical school, to flee his homeland. He makes his way to America, finding refuge in his work as an intern at an underfunded, overcrowded New York City hospital. When the past catches up to him—nearly destroying him—Marion must entrust his life to the two men he thought he trusted least in the world: the surgeon father who abandoned him and the brother who betrayed him.
An unforgettable journey into one man’s remarkable life, and an epic story about the power, intimacy, and curious beauty of the work of healing others.
My Review
It took me roughly a month to read Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. This isn’t because it was difficult to read nor is this a statement about the novel’s length. I had a couple of reading obligations going on during that time period and, quite frankly, my desire to read and my capacity has been rather low as of late. Still, I was determined to read something from my own shelf as well. As it turns out, this was the perfect pace for this novel. I found that I could leave Marion and his story and then come back and get involved again easily. In this way, I was able to savor Cutting for Stone. It was a really great experience.
There is so much that I could talk about in my review, so I’ll discuss what stood out for me the most and has stayed with me the longest – the similarities between members of the Stone family and the Holy Family.
- It was no coincidence that Marion and Shiva’s mother’s name was Mary and that she, as a nun, was a bride of Christ. Although we get to know her a little bit while she’s traveling to Africa, she’s shrouded in mystery nearly from the moment she lands there until the day she delivers the twins. After death, she becomes mythical. Her presence is never far from the Theater in which she died.
- It is also significant to me that Sr. Mary Jospeh Praise was an indispensable assistant to Missing’s lone surgeon, Dr. Stone. In that position, he wasn’t far removed from a god there. Then, to have him attempt to destroy his own creation in order to save his helpmate was shocking, especially when he fails on all accounts. Is it no wonder that he deserts his people at Missing and runs away from his failure? It’s both Adam and God fleeing Eden.
- I could not help but associate Ghosh to Joseph. After so long, he finally realizes that he loves Hema, only to find that she’s adopted Marion and Shiva. While he may not have chosen fatherhood in this manner any more than he chose to become a surgeon, he was a model father. Instead of cursing events beyond his control that change the course of his life, he accepts his fate with peace and love.
- Likewise, there are parallels that could be made between Jesus and Marion. He may have been named after a famous gynecological surgeon, but his name always reminded me of Mary. Shiva was not as obviously connected to me, but there were glimpses within his character as well. I do not wish to mention specific scenes, but there are times when I was reminded of Jesus as he draws in the dirt while being asked the fate of the adulterer, of Jesus and the women in his life, and of Jesus dealing with the money lenders in the temple.
Cutting for Stone paints a vivid picture of life in Ethiopia leading up to and including the Ethiopian Revolution. The story’s undercurrents and religious parallels have kept me thinking from the moment I first picked up the book. Could I have read this book from cover to cover if I had had the time? I most certainly could have and would have. In the end, I’m thankful that I couldn’t. This novel was worth every moment of the month I spent with it.
Other Voices
You know what I think. Why not see what other bloggers are saying?
The Boston Bibliophile
Rhapsody in Books
The Book Lady’s Blog
S. Krishna’s Books
Farm Lane Books
Booking Mama
Educating Petunia
WordLily
A Guy’s Moleskin Notebook
Fizzy Thoughts
Brimful Bookshelves
#264 ~ The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
Published by: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published on: May 25, 2010
Page Count: 576
Genre: Thriller / Mystery
My Reading Format:An audiobook purchased using an Audible.com credit
Available Formats:Hardcover, audiobook, eBook
FYI: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest contains some graphic sex and violence. This review will contain some references to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire. I will keep those to the minimum.
My Review
This must have been one of the most anticipated novels of my lifetime – at least my recent lifetime. After first reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo following immediately by The Girl Who Played With Firelast year, “What happens next?” was never really that far from my mind. I gush about books with the best of them, but this series has a hook in me like no other. Lisbeth Salander is a heroine like no other and is a great compliment to Mikeal Blomkvist personality. I don’t really think that Mikeal would have made such an impression on me without the way he welcomed a misfit like Lisbeth into his personal and professional life. Likewise, Lisbeth needs the dose of reality and trust in humanity that Mikeal brings into her life. When The Girl Who Played With Fireleft off with Mikeal finally finding Lisbeth near death with gunshots in her hip and head, I wasn’t sure I could stand the wait. Receiving an ARC out of the blue didn’t help matters, either. After listening to Simon Vance narrate the first two novels, I decided that I would indeed wait until the official release date. I survived the long wait and I must say that the eager anticipation was rewarded and, in fact, helped to enhance the experience.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest is a different novel. Instead of the action packed mysteries in the first two novels, Hornet’s Nestis slower and more deliberate in its pacing. It is the culmination of Lisbeth and Mikeal’s involvement in the murders of Dag Svensson and Mia Johansson. What begins is a case against Lisbeth becomes an indictment of the Swedish government and legal system. Full of procedure and conspiracy, I was in heaven throughout. In addition to the main storyline, Erika Berger’s character was explored more deeply in a creepy plot that made me realize just how much I cared about her. Stieg Larsson was most definitely building up to this point in the story and I am sad that I may never know what else he intended.
Of the new characters introduced in The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, Anders Jonasson was my favorite. He is the surgeon who saved Lisbeth’s life and, against his better judgement and initial intentions, becomes one of her strongest allies. His character illustrated how, when people look at one another objectively, the truth shines through without the facts. He is essential to Lisbeth in many ways, but it is in his professional care and concern that she is able to learn to trust another human being again. That he is a doctor is not insignificant. His character is in direct contrast to Peter Teleborian.
Now that I’ve finished the complete series, I am amazed at Stieg Larsson’s imagination and knowledge. I am not certain if Reg Keeland translated all three novels into English at one time, but Larsson’s tone and dialog are consistent throughout. I sure I can’t comprehend the talent that alone required. This will not be the first time that I’ve said this, but Simon Vance was absolutely perfect as the narrator of this series. He brought each and every character to life. I have no doubt that my initial frustration with Swedish names and places would have easily been overcome by the story had I chosen to read this series in print. I feel fortunate to have stumbled upon the audiobooks instead. When I pick up the print copies and read passages, it is Simon Vance’s voice that I hear. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
My Final Thoughts
In my review of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I compared Lisbeth Salander to Scarlett O’Hara. The two women and the two novels could not be more different, but they have the same impact on me. As Hornet’s Nest came to an end, I felt the same way about the ending of Gone with the Wind. The very last sentence has sat with me ever since, full of meaning and promise. Just as with Scarlett and Rhett’s fate, Lisbeth’s and Mikeal’s future is wide open. While I might very well be tempted for the first time to read fan fiction based on this series, I also relish the time I know I’ll spend once again pondering “What happens next?” The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest immediately made me want to begin the adventure all over again. As with Gone with the Wind, I’m sure that my opinions will sharpen and change with each reread.
*******
Be sure to come back to The Literate Housewife Review tomorrow for my exclusive interview with Simon Vance! In addition to getting to know him and his process, you’ll also have the opportunity to win one of three sets of two free audiobooks from Audible.com!
#256 ~ Legends of a Suicide
Legend of a Suicide
Published by: HarperCollins
Published on: March, 2010
Page Count: 240
Genre: General Fiction
My Reading Format: Review copy sent from the publisher
Available Formats: Paperback, eBook
To Keep In Mind: There is a section in one of the stories that contains extremely graphic imagery that may make some readers uncomfortable.
Today it is my great pleasure to be David Vann’s host on his TLC Book Tour for his novel, Legend of a Suicide.
I have a lot of fun working as a tour host for TLC Book Tours. They always have great books and authors on tour. Check out their website for more information on this tour and the others that they are hosting.
Synopsis from the Publisher
In semiautobiographical stories set largely in David Vann’s native Alaska, Legend of a Suicide follows Roy Fenn from his birth on an island at the edge of the Bering Sea to his return thirty years later to confront the turbulent emotions and complex legacy of his father’s suicide.
My Review
Legends of a Suicide is a collection of short stories revolving around the suicide death of a young boy’s father and its aftermath. Given the subject matter and that I don’t typically enjoy short stories, I knew I was taking a risk when I agreed to take part in this TLC Book Tour. What I found was that the subject matter and short story format worked well. Roy is a young boy in early adolescence when his father commits suicide. The stories leading up to a trip with him and his father into the Alaskan wilderness do jump around in time, but this made sense. He was trying to piece together the story of his father’s life and what that means to him.
Despite my understanding of why the stories about living with his mother and about his father’s second ex-wife didn’t seem connected, I didn’t really connect with Roy or the book until the novella, which tells of Roys time living alone with his father in a cabin deep in the the Alaskan wilderness. I kept wondering why in the world his mother would have allowed this to happen. I wanted to hug Roy to myself and keep him safe while his father broke down and cried in the night, leaving Roy alone to deal with adult baggage to which no child should ever be made privy.
My heart broke for Roy and I think that is why the events that take place in the second section of the novella became too graphic for me to continue reading. I do not want to go into much detail in this review, but is during this section that we see inside the head of Roy’s father. It is not a pretty place and the graphic and distant way that certain things were described were too much for me. Even if I had anticipated this turn, I don’t think I could have continued reading the novella. It was just too real and I didn’t like the pictures that were painted inside my head.
I did finish the remaining short stories after skipping the remained of the novella, but the spell was broken because I don’t know who the novella was resolved. I think Legend of a Suicide would have packed a tremendous punch had I been able to read it all. My inability to read the entire book is a credit to the author. Gore for its own sake does not usually bother me in the way that Legend of a Suicide did. It was because David Vann brought me in to Roy’s situation that I couldn’t stomach what was happening. Vann is a very talented young writer and well worth the risk I took to participate in this tour. I truly do look forward to what Vann does next.
David Vann’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:
You’ve read what I think. Why not see what others have to say?
Tuesday, May 11th: Book Magic
Thursday, May 13th: 1330v
Friday, May 14th: Regular Rumination
Monday, May 17th: My Reading Room
Wednesday, May 19th: Books Like Breathing
Tuesday, May 25th: Book Chatter
Wenesday, May 26th: Steph and Tony Investigate
Monday, May 31st: Nonsuch Book
Tuesday, June 1st: Hungry Like the Woolf
Thursday, June 3rd: Urban Green Farm
#251 ~ Let the Great World Spin
Let the Great World Spin
Published by: Random House Publishing
Published on: June, 2009
Page Count: 368
Genre: Literary Fiction
My Reading Format: Purchased hardcover copy with Christmas money from Powells.com – Thank you, Santa!
Available Formats: hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audio book
Today it is my great pleasure to be Colum McCann’s host on his TLC Book Tour for his novel, Let the Great World Spin.
I have a lot of fun working as a tour host for TLC Book Tours. They always have great books and authors on tour. Check out their website for more information on this tour and the others that they are hosting.
My Review
August 7, 1974. Life is as usual in New York City until people start to notice something strange in the sky between the Twin Towers. It takes a moment to sink in, but sure enough, there is a man walking a tight rope between the top of the buildings. Not only is he walking across the rope, he’s performing acrobatics as well. It is his act of recklessness and bravery that acts as a bookmark for the lives of many New Yorkers that day. It is from this point that Colum McCann tells the stories of an Irish Roman Catholic monk and his less devote brother, a third generation African American prostitute, a Park Avenue judge and his wife, mothers who have lost sons to Vietnam, and a Latino single mother. The characters and their experiences are as diverse as the landscape and just as rich. As a reader you find yourself holding your breath not only for the funambulist but for hopes, dreams, and lives of all those gracing the pages of Let the Great World Spin.
Even two months after finishing the novel, there is so much I want to say about it. I wish I could say it all eloquently, but I will never finish this review if I tried. Here are the highlights:
- Corrigan, whose character was inspired by Father Daniel Berrigan, is the embodiment of Catholicism for me. He was not perfect, but was perfectly humble in his faith. His love for God was poured out in his love and care for those less fortunate than himself. He became a living example of Jesus among the sick, the poor, and the sinners. While there is every reason these days to turn one’s back on the Roman Catholic Church, it is people like him who make me proud to be Catholic. They are true heros to me.
- The chapter narrated by Tillie was so beautiful and heart breaking that I had to keep wiping away the tears. On top of the emotional impact of her voice and her story, I was reminded over and over again of Molly Bloom’s chapter in James Joyce’s Ulysses. Tillie and her voice will be something I’ll never forget. Just as with Molly Bloom’s chapter, Tillie’s will be something I read over and over again by itself.
- The chapter between the computer nerds and the pay phones was a pure delight. I know people who would have fit most of those characters.
- I am afraid of heights. I haven’t always been. It started sometime in my mid to late 20s. I don’t like to drive over gorges especially for some reason. I am well aware of this, yet I had no real concept of how scared I truly am or how fabulous an author Column McCann is until I read the beginning of this novel. Although I was laying down at the time, I kept groping around me to make sure that I was on something solid. My heart was racing and my anxiety level was high. As irrational as those feelings were, they felt very real. I knew then that this was going to be a wonderful book. It was.
Ever since hearing about the concept of this book, which follows several New Yorkers on the day that Philippe Petit walked between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on a tight rope, I’ve wanted to read it. Until reading the early reviews of Let the Great World Spin, I had no idea anyone had ever done that. I’ve never been to New York City, so my only views of the Towers or Ground Zero have come from television. I have seen the Sears Tower in person, so I have at least a vague notion of how far above ground Petit was when he made that walk. How could I not be fascinated? How could this not be something I would jump at to buy with my Christmas money? While Colum McCann’s novel isn’t as focused on this death defying feat as I had anticipated, it was so much more than I ever hoped. If Let the Great World Spin isn’t one of the top three novels I read this year, 2010 will have proven to be one hell of a monumental reading year for me.
*******
Although I won’t be heading to the BEA or Book Blogger’s Convention in NYC this month, this review does qualify for Jill from Fizzy Thought’s New York Challenge!
Colum McCann’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:
Monday, May 3rd: Stephanie’s Written Word
Tuesday, May 4th: S. Krishna’s Blog
Thursday, May 6th: Savvy Verse and Wit
Friday, May 7th: Luxury Reading
Monday, May 10th: She is Too Fond of Books
Tuesday, May 11th: My Friend Amy
Wednesday, May 12th: The Brain Lair
Thursday, May 13th: Diary of an Eccentric
Friday, May 14th: Lit and Life
Monday, May 17th: Book Club Classics
Tuesday, May 18th: Beth Fish Reads
Wednesday, May 19th: Book Chatter
Thursday, May 20th: Evening All Afternoon
Friday, May 21st: Brunette on a Budget
Monday, May 24th: Ready When You Are, CB
Tuesday, May 25th: The New Dork Review of Books
Wednesday, May 26th: Life and Times of a “New” New Yorker
Thursday, May 27th: Nonsuch Book
Friday, May 28th: Caribousmom
#250 ~ South of Broad
South of Broad
Published by: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published on: August 2009
Page Count: 528
Genre: Literary Fiction
Format: Review copy sent to me by the publisher
Availability: hardcover, eBook, and audio book
Giveaway: The publisher is graciously allowing me to giveaway one trade paperback copy of South of Broad to one of my readers. Please see the end of this review for more details.
Today it is my great pleasure to be Pat Conroy’s host on his TLC Book Tour for his novel, South of Broad. I would like to thank his publisher for sending me a review copy. I would also like to thank them for providing a copy to giveaway on this blog! Please see the end of my review for a list of the blogs who are on this tour with me.
I have a lot of fun working as a tour host for TLC Book Tours. They always have great books and authors on tour. Check out their website for more information on this tour and the others that they are hosting.
My Review
Leopold Bloom King has a great deal to live up to. He’s named after James Joyce’s most famous characters and his mother, a former Roman Catholic nun, is his local school principal. After the suicide death of his older, beloved brother, Leo has trouble dealing with his own grief and the weight of knowing that he can never live up his brother Steve’s potential. He spends much of his adolescent years in treatment for mental illness, including a stay at a mental hospital. As a high school freshman he finally returns back to the world only to be arrested on a serious drug charge. His life is a mess on Bloomsday of 1969, the day his mother asks him a few favors. Those favors lead him back into a normal life and introduce him to the first friends he’s ever had in his peer group. His life is forever changed, but not without a price.
There is so much going on in South of Broad. it is split up into two time periods – the 1969-1970 school year, and 1989. Half of the time, it’s like reading about the grandparents of the cast of Glee during the prime of their lives. You have a misfit band of high school students thrown together by circumstances not always to their liking. In addition to awkward middle class Leo, there are the glamor twins Sheba and Trevor, the high society trio of Chad, Fraser, and Molly (doesn’t every Leo need his Molly?), the near-wild orphans Niles, Starla, and Betty, and finally Ike, the son of Peninsula High School’s first black football coach. During their senior year of high school, the adults create just as much havoc for them as their own fumblings toward adulthood. The other half is like attending a 20-year high school reunion. You see how their beginnings shaped their lives. You see how single events can have shocking and far-reaching impacts long down the road.
As Leo’s group of friends range from just about every social class in Charleston during a time of desegregation, they had to cover a great deal of new territory in order to make their friendships work in the beginning and last over the long haul. Perhaps in order to mask their insecurities and discomfort, they were often sarcastic with each other, relying on stereotypes and not-so-PC name calling. After a while, this got to be a bit much for me. I would hope that after 20 years I wouldn’t need to hide behind my classifications within society to communicate with my friends – regardless of the region in which I grew up. I wished that as the characters grew into adulthood that they would have developed a little more in that way as well. It kept me an arm’s distance away from the characters, muting what might have otherwise a much more emotional experience.
One of the toughest and most fulfilling classes I took as an undergraduate (or even as a graduate student) was devoted to studying James Joyce. I studied with an amazing professor and have been forever proud of my accomplishment of reading that book. For this reason, I connected with South of Broad immediately. It made my heart happy how the book began and ended on Bloomsday. Despite Leo and his father’s propensity to roll their eyes at her, I know exactly what excited Leo’s mother about Ulysses. Conroy’s inclusion of Ulysses wasn’t simply name dropping. South of Broad shares the themes of class structure and faith with Ulysses. Leo’s paper route brought me directly into Charleston, giving the story the same strong a sense of place that Joyce did. Despite not getting as close to the characters as I would have liked, I loved this novel and look forward to reading more of Conroy’s work.
Giveaway
For a chance to win a trade paperback copy of South of Broad, leave a comment on this post by 11:59pm EST on Sunday, May 2nd. In your comment, tell me about a novel you read and enjoyed that referred to another classic book that you loved. I’ve found that I really like that combination.
****
Pat Conroy’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:
Now that you know what I think, why not check out these other reviews?
Thursday, April 1st: Jen’s Book Thoughts
Monday, April 5th: Lit and Life
Tuesday, April 6th: Rundpinne
Wednesday, April 7th: Meanderings and Muses
Friday, April 9th: Luxury Reading
Monday, April 12th: Books and Cooks
Tuesday, April 13th: The Brain Lair
Wednesday, April 14th: Po(sey) Sessions
Thursday, April 15th: Raging Bibliomania
Monday, April 19th: Life in the Thumb
Tuesday, April 20th: Maggie Reads
Thursday, April 22nd: Stephanie’s Written Word
Friday, April 23rd: Sherri’s Jubilee
Tuesday, April 27th: Peeking Between the Pages
Wednesday, April 28th: Library Queue
Thursday, April 29th: Lakeside Musing
Friday, April 30th: A Circle of Books
#249 ~ Revolutionary Road
Revolutionary Road
Published by:
Published on:
Page Count:
Genre: Literary Fiction
Format: Review copy sent to me by a publicist
Availability: paperback, eBook, and audio book
Note from LH: I normally write my own summaries. Although I don’t think it’s a big deal one way or the other, I do prefer to write my own. I think that the way in which a reviewer summarizes a book can shed a lot of light on what he or she found interesting, important, or disconcerting. With my huge (to me) backlog of reviews, I’ve found that just the idea of composing summaries is chasing me away from my computer. In an attempt to alleviate this problem, I’ve decided to use publisher’s summaries or what I can find on-line for the time being. I plan on writing my own summaries again, but I don’t feel that they are important enough to halt production. LOL!
Summary from Barnes & Noble
In the hopeful 1950s, Frank and April Wheeler appear to be a model couple: bright, beautiful, talented, with two young children and a starter home in the suburbs. Perhaps they married too young and started a family too early. Maybe Frank’s job is dull. And April never saw herself as a housewife. Yet they have always lived on the assumption that greatness is only just around the corner. But now that certainty is about to crumble.
My Review
Before I learned about the then upcoming movie, I’d never heard of Revolutionary Road. My plan at the time had been to read the book and then see the movie. In reality, it seemed that the movie wouldn’t be coming to my area any time soon. When I went to Las Vegas on a business trip and saw that it was showing there, I decided to see the movie even though I hadn’t read the book yet. I left the movie extremely depressed. It was not the kind of movie I should have seen alone when my spouse was hundreds of miles away. As a result, I had absolutely no desire to ever read the book. I didn’t pick the book up until I was scheduled to be on Nicole from Linus’ Blanket‘s Blog Talk Radio show, That’s How I Blog. Revolutionary Road was a review copy I specifically requested and, being prone to much guilt, I selected it for our 20 minute book club anyway when I noticed that it was on Nicole’s TBR. After having read it, I’m sad that the movie kept me away from such a lovely book.
No one is more shocked that I loved this novel than I am. I’ve had difficulty reading novels with women suffering from Post-Partum Depression since suffering it myself. Reading about it brings those overwhelming and nearly unbearable days back to me. My chest tightens and I feel anxious just reading about it. If it cuts too close to home, I have to stop reading. I anticipated as much with Revolutionary Road. While the details of our experiences were much different, I saw myself in April. When she was convincing Frank to move to France, I could smell her despair and I could feel the manic waves rushing through her blood. She wanted to be someone else and do something else because she was certain that those things would rescue her from her own private hell.
Despite the connection I had with April, her issues went much deeper than struggling with motherhood. She’s not ever satisfied with reality. Whatever her dreams may be, having them come to fruition is sure to destroy them. As much as I empathized with Frank (hate the flaws, love the flawed character), he really was a coward parading as a man of ideas and ideals. He is a scared little boy lacking the confidence to be somebody. Instead he has built a wall of cynicism around himself. How much easier – not to mention safer – is it to wax eloquent about how boring a job is than making an honest effort at building a career and a life of which he can be proud?
Richard Yates was an undeniably talented writer. Despite the depressing content, I was entranced by his use of language. Frank and April’s arguments were painful and I felt as though I was with them through it all because they were so alive. Even though I was all too aware of the train wreck that was coming, I just could not put the book down. Revolutionary Road reminded me a great deal of The Great Gatsby. Both novels are beautifully written, are fascinating looks into the human condition, and bring their time periods to life like nothing else I’ve read. While noting some difficult subject matter, I would recommend Revolutionary Road just as highly.
P.S.
For some reason I cannot explain, I call this novel “Reservation Road” all the time. I have to actually think to talk about Revolutionary Road. Hopefully I’ve not messed that up in my review. I’ve proofread it, but proofreading your own writing is tricky. I know what I meant to write, but when what I meant to write might be wrong…
#247 ~ Outsider in Amsterdam ~ DATW
Welcome to Detectives Around the World week at The Literate Housewife Review! I want to thank Jen from Jen’s Book Thoughts for dreaming this theme week into life and inviting me and other book bloggers to participate. The goal of this week is to highlight literary detectives from across the globe. In addition to reading and reviewing a detective novel from a city, state, region, or country of your choice, participating bloggers will also be highlighting the book’s location as well. I may not read these types of novels often, I jumped at the chance.
For up-to-the-minute Detectives Around the World coverage this week, click here.
When it came to deciding how to participate, I knew immediately I wanted to find something suitable set in the Netherlands, home of my ‘people.” After doing a little research, I discovered Janwillem van de Wetering, the author of the Grijpstra & de Gier Mysteries. There are total of 14 Grijpstra & de Gier novels written between 1975 and 1997. van de Wetering, who spent time in the Amsterdam Special Constabulary as well as at a Zen Buddhist monastery, added insight from his own experiences to his detective fiction. Interestingly, he wrote both the Dutch and in English. I find it’s best to start at the beginning, so I chose Outsider in Amsterdam. Today I am posting my review.
Please check back here on Thursday for some of my memories growing up in a proud Dutch family, my most embarrassing Dutch moment, and a look at Amsterdam today.
Outsider in Amsterdam by Janwillem van de Wetering
Published by: Houghton Mifflin / Soho Crime (reprint 2003)
Published on: 1975
Page Count: 213
Genre: Detective Fiction
My Reading Format: 1975 original hardcover on loan from library
Available Formats: paperback reprint
My Review
Grijpstra and de Gier are detectives in the Amsterdam Special Constabulary. One afternoon they are called to the Hindist Society because Piet Verboom, the society’s proprietor, was found hanging in his room. At first glance, it looks like a suicide. Sergeant de Gier and Detective-Adjudant Grijpstra are determined to perform a complete investigation to ensure that justice is served.
As is probably true of all main characters in a series of novels, we do not learn all there is to know about our Amsterdam detectives. It is clear from the beginning that Grijpstra and de Gier make a good team. de Gier, the pair’s senior officer, is begrudgingly married with children and much more set in his ways. Grijpstra is younger and practices Buddhism. I wouldn’t necessarily consider them an odd couple, but their strengths complimented each other.Together they have a wealthy combination of experience and intuition to get the job done. As I was finishing this novel I could see where van de Wetering could build on each of the characters and their relationship over the course of the series. Assuming their cases would become more complex as well, watching them grow would make a good reading experience.
Outsider in Amsterdam is much different from most of the fiction I have read. Not only is the setting out of the ordinary for me, but writing is as well. Although the actual feelings are hard to describe, I feel as though I experienced a little of what it was like to live in Amsterdam during the 1970s. If Grijpstra and de Gier tell us anything at all about their city and country, the Netherlands is a far cry from the America represented by our own 1970s detectives Starsky and Hutch. There aren’t any in high-speed car chases through the streets. These detectives are as likely to walk to their next interview as drive. Still, both sets of detectives have a way with words and that special knack that gets their case solved like no other. What Outsider in Amsterdam lacks in speed and violence, it makes up for it in its deliberateness and culture.
There were aspects of Outsider in Amsterdam that felt out of my reach because of differences in culture or time. I am quite certain that the verbal barbs traded between the two detectives or between the other characters went over my head entirely. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I been able to feel part of what was happening. That isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy the novel. It was a very subtle read and was very much a creation of its time. While I might opt for a more modern or most historic novel set in the Netherlands next time, I am sure that van de Wetering knew his generation well. I can understand why there are so many Grijpstra and de Gier fans around the world.
*****
Speaking of detective fans, the Championship round of Jen’s World’s Favorite Detective contest is now open for voting. Click here to cast your vote for either Harry Bosch or Phillip Marlowe.
#246 ~ Fireworks Over Toccoa
Fireworks Over Toccoa
Published by: Thomas Dunne Books
Published on: March 30, 2010
Page Count: 272
Genre: Romance / Historical Fiction
Format: ARC sent to me by the publisher
Availability: Hardcover and audio book
My Review
I don’t read many straight romance novels. It’s not that I have anything against reading about love and romance – after all, most of the novels I read have those elements in there from one degree to another. It’s just that my basic reading interests don’t often lead me in that direction. When I was asked to read Fireworks over Toccoa, I was more interested than I normally would have been because of the background story. Lily is a young American woman who got married rather quickly to a nice young man working for her father just weeks before he left for Europe to fight in World War II. Although Lily enjoyed the short time she had with her new husband before she left, she returned to her parent’s home when Paul left. Those three years he was at war gave her time to think about her choices and grow nervous over the upcoming return of a man who was pretty much a stranger to her. As Paul’s homecoming approaches, Toccoa prepares for its first fireworks display on the Fourth of July since WWII began. Lily, not having much experience with fireworks, is enthralled. When she coincidentally runs into Jack Russo, the artist responsible for the display, more than just fireworks were sparked. Lily has to decide how she truly feels about her husband and figure out how to live the rest of her life.
To lead into this novel, we first meet Lily’s granddaughter, who is preparing to get married. Lily believes her granddaughter is making a mistake. As much as this brings the reader into the story of Lily’s early life, I found it to be distracting. I had no real interest in Lily’s granddaughter knowing from the beginning that this novel wasn’t about her. I think that the story would have been better served to start with Lily in her youth. Even though the end of the novel uses the beginning to paint a complete picture of Lily and Jack’s time together, I think I would have been just as happy with more ambiguity.
Despite things that didn’t work well for me, there were many details of this story that I enjoyed. I liked the cabin and Lily’s artwork. I especially liked Jack Russo. I loved his dedication to his craft and his quiet nature. I liked Lily, but I really would have been interested to have lived those days through Jack’s eyes. What was it like to travel and set up fireworks displays the way he did? What was it about his time alone that helped him find peace with his past in Europe during the war? What I knew of him from reading the novel made me want to know more.
I did not enjoy Fireworks Over Toccoa as much as I had hoped that I would. Still, I found that it read easily and I never lost interest in the story. There are some strong scenes between Lily and Jack that deliver the romance as well as build a bond between the two lovers. It wasn’t just about romantic love, though. I found the relationship between Lily and her father interesting. While aspects of the ending were a touch too easy for my taste, I can see how this novel might translate into film. Fireworks Over Toccoa would be a good selection to take to the beach or the pool this summer, especially around the Fourth of July. Even if you never hit the beach or a local pool, you might want to keep this in mind for when you’re in the mood for something quick and relaxing.
Other Voices
Booking Mama
Jenn’s Bookshelves
Rhapsody in Books
Diary of an Eccentric
I Smell Books
#243 ~ Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show
Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show
Published by: Random House
Published on: February 2010
Page Count: 448
Genre: Literature / Historical Fiction
My Reading Format: Hardcover review copy provided for the tour by the author’s publicist
Available Formats: Hardcover, audio book, eBook
Giveaway: see the end of my review for more information
Today it is my great pleasure to be Frank Delaney’s host on his TLC Book Tour for his latest novel, Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show. I would like to thank his staff for sending me a review copy. I would also like to thank Random House for a copy to giveaway on this blog! Please see the end of my review for a list of the blogs who are on this tour with me.
I have a lot of fun working as a tour host for TLC Book Tours. They always have great books and authors on tour. Check out their website for more information on this tour and the others that they are hosting.
My Review
Benedict MacCarthy is forced kicking and screaming into manhood when his father, a seemingly happy Irish farmer and family man, runs off with Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show. When he can no longer ignore or avoid what his mother needs him to do, he begins his reluctant quest to bring his father back home. Ben isn’t the only one coming of age in 1932. Ireland is as well. She is a maturing democracy during an election year that proves to be pivotal. As Ireland is determining its political future, Ben must find the strength to believe in himself and take on the responsibilities of adulthood.
It is very difficult to succinctly summarize Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show. There is so much involved with covering the history of and the relationship between two families and the nuances of the political climate at that time. Additionally, I don’t want to give away any part of the story unnecessarily. It was such a joy to lean forward toward my book in anticipation of what would happen next. One of the most beautiful things about this book as that it continued to reveal itself to me through the last paragraph. I finished the book with a satisfied pat on the cover. I want anyone coming to this book to be able to experience the same thing.
Ben, as narrator, is self-aware and purposeful, the mirror opposite of his 18-year-old self. He is always conscious of what he is doing and how he is doing it, sharing his thought and writing processes along the way. Because he’s looking back at his life at a distance, he never assumes that his readers are overly familiar with the time or place in which he grew to be a man. He continues to provide background information throughout the story. I loved the way that Delaney uses Ben to blends traditional Irish storytelling into his novel. These digressions and the flavor they add to the story are what make it unique and refreshing.
I remember my mother telling me about naptime at her house when she was a little girl. My grandmother wore what Mom called nurse shoes, making it nearly impossible to hear where she was in the house. One day, Mom and my Aunt Donna were not taking a nap. Grandma, in her stealth nurse shoes, caught them before they were able to feign sleep and they were just as quickly punished for not doing as they were told. Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show is like my Grandma and her nurse shoes. It’s not a pushover. It requires you to pay attention at all times. Even still, I found that the story snuck up on me, catching me completely off guard. Its references to Synge and Yeats reminded me of my own years as an undergraduate when I was in love with all things Irish. Instead of being punished, however, I was rewarded with one of the richest reading experiences I’ve had in a very long time. Thank goodness for Frank Delaney and his literary nurse shoes.
Giveaway
I am excited to let you know that Frank Delaney’s publicist is graciously providing one of my readers a copy of Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show in conjunction with my tour stop today. I hope that whoever wins this book will love it even half as much as I did. To be entered in this giveaway, leave a comment here by 11:59 PM on Tuesday, March 23rd. I will use Random.org to select the lucky reader. May the luck of the Irish be with you. LOL!
Frank Delaney’s TLC Book Tour Stops
Please be sure to stop by Frank Delaney’s other tour stops:
Wednesday, March 17th: Luxury Reading
Thursday, March 18th: Tales of a Capricious Reader
Thursday, March 25th: Trish’s Reading Nook
Monday, April 5th: Stephanie’s Confessions of a Book-a-holic
Wednesday, April 7th: My Two Blessings
Wednesday, April 14th: 2 Kids and Tired Book Reviews
Thursday, April 15th: Cheryl’s Book Nook
Monday, April 19th: Fizzy Thoughts
Tuesday, April 20th: Rundpinne
Wednesday, April 21st: Worducopia
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