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carlags

carlags

I work in a university library; have two daughters (22 and 28); spend all my free time reading; just starting to draw and paint again; beginning to write in a writers' group; and am yearning to travel. I read nearly anything that comes my way, although I'm not usually drawn to science-fiction or horror or chick-lit. I've recently discovered... more »
  • Chester County, PA, USA
  • member since February 9 2007

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 41 reviews
  • Loving Frank
    • Rated 5 stars

    “I bought my copy of Loving Frank at Fallingwater. I was so moved by that house that I feel compelled to know as much as I can about FLW. This novel is primarily about Mamah's relationship with Frank, told from her perspective. Horan writes about two very complex individuals, passionate not just about each other, but about art and literature and the natural world that surrounds them. Horan doesn't sugar-coat their decisions; Mamah's choices may not even resonate well with many people today. I appreciate this author's ability, with limited resources, to paint a rich, compelling picture of two flawed, eccentric and intelligent characters. And, she conveyed for me wonderful descriptions and analyses of FLW's architecture - parts of what she illustrates for the reader, I saw at Fallingwater.”

    carlags wrote this review 4 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Anil's Ghost
    • Rated 2 stars

    “This is my first Ontdaatje novel. I was rather disappointed. The language is wonderfully lush and poetic, no question. The horrors of the Sri Lankan civil war, as told in this novel, will stay with me for a long time. Yet, I stayed with the reading because I believed that IT would happen, but it didn't. I've read many, many books, and consider myself fairly well-read in a wide range of literary material; however, I can't figure this book out. At the end, it left me feeling let-down. I didn't get it. I didn't care much about Anil or Sarath. I don't know - I feel perplexed, perhaps a second reading is necessary, and yet there are so many other books out there needing to be read (and enjoyed).”

    carlags wrote this review 3 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Fieldwork: A Novel
    • Rated 4 stars

    “This is a very good book; a debut novel, well-paced and full of energy. It is really an old-fashioned story - exotic locales, murder, clashes of cultures - told from various viewpoints and at various times. Berlinski presents a very clear balance between the anthropologists' roles and the missionaries' goals in gaining understanding of a remote Thai tribe. I loved his telling of the linguistic difficulties that arise in peoples who do not have a written language. The misunderstandings of language and customs were treated with humor and compassion. Above all, I loved the lush, rich botanical descriptions. If there was anything I had a problem with, it was the ending. This isn't a who-dun-it but a why-dun-it, and that kind of fizzled for me. But, the novel, in its entirety, is wonderful and I can't wait to read Berlinski's next book.”

    carlags wrote this review Sunday, October 4 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Lady Who Liked Clean Restrooms: The Chronicle Of One Of The Strangest Stories Ever To Be Rumoured About Around New York
    • Rated 4 stars

    “I loved this funny, quirky, bittersweet little novella that gives us a unique peek into Manhattan society. Jocelyn manages to spiral down the society ladder with such charming eccentricities and determined grace, that it's hard not to root for her to win at the end. Donleavy's acerbic humor distracts us from her painful reincarnation as a divorced-no-longer-moneyed New Yorker looking to keep her head above water. I didn't see the ending coming, and that I attribute to the gifted writing of J.P. Donleavy. This book was a totally unexpected, surprising find.”

    carlags wrote this review Sunday, September 20 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • That Mad Ache
    • Rated 3 stars

    “I loved the etymology of "la chamade" (that mad ache) at the end of the novel! As in "Bonjour Tristesse", Sagan exposes the inner thoughts of a young French woman as she attempts to navigate the social mores of the 1960's, high-society Paris. I like Sagan's sometimes brutally honest appraisal of human relationships, especially as they deal with love. There is a realism that resonates with me, and even when her protagonists behave badly, there is an empathy that I appreciate. I can't address the issues of the translation since I have not read the novel in French. However, to me the language flowed well, something that is sometimes problematic in translations.”

    carlags wrote this review Sunday, September 20 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Confessions of a Pagan Nun: A Novel
    • Rated 5 stars

    “This is a beautiful, exquisite novel. Gwynneve is a character I will not soon forget. The transition from polytheism to monotheism during the Dark Ages usually provides a fertile field for discussion. By telling of that transition through the experiences of Gwynneve, we come to feel and understand the conflicts of belief and truth. This is a story fraught with suffering and heartbreak, as well as with enormous love and introspection. And, at the end, we know that the questions she raises are still with us - more than a thousand years later. It is our questioning that makes us human. The language that tells this story is poetically gorgeous - this was a quick read that I wished lasted much longer.”

    carlags wrote this review Monday, September 7 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Speed of Light (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
    • Rated 3 stars

    “It is evident that a poet wrote this book - the sentences resonate with beautiful images. I like books written with multiple voices; however, in this case, the voices were, at times, so brief that I was annoyed by the constant shifting. I am attracted to post-holocaust stories and tying those horrors to yet other horrors of a more modern time and a different hemisphere was very compelling. This novel was primarily about healing, which is one of the most difficult things we must do. That we can't heal without each other is something we must all come to know, and Rosner makes a compassionate case for that.”

    carlags wrote this review Sunday, September 6 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Olive Kitteridge
    • Rated 5 stars

    “This is a wonderful, cohesive collection of stories grounded by the irascible Olive Kitteridge. As if we were hitching a ride through the town of Crosby with Olive, we look behind the closed doors of her neighbors. We come to understand that we are all woven together in life. Strout's insights into family life are illuminated by such empathy and acceptance and understanding that I felt moved by the stories told in such a simple, clear, affectionate voice. Love and acceptance have never been portrayed so elegantly and eloquently as in this quiet, gentle novel. Depressing at times? Well, maybe. But there is a resoluteness in Olive, as in this entire novel, that speaks of hope and redemption and ultimately, love. This book touched me deep in my core - I just wish it hadn't ended.”

    carlags wrote this review Saturday, August 15 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • That Old Cape Magic
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Richard Russo understands mid-life crises. Jack Griffin has reached his, and this novel evokes voices from the past (probably coming from the urns of his parents' ashes in the trunk of his car) and how they have impacted his career and his marriage. This is a quiet story, told with much humor and introspection. Russo is brutally sarcastic, at times, and yet I love his sweetness and understanding which lift this book to a hopeful and optimistic conclusion.”

    carlags wrote this review Sunday, August 9 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Cellist of Sarajevo
    • Rated 5 stars

    “My Riverhead Books edition of this novel is small. Steven Galloway weaves a horrific tale about the Siege of Sarajevo through the experiences of four people trying to accomplish their every-day small tasks. An elderly baker trying to get to the bakery, a young father providing water for his family, and a young girl, formerly a member of a target-shooting team, now defending her city with her rifle. All three are connected to the cellist who honors and validates the lives of twenty-two victims of a deadly mortar attack by playing, for twenty-two days, his favorite adagio at the scene of their murder. Galloway illustrates in a most eloquent manner that it is the small things in life that gives it meaning; it is the small notes on a page that makes music large. This is ultimately a story of enduring hope in finding our souls in the chaos of war; it is about the choices we make about the roles each of us must assume in defining our future. This is a very small book about a huge story. ( And, in my humble opinion, the cellist could not have chosen a more fitting piece of music than Albinoni's Adagio...)”

    carlags wrote this review Sunday, July 19 2009. ( reply | permalink )
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