Spring 2012 Plans in The Bibliophile Club

James F

My plan for the winter: "I'll be continuing both my current projects: trying to finish Mario Vargas Llosa, and reading biographies of Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Chopin and Schumann."

My accomplishment for the winter: One book by Mario Vargas Llosa; nothing on Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Chopin or Schumann.

My plan for the spring: I'll be continuing both my current projects: trying to finish Mario Vargas Llosa, and reading biographies of Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Chopin and Schumann.

Also adding projects on French literature (Stendhal and Balzac) and philosophy (mainly re-reading Copleston's History of Philosophy and starting where I left off long ago with the early German idealists).

The more I read, the less progress I seem to make.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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James F

New Title

First book:
Arthur Schnitzler, Der grüne Kakadu [1898] 46 pages, in German [Kindle]
(English title: The Green Cockatoo) The first play I've read by the turn of the century Viennese playwright Arthur Schnitzler. Set in an unusual Paris "Keller", the Green Cockatoo, in which actors insult the noble patrons and pretend to be lower class criminals, on Bastille Day, the play both describes the attitudes of people on the verge of the French Revolution and explores the ambiguity of what is real and what is fiction, as the real events become fictionalized and the pretences are revealed as or become real. For a short one-act play, this contains much substance.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )
Marguerite M

New Title

This sounds very interesting. I know so little about the French Revolution. I might have to check it out.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )
James F (edited)

New Title

Another two weeks:
Novalis, 57 Gedichte [ca. 1800] 86 pages, in German [Kindle]
A collection of miscellaneous poems by Novalis, most of them less mystical than the Geistliche Leider or the Hymnen an die Nacht, more love songs, drinking songs, political songs, etc. These poems are also much easier to understand. Certainly not my favorite poet, but this anthology shows him in a more human, less pretentiously Romantic light.

Alexander von Humboldt, Reise in die Aequinoctial-Gegenden des neuen Continents, Band 2 [original 1824-1825; tr. 1859-1865?] 416 pages, in German [Kindle]
The second of three volumes; everything in my review of volume 1 still applies. This volume begins with Humboldt and Bonpland in Caracas (first half of the volume) and then traveling across the coast and down through the llanos to the Rio Apure, where they will begin their voyage down to the Orinoco and into the rain forest. Some interesting parts were his discussion of the Indian languages (at the beginning of modern linguistic science, which his brother Wilhelm was one of the founders of) and his discussion of the negative ecological consequences of cutting down the forests and overcultivation (which no one at the time was worried about.) This is not taking as long to read as I had feared; apart from now-obsolete technical terms, his German is fairly easy (on the other hand Flaubert's French is taking me forever). My one complaint is that the German dictionary on the Kindle defines most of the words I look up by another form of the same word (gerbsaure is defined as a kind of Gerbstoff, which is defined as "Stoff aus Gerben" and Gerben (Gerb? Gerbe?) isn't defined at all) which is not useful, I wouldn't think even for a German speaker.

Gustave Flaubert, Trois Contes [1877] 236 pages, in French
Three stories in three different genres; written after Flaubert had the experience of writing his major novels, with the same obsessive care for style, but without the programmatic attempt to create a totally new form of fiction. Perhaps not his most important writing, but his most accessible, a good introduction to his work.
In his later life he was friends with George Sand, who challenged him to write something in his realistic style about a good person; the result was the first story, "Une coeur simple". It is perhaps telling that he could only conceive of a good person in the form of an illiterate, ignorant woman satisfied with life as a servant; I wonder what Sand would have made of this. (My next book is their correspondence, so I may find out.)
The other two books are more romantic in their subject matter, the story of St. Julien L'Hospitalier reworked from the Golden Legend and the story of the death of St. John the Baptist.

The George Sand-Gustave Flaubert Letters, translated by A.L. McKenzie [1921] 432 pages [Project Gutenberg e-book, Kindle]
A collection of more than 300 letters between George Sand and Gustave Flaubert. These are of uneven interest; some are merely "meet me Monday" notes, but others are very important for understanding the authors' characters and literary theories and methods. They are also interesting for the light they shed on the authors' and other contemporaries' reactions to political events, such as the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune. (Not as well proofread as the usual P.G. books.)

Julian Barnes, Flaubert's Parrot [1990] 190 pages
This is my second novel by Julian Barnes -- if one could consider either Arthur and George or Flaubert's Parrot a novel. The first was a slightly fictionalized history; this is essentially a series of essays or meditations on Flaubert, with a fictional narrator. The concern is with how we as readers or scholars relate to the writings and biography of a famous author. The book has been compared, according to the blurb on the back, to Joyce and Calvino; I didn't note any resemblance to Joyce but it did remind me very much of Calvino's If on a winter's night a traveler in it's use of fictional form to discuss literary questions. If you have a knowledge of Flaubert's life and works, this is a fun and interesting book; if not, it would probably not be something to read.

Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), La vie de Rossini, tome 1 [1824, ed. of 1854, repr. 1929, 2010 Proj. Gut. e-book] 400 pages(?) in French [Kindle]
This is anything but what it claims to be, a biography of Rossini. It is part polemic (melody vs. harmony, Italian vs. German -- not missing any opportunity to bash his French compatriots), part impressionistic review of the operas, part gossip about singers; the book is totally disorganized and contradicts itself every few paragraphs, so you can attribute to him almost any opinion. The introduction tries to make him sound reasonable and forward-thinking, but most of his comments are so far from later judgements that they seem almost absurd, and one wonders if he means it or is just trying to be provocative. Apart from what it indicates about Stendhal (rather than Rossini), this would be more useful as a document of attitudes toward music at the time when Rossini was popular music, but for most non-specialist readers I think a half dozen chapters would be enough. [The Shelfari description of this (Kindle) ed says 205 pages, but the table of contents goes up to page 324 for the start of the last chapter, not counting 20% endnotes, so I think it represents at least 400 pages of the (1929) print edition.]

Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), La vie de Rossini, tome 2 [1824, ed. of 1854, repr. 1929, 2010 Proj. Gut. e-book] 415 pages(?) in French [Kindle]
According to the Shelfari description, this volume is even shorter than the first; actually, it is somewhat longer, and I would estimate based on the TOC that the print edition was about 415 pages.
Everything in my review of volume one would apply to this as well; it's if anything even more miscellaneous. Less than half the book is about Rossini. The book contains much discussion and comparison of various singers; I can't judge this since all the singers died long before the invention of recording. The generalizations, when not (deliberately?) outré were either platitudes -- singers should sing with feeling --or would be totally irrelevant today -- as his opinion that singers should only sing, or at least only be judged, in operas specially written for their particular voices. Try this at the Met! (Although it is the case with our pop and rock singers, who never make their reputations with "covers".)
He gives us a plan of reform for the Theatre Italien; a physical description of all the major opera houses of Europe; and an appendix on Mozart. The 1854 editors continue the list of Rossini's works up until that time.
In the end, this book made me realize that, however much I may intellectually accept that, as the NPR commercials tell us, "all music was once new music", it is difficult to put myself in a framework where young people discuss opera stars the way a modern ten-year old talks about Justin Bieber, and Mozart was no further back (and probably less "classic") than the Beatles.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )
James F (edited)

New Title

To the end of April:
Gustave Flaubert, Bouvard et Pécuchet [unfinished, 1880] 255 pages, in French
Flaubert's last novel, unfinished at his death. A comedy in a realistic style. Two bachelor friends in their late forties come into an inheritance and buy a farm in the countryside; they try to learn farming from books of agriculture, to deplorable results. They then try to learn chemistry, anatomy, geology, history, literature, philosophy, magic, religion, education, etc. each in turn, all with equally comic results. They are stymied at every turn not only by their own misunderstandings, but by the contradictions in their books and the gaps in the foundations.
A wonderfully skeptical and funny novel, but somewhat difficult in that the sciences and so forth that they are trying to learn are those of the 1840's, so many of the jokes aren't apparent anymore. The biggest joke is that even though they seem to be two imbeciles, the "normal" people around them seem even more stupid and silly. All of this in the setting of Louis Phillipe and Napoleon III. Flaubert's specialty was investigating and describing stupidity in all its various forms.

Gustave Flaubert, Memoires d'un fou [written 1838, not published in his lifetime] 74 pages, in French [Kindle]
Flaubert's juvenilia. This was written in 1838 when he was 17 years old. As one would expect from a French teenager writing at that time, it is basically a Romantic effusion, some autobiographical material (his crush on Mme. Schlesinger, the only reason for reading it today, unless you're completeness-obsessed like me) reworked with a lot of angst about love or the lack of it. Yet there are passages which suggest ideas he was still writing about in Bouvard et Pecuchet at the end of his life.

Gustave Flaubert, Novembre [written 1842, not published in his lifetime] 87 pages, in French [Kindle]
Flaubert's juvenilia. Written in 1842, two years after Memoires d'un fou, when he was 21. Somewhat better written than the earlier book, but still the same basic content; a Romantic monologue about his feelings, with only one event -- a wish-fulfillment erotic fantasy. Very different from any of his published writings, this is essentially the Romantic style he was reacting against in his novels.

Gustave Flaubert, Oeuvres, Pleiade ed.: Introductions and Appendices -- 143 pages in French
Some further reading by/related to Flaubert; I counted this all as one book (it was mostly very small print, so would have been book length.)
(a) René Dumesnil, Introduction to L'Education Sentimentale (20 pages)
(b) René Dumesnil, Introduction to Trois Contes (13 pages)
(c) René Dumesnil, Introduction to Bouvard et Pécuchet (16 pages)
(d) Gustave Flaubert, L'Education Sentimentale first version (excerpts) [written 1842, not published in his lifetime] (35 pages)
Flaubert's juvenilia. Much better written than Novembre of the same year, this was a full length novel. It is very different from the novel of the same name published twenty seven years later; there are two main characters, Henry and Jules, in place of Frederic Moreau, the plot is quite different, and the novel is more Romantic (though he's having second thoughts about that style) and less cynical. I wouldn't want to read the whole novel in this version, but the excerpts were interesting for his thinking about literary questions.
(e) Gustave Flaubert, excerpts from letters from the period he was writing Trois Contes (12 pages)
(f) B. Maurice, "Les deux greffiers" [1841] (17 pages)
The story which, according to Dumesnil and R. Descharmes, was the original inspiration for the framework of Bouvard et Pécuchet. (Just the idea of the two retired copyists, who retire but end up becoming copyists again; he had already long planned the idea of an "encyclopedia of stupidity" going through all the sciences, which is not in this story.) If so, it is amazing how he developed it, because the story isn't really very imaginative.
(g) Gustave Flaubert, "Dictionnaire des idées reçues" (25 pages)
A very funny collection of clichés, which he added to throughout his life.
(h) Citations from Flaubert's notes for Bouvard et Pécuchet (5 pages)
In the opinion of Dumesnil, these are some of the sorts of things Bouvard and Pécuchet would have been "copying" in the second part of the novel, if it had been finished.

Deepak Chopra, The Return of Merlin [1995] 422 pages
This was the first novel by Chopra, otherwise known for his "spiritual" writings (which I admit I haven't read). As a fantasy, it wasn't too bad, although there were inconsistencies in the plot; the premise of the wizards following different world-threads was an interesting twist. The writing wasn't bad either, considering it was a first novel; in places (but only in places) it was actually better than much recent fantasy writing that I've skimmed through at work (although mostly that's YA, and this is ostensibly adult fiction).
What I didn't like about the novel was the underlying idea that the world is all an illusion; although I would agree with Chopra that much of what we take as reality is socially-constructed illusion, for me this applies to reified abstract ideas and relations (e.g. "intellectual property" which is a pure invention of the last couple decades), not to the actual material world itself. I also reacted very negatively to the idea of non-resistance in the first chapter; I think much of what is wrong with the world is because people choose not to resist or feel that they aren't able to resist. I suppose what I'm saying here is that I dislike his "spiritual" approach (although it was not quite as superficial as I expected.) I wouldn't necessarily make these criticisms of a "pure" fictional fantasy, but the author makes it clear in his introduction that he intends the book as an allegory, so the ideas (as opposed to the plot) are meant to be taken seriously.

Thomas Wolfe, Look Homeward, Angel: A Novel of the Buried Life [1929] 512 pages
An autobiographical novel, which takes Eugene Gant from birth in 1900 to his graduation from college just after the Armistice.
This was my favorite novel in high school; I wasn't sure how I would feel about it re-reading it at sixty. It was still a great book; but it is a book that should be read first in one's late teens -- although I'm not sure anyone today would dare recommend it to teenagers (it's not a sanitized YA novel by any means.)
I must say that this is not a book I would have expected to like; the style is just the opposite of what I generally look for in a novel. The writing is exuberant, flowing, but also somewhat careless, overly poetic, occasionally mystical. What attracts me to it is that it resonates with my own young memories. There are very few authors who get adolescence right, and almost none who get childhood right -- Wolfe does both.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )
James F

New Title

Another three weeks, and still no Vargas Llosa or Berlioz. What I have read is this:
Roger L. Reep and Robert K. Bonde, The Florida Manatee: Biology and Conservation [2006] 189 pages
The manatee is surely one of the strangest of all mammals, with a unique lifestyle as an aquatic herbivore, most closely related to the elephant.
This book, while short, is very comprehensive, and very clearly written and organized. The authors, both researchers in the field, cover the evolutionary history of the Sirenidae, the unique biology of the manatee, its ecology, the threats to its survival and the ongoing efforts at conservation.
It's written in a popular style, but without becoming journalistic or engaging in "gosh-wow" effects.

Caroline Commanville, Souvenirs sur Gustave Flaubert [1887] 92 pages, in French [PDF from the Internet archive]
Reminiscences of Flaubert by his niece Caroline. Nothing particularly interesting or novel. My completeness demon again.
Heinrich Mann, "Flaubert und die modernen Roman" 14 pages, in German [Kindle]
A downloaded article by the German novelist, originally the preface to a German translation of Flaubert; an interesting "take" on Flaubert.
(Listed these together because they were so short.)

Jean-Paul Sartre, Questions de Méthode [1960] 251 pages, in French
I have often been struck, since I first began reading serious books back in High School, with how nearly every philosophical, political, religious or artistic movement in Europe seemingly becomes trivialized in crossing the Atlantic (or sometimes just the English Channel), sometimes even when the founders cross over with it (compare the writings of the Vienna Circle or the Frankfurt School with what their members wrote here in exile after World War II.) Existentialism is a perfect example of this; presented in America as a kind of irrational, anti-intellectual, "just do it" philosophy of pure action, which is a far cry from what Sartre, Heidegger, Jaspers, Merleau-Ponty, etc. were actually about.
This book is basically a critique of the post-Stalin version of Marxist philosophy, arguing that in the interests of the bureaucracy the use of dialectic has been changed from a heuristic method of arriving at a "totalization" in the process of becoming, to an essentially idealistic abstract universal schema to be applied a priori and immediately as a formula to "explain" (or explain away?) events, with all the necessary mediations left out. (I think it is sort of a distilled version of his Critique de la raison dialectique.) His criticisms of the so-called Marxism of that period is much more correct I think than the specifically "existentialist" alternative with which he proposes to supplement it; but it is always useful to read an intelligent thinker who is trying to grapple seriously with real problems. His examples range from the French Revolution to the Hungarian insurrection against the Soviet-imposed regime, to the development of Flaubert's novels (which became sort of an obsession with Sartre, who spent the last years of his life writing a monumental book on Flaubert that is far too expensive for me ever to get my hands on.) I particularly liked his emphasis on the interiorization of class roles in childhood and therefore not immediately through the individual's own class position; but I question whether psychoanalysis is the best way of studying this -- I've never quite understood why the existentialists were so fascinated with this version of psychology. But then, his description of psychoanalysis doesn't sound much like Freud, so he may be talking about something else entirely. (Or it may be because of when he wrote it, like his taking Kardiner as the typical example of American anthropology.)
I wish I had read this as a philosophy student in the seventies when I was trying to deal with this kind of problem; but then Sartre was only mentioned in the literature department, not in my philosophy courses. I just picked this up now by chance and because for other reasons I have recently worked my way through Flaubert's novels, but it was definitely worthwhile reading.

Timothy Unwin, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Flaubert [2004] 234 pages
The end of my Flaubert mini-project. A collection of 14 very uneven essays on Flaubert's writing. The book is organized by themes (History, Death, Characterization, Style, the Writing Process, the Visual, etc.) rather than treating the works individually. Some of these articles gave me some new insights; others were rather subjective or obvious. One managed to cram into a few pages every bit of critical jargon possible, from very different theoretical approaches. The book did give me some idea of the kind of studies that are popular today with regard to Flaubert and literature in general.

James Wood, How Fiction Works [2008] 265 pages
This is an analysis of the techniques of fiction writing as found in various well-known authors. It was highly recommended by several people in the Nobel Prize Winners group here on Shelfari, which was why I decided to read it (along with the fact that it deals quite a bit with Flaubert, whose works I have been reading for the last few months). He does a very good job with the techniques he chooses to analyze -- primarily a certain type of "realist" writing style derived from Flaubert; he points out many techniques I had never consciously noticed.
The book is to a certain extent polemical. As the last chapter makes clear, much of the discussion is oriented towards a defense of "realism" against certain critics who believe that it is impossible to write significant, honest realist works in the present age on philosophical or epistemological grounds, which explains after the fact why the author chose to emphasize the aspects he does, and why he does not discuss other aspects of fictional technique that are arguably of equal importance.
He begins by saying that there are two basic choices in narration, either first person or third person; and that third person narratives can be either told through one or more "unreliable" subjective narrators, or through an "omniscient" narrator. I then expected that he would give examples of each type; but instead he spends the rest of the chapter discussing a single version of the "omniscient" narrative, namely the use of "free indirect style", with a "ghostly" invisible narrator -- the style pioneered by Flaubert (although there are earlier examples, for instance in Jane Austen) -- which he sees as the main technique of the modern (post-Flaubertian) novel. He then goes on to discuss other aspects of technique, such as the uses of detail, the ways of indicating character, metaphors and similes, "registers" and rhythms of language, and so forth. One aspect he does not deal with at all is plot -- the word does not even appear in the index.
While I agree with Wood's thesis that realism is not a "genre" but a constant preoccupation of fiction writers of all genres, and while realist fiction is the style I usually prefer reading, it seemed to me that he interprets the idea of realism too solely in terms of technique. For example, he says that the critics of realism as being too conventional are thinking about writers of popular genres such as "thrillers" which he considers to be a degeneration of realism, a habitual use of the realistic techniques as mere formulas for writing. But I hardly consider these books to be realism at all; they may use realist techniques but they are totally romantic in their conception of character and in their use of plot. Here is where I disagree with him, or rather he simply does not mean what I mean by realism. For me, realism is above all a kind of relation between character and environment; but he deals with character only in terms of technique, not in terms of how the writer presents it as being determined.
In brief, this is a good book for what it deals with, but leaves out much of what I would consider necessary to a comprehensive analysis of "how fiction works."

Jon Cohen, Almost Chimpanzee: Redrawing the Lines that Separate Us from Them [2010] 369 pages
This is essentially not a book about chimpanzees, but about humans and our evolution. It begins with the idea that we can learn more about ourselves, not by emphasizing the similarities between humans and chimps, but by investigating the differences -- Chimps are not "almost human", but we are "almost chimpanzee". Actually the book deals with both; the differences are only interesting in the context of the similarities, and vice versa.
The book covers many aspects, from hypotheses about our early evolution to genetic and physical differences and differences in cognitive skills and behavior, with a subtext throughout dealing with the (sometimes humane, more often horrible) treatment of chimpanzees and their (dim) prospects for survival as a species. I learned about many new discoveries and hypotheses, since most of my reading on primates and human evolution goes back to an anthropology course I took twenty years ago; virtually all the work discussed here is in the past ten or twelve years. Back then, the story began with Lucy; I had not heard of Ardapithecus, or of any of the genetic discoveries he talks about.
Nevertheless, I was left somewhat ambivalent about the book; the author is not a researcher but a journalist, and while it is based on much research, it is not his research but that of the sources he interviews. As a journalist, he tends to emphasizes the minority hypotheses (he frequently calls them "theories") which are the most spectacular, in the sense of overturning previously accepted ideas or promising new "breakthroughs", rather than those which are the most widely accepted in the field or supported by the most evidence; there is a fair amount of what I call "gosh-wow". Examples of this are the Reich-Patterson hypothesis that we evolved from hominin-chimpanzee hybrids, and the Wrangham "Cooking" hypothesis that attributes much of our evolution to the discovery of processing and cooking food, both of which are treated in more detail than opposing and more conservative views. (I loved this last, for the way it contradicts the "natural raw foods" fad which I have had to buy so many silly books about for the library as Patron Requests, but I can't really take it seriously as a hypothesis about early evolutionary developments millions of years before the first evidence of the discovery of fire.)
The writing is very vivid and interesting, but I admit I am skeptical about science writing which is too interesting; as one of my philosophy professors observed, "If it's not boring, it's probably not real philosophy" and this is even more true in the sciences. The research is usually introduced with anecdotes and biographies of the researchers, which tends to bias our opinion of their work; he goes out of his way to portray some of the "interesting" characters sympathetically, while better known figures are treated with some sarcasm -- particularly Jane Goodal, who is never referred to without some denigrating epithet such as "Leakey's Angel" or "Saint Jane."
I was glad to have read the book, but I think its main effect on me is that I added a few dozen other books on human evolution and primates to my TBR -- which was the last thing I needed.

posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )
James F (edited)

New Title

The rest of the spring -- needless to say, I haven't gotten to either Vargas or Berlioz.

Three short works by Novalis, the main founder of German Romanticism:
(a) Novalis, "Monolog" [1798] 2 pages, in German
The "Monolog" is just a short discussion of language and poetry; it's interesting for its analogy of poetry to mathematical equations.
(b) Novalis, Die Lehrlinge von Sais [1802, posth.] 33 pages, in German
Die Lehrlinge comprises two small fragments of an unfinished novel. The first chapter, "Der Lehrling", introduces us to the character of the "novice", recounts the fable of Hyazinth and Rosenblume, followed by a vision of stones in the temple talking about the mystical harmony of nature. The second, "Naure", begins with a historical sketch of ideas about Nature from antiquity on (couched in unclear allusions), has another vision of people discussing a war against Nature in allegorical terms, and ends with a conversation between three strangers who discuss Nature in a very obscure philosophical way, which is probably based in part on Fichte's system of Transcendental Idealist philosophy. The whole is very confused and difficult to understand; the only thing that is comprehensible at all is the fable, which was originally written separately. Apparently the point of the book was going to be a discussion of the different approaches to understanding "Nature", from the standpoint of naive experience, scientific nature study, practical exploitation, and "poetry" as a mystical experience. I can't really see this becoming a novel.
(c) Novalis, Die Christenheit, oder Europa [1799] 19 pages, in German
If Die Lehrlinge was unclear, this unpublished article for the Athenaum is all too clear, and shows how Romanticism at its beginnings in Germany (as at its beginnings in France with Chateaubriand) was an obscurantist religious reaction against the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and the modern world. Novalis presents an idealized picture of a Middle Ages in which the Catholic Church and its invariably wise priesthood resolved all conflicts and maintained peace and unity of humanity, defending the poor against the rich and protecting faith against "premature" science. This utopia was destroyed by the Reformation, which (despite the heroic but unappreciated labors of the Jesuits) ushered in the modern era of atheistic selfishness and greed, leading up to the ungodly French Revolution. But all is not lost; both the remnants of the papacy and the Protestants will disappear; the Germans, as the intellectual leaders of Europe, will save the world with mystical religious poetry, and a new "Council" will re-establish a new Christendom which will attract all the countries of the world.
As Romanticism developed, it became a more diverse movement, and the later Romantics (e.g. Victor Hugo) were not all as reactionary as Novalis, but there always remained the kernel of mystical religion and the fascination with the (idealized) Middle Ages; which is why I have never particularly liked this style of literature.

Novalis, Heinrich von Ofterdingen [1802, unfinished] 370 pages, in German
This unfinished novel was a major influence on the Romantic movement in literature. I really can't understand why. Novalis was apparently planning to rewrite the whole thing when he died. As it stands, it is hardly well-written; the various episodes are not connected into a whole, and the allegories are not clear without additional information from his journals and letters. It reads more like a thesis about poetry than a work of literature; apart from the fable, there is no conflict, internal or external, and the many conversations are just monologues where the characters never disagree with one another. I admit I'm not the most objective judge, because I disagree with his entire outlook and have never been a fan of Romantic literature, but I at least expected a better presentation than this from such a famous and influential work.
Together with:
Ludwig Tieck, "Novalis' Lebensumstände" [1815] 11 pages, in German
Curt Grützmacher, "Zum Verständnis der Werke" 26 pages, in German
A biographical sketch by his friend and fellow-Romantic Tieck, and an explanation of the works by the editor; these make the novel as nearly understandable as it could ever be for me.

Penelope Fitzgerald, The Bookshop [1978] 110 pages
The first book I've read by Fitzgerald. I was impressed by her writing. This is the story of a widow who tries to start a bookstore in a small town on the coast of Sussex, England. Basically a realistic fiction, there are possible supernatural aspects which are not overly emphasized, and social apects which are central but not too heavy-handed. I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.

I'm starting to winnow my books in preparation for moving into a smaller house; I decided to donate some of my older books to the library, including my Doctor Who collection, but thought I would read the ones I hadn't ever gotten to first. Kind of a nostalgia trip; I haven't looked at these for more than ten years, since my roommate at the time and I watched the show on PBS, about the one TV show I ever enjoyed (I've never had a television myself, or wanted one.) I came in on the fourth Doctor (Tom Baker), then the fifth (Peter Davidson), and then they went back to the third (Jon Pertwee). After that I moved and never saw any of the others. This is also a quick way to get caught up on my numerical goal for the year!
Terrance Dicks, Doctor Who: The Space Pirates [1990] 132 pages
The second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) whom I never saw on television, with Jamie and Zoe; this is from when the show was still oriented to an audience of younger children. Pure space opera. Terrance Dicks wrote the largest number of the novelizations, especially of the older shows; he's not a particularly good writer, but these aren't meant as great literature.

Terrance Dicks, Doctor Who: Meglos [1983] 126 pages
The fourth Doctor, with Romana. I vaguely remember seeing this one. Meglomaniac alien creature wanting to rule the Galaxy is foiled by the Doctor.

Terrance Dicks, Doctor Who: Four to Doomsday [1983] 128 pages
The fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan. I don't remember this one. Meglomaniac alien wanting to take over Earth is foiled by the Doctor.

Eric Saward, Doctor Who and the Visitation [1982] 121 pages
The fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan. This is one I saw. I'm not sure if it was before or after the previous show. (The books weren't published in order.) Megalomaniac aliens wanting to take over Earth are foiled by the Doctor.

Terence Dudley, Doctor Who: The King's Demons [1986] 153 pages
The fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough. Set in the reign of King John. Another one I remember vaguely having seen.

Terrance Dicks, Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani [1984] 135 pages
The fifth Doctor, Peri. The last episode of the fifth Doctor, and the last one I actually saw. Somewhat interesting plot, big business and war. (It should be obvious that what I liked about the show wasn't the plotlines, but the humorous dialogues and the essentially humanist outlook so different from American television science fiction like Star Trek and its clones.)

Eric Saward, Doctor Who: Attack of the Cybermen [1989] 140 pages
The sixth Doctor (Colin Baker), Peri. The second episode of the sixth Doctor. Still fairly close to the show as I remember it. Aliens trying to take over the Earth are foiled by the Doctor.

Stephen Wyatt, Doctor Who: Paradise Towers [1998] 143 pages
The sixth Doctor, Mel. Another interesting idea, the Great Architect.

Ian Briggs, Doctor Who: Dragonfire [1989] 144 pages
The seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy), Mel (last appearance), Ace (first appearance). Near the beginning of the seventh Doctor (third episode).

Paul Cornell, Love and War [1992] 235 pages
The seventh Doctor, Ace, Bernice Summerfield (first introduced). This is one of the Virgin Books "New Doctor Who Adventures" which were published after the (original) show was cancelled, and which carry the story on from the last episode (so they are not actually episodes of the show.) Not being constrained by what can be (or at least was) actually shown on television, they are more sophisticated psychologically and more adult in the writing style; judging by this example, they are also less humorous, and seem to have a somewhat different idea of the Doctor's character (although since I never saw the last Doctor, this is just a guess).

Penelope Fitzgerald, The Gate of Angels [1990] 155 pages
My second book by Penelope Fitzgerald, this is basically a love story, set in Cambridge (the University in England) in 1912. The male protagonist is a Junior Fellow in Physics, whose father is a Rector (a kind of clergyman); the background is the early development of quantum theory and the positivist philosophy of Ernst Mach. The female protagonist is a poor girl from London trying to become a nurse, so there is some implied social criticism. The ending is ambiguous. Interesting and well-written; nothing too heavy, more of a long short story than a novel, but definitely worth reading.

Penelope Fitzgerald, The Blue Flower [1995] 204 pages
A biographical novel about the poet Friedrich (Fritz) von Hardenberg, better known as Novalis, covering essentially the period of his relationship with Sophie von Kühn. The period is well-described in minute but natural seeming detail (one of Fitzgerald's greatest strengths as a novelist), and the secondary characters are well-developed, especially (as in her other books) the female characters, although there seems to be too easy a dichotomy between "strong" and "weak" women (Sidonie and the Mandesloh vs. the two mothers). On the other hand, the character of Novalis himself didn't really come alive for me. I may be prejudiced because I don't particularly relate to his poetry or other writings, but often he seems to be out of focus, or just off-screen as it were, with the interest divided among the other characters. The book does show where he was coming from, especially his idea that a revolution in imagination should replace revolution in reality. Definitely a book worth reading, whether or not you are interested in Novalis or German Romanticism.

Gaston Bachelard, The Psychoanalysis of Fire [1938, tr. 1964] 115 pages
I discovered this fascinating little book more or less by accident.
Gaston Bachelard is somewhat of an anomaly; in the great schism of modern philosophy early in the twentieth century, the (Austro-)Anglo-American tradition took as its "portion" logic, language, and philosophy of science, while the Continental tradition largely took social philosophy and metaphysics, but Bachelard was a philosopher of science within the Continental tradition, almost the only one.
His philosophy of science is naturally very different from anything else I've read; while the A-A-A philosophers at the time were essentially concerned with normative issues of logic and epistemology, with how we "ought" to do science -- later with Kuhn and company it turned toward sociological and socio-political description -- Bachelard was concerned with psychological apects of scientific investigation, what he describes as "the psychoanalysis of objective knowledge."
His point is that the scientists' theorizing is influenced by pre-scientific "complexes" derived from the experience of "reverie", which must be subjected to a form of "psychoanalysis" to be able to free oneself from these complexes and observe phenomena objectively. In this book he focuses on the various ideas relating to fire, and identifies pre-scientific groups of ideas which he calls the "Prometheus complex", "Empedocles complex", "Novalis complex", and "Hoffman complex", and traces them in early modern physical and chemical theories of the nature of fire.
While I wouldn't want to evaluate his overall theory based on such a short book, his discussions of the various ways that people experience fire, and the use of fire in mythology and literature is quite interesting and full of insights.

posted 11 months ago. ( permalink )

Punxsutawney Paul

My plans this season are uncertain, but I'm hoping to get through the following:

The Odes of Pindar
An Anthology of Buddhist Scriptures
Love Visions, Chaucer
Phaedra & Other Plays, Racine
Selected Writings on Art & Artists, Baudelaire
The Moonstone, Wilkie Collins
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Life of Pi, Yann Martel.

As usual, the to-be-read pile grew too fast last quarter. So with a little luck I'll find time to deal with some more from the backlog.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag – Alan Bradley
Book on CD performed by Jayne Entwistle
3.5***

I just love 11-year-old Flavia de Luce, who relies on her keen powers of observation (and a more than a little knowledge of chemistry) to solve yet another murder (or two) in Bishop’s Lacey. Among the happenings and characters she encounters in this outing: a child who died by accidental hanging some years back; the “witch” who lives in the woods; the boy’s mother, deranged by grief; a master puppeteer and his faithful assistant; a former German POW; a minister’s wife whose public persona hides her true nature; and an electrocution!

More than enough to keep any detective busy, but Flavia is certainly up to the task.

What I like about these books is the reliance on a precocious child to ferret out information. Adults don’t seem to take her “innocent” questions too seriously and they frequently indulge her, speaking about issues that the adult detectives don’t think to ask about or don’t consider important. What drives me a little crazy about the books, however, is Flavia’s all too expert chemistry – especially when she almost instantly improvises a concoction using pigeon guano and egg white, with hardly a moment to think about her options. It’s a small thing, really. I still enjoy the books.

Entwistle does a wonderful job performing the book. She is perfect for Flavia, and does a great job voicing the many other characters. Her pacing is brisk, as befits a mystery/thriller.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

Bloodroot – Amy Greene
2**

Greene explores several generations of a family living in the Smoky Mountains of Eastern Tennessee. I wanted to like this book. It has been on my TBR list for a while and I typically like books that explore family dynamics and the individual's need to explore the world beyond their childhood framework. I was intrigued by the publisher's blurb – a story that explored family legacies of madness and magic (a healing “touch” that soothes both people and animals). The central character – Myra Lamb – is a woman with “haint-blue” eyes, who seems to bewitch everyone around her just by the force of her being. The plot whirls around Myra but never really settles.

Basically, the book just didn't do it for me. I thought the storyline was too choppy and confusing. The multiple narrators and shifting time frames were at first intriguing but eventually resulted in my losing focus. I kept waiting for the “story” to really take off, and it never did – at least not for me. I was never riveted by the novel and found it too easy to put it aside to do other things.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Marguerite M

The Eye of the Storm by Private Robert Knox Sneden
3/5 stars

Our local library is having a discussion on this book so I wanted to read it before then. It's a diary of a Union Soldier who was a map maker in the Civil War and ends up a prisoner of war. How he survived is a miracle considering how they were treated. It was very graphic and I just can't imagine treating other humans that way. I know all is fair in war and the whole idea was to keep the prisoners so beaten down they couldn't escape, but when you have hundreds dieing a day, I think it goes too far. I'm sure the confederate soldiers were treated just as poorly. It was a sign of the times as they say. It gives me a much better appreciation for the Geneva Convention. If you are interested in Civil War stories I would recommend this one. Sometimes dieing in battle is not the worse thing that can happen to you.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

Remarkable Creatures – Tracy Chevalier
Book on CD narrated by Charlotte Perry and Susan Lyons
4****

This is a work of historical fiction focusing on two remarkable women who advanced the understanding of natural history with their discoveries. It is based loosely on the lives of these two real women, though Chevalier has taken artistic license in writing the novel.

Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot had little in common, being separated by age, education level and social class, but they found friendship in their common interest in fossils. The setting is early 1800’s England – specifically the seaside village of Lyme Regis. The unmarried Philpot sisters have moved to this small community after their family fortunes have been reduced and their brother can no longer afford to support them in London. Elizabeth fills her time by combing the beach for fossils, and this is how she comes across the Mary Anning, a young girl from a working-class family that is frequently in debt. Mary has a keen eye for “curies” (i.e. curiosities) and helps support her family by selling the fossils she finds.

The reader easily sees that Mary’s life is limited by her social class and lack of education. Elizabeth’s prospects are also limited – maybe even more than Mary’s. She’s educated, but has no money or particular social standing, and she cannot rely on her plain looks to help her attract a suitable husband (which, after all, is the goal for women in this time period). I am interested in natural history, so naturally find the history of their scientific accomplishments fascinating. But I am also intrigued by the exploration of the role of women in this time.

I like the way Chevalier develops the unlikely friendship between these two women. Elizabeth does sometimes show a somewhat patronizing attitude toward Mary, and the jealousy caused when a fossil collector pays more attention to the young, uneducated Mary than to Elizabeth strains their relationship. Yet, ultimately their interest in the science and in receiving credit for their contributions is what binds them together. I have to admit that I was sometimes irritated with Elizabeth’s superior attitude, but I applauded her for championing Mary’s cause. As for Mary … I just loved her. She showed such intelligence and drive.

The two performers of the audio book do an excellent job of voicing these two very different women – Remarkable Creatures, indeed!

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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Book Concierge

Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting – Michael Perry
4****

This is the third of Michael Perry’s memoirs that I’ve read. In this volume he relates the early years of his marriage and efforts to establish his small family on a farmstead in Northern Wisconsin – growing much of their own food by raising chickens and pigs, and planting a good-size vegetable garden.

Perry is a humorist and a philosopher. His memoirs aren’t particularly linear, though they are revealed in a fair approximation of chronological order. He goes off on tangents, ruminating about the joys and difficulties of the rural life he’s chosen. He can be hilariously funny, especially when poking fun at himself and his efforts to provide for his family as a farmer. He doesn’t sugarcoat the life of a farmer, but he elevates it, as when he relates his daughter’s sheer joy at holding that first, still-warm, brown egg from their own chickens, or recalling a father and son stopping to enjoy the stars on their way back to the house from the barn.

His descriptions on the growth and development of his children are priceless. Who can possibly out-think a six-year-old determined to get a horse? Or reason with a teething infant? Or answer those BIG questions that would stump any genius?

Just as with his other works, I find myself laughing out loud, and also crying in empathy. I hope he keeps writing for a long time. (His daughters may think otherwise, but I am really looking forward to hearing about his years as the father of teenage girls…)

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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Gods in Alabama – Joshilyn Jackson
Audio book performed by Catherine Taber
3.5***

Arlene Fleet lived up to her name when she fled Possett Alabama for Chicago as soon as she graduated high school. She’s lived up to her bargain with God – she will not lie, fornicate or return to Alabama, as long as He keeps the body of the man she killed hidden. Now she’s being pressured by her African American tax attorney boyfriend to introduce him to the family. She loves Burr, but her family members are racist Southern Baptists, and of course there’s the issue of the missing high school quarterback - even after ten years, people still wonder. She’s avoided her family all this time, but when former high school nemesis, Rose Mae Lolley, shows up unexpectedly asking questions about Jim Beverly, Arlene and Burr have to return to Alabama so she can reinforce her alibi.

I have to admit I was engaged and fascinated by the thought processes of the teen-age (and “adult”) Arlene. Assumptions are flung around by everyone, leading even the principle players astray. I was sure I had it figured out, only to be surprised – not once, but twice.

This is a fun, quick Southern gothic read. Jackson doesn’t dwell for long on the dark side – thank God, because it is pretty dark. Instead she gives the reader plenty of diversions as Arlene and her cousin (practically sister) Clarice Lukey wend their way through high school and young adulthood.

Catherine Taber does a great job performing the audio book. Her southern accent is spot on perfect. Her pacing is brisk enough to maintain suspense and interest, but slow enough to allow the reader to absorb it all. My only quibble with the audio is the totally unnecessary use of background music to set the scene. I really do not need “spooky” music as a background to the darker scenes in order to understand the setting and importance of what is happening. Lost ½ star there.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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The Beekeeper’s Apprentice – Laurie King
4****

When we first meet Mary Russell, she is a 15-year-old orphan, walking the Sussex Downs near her farm in England. She nearly trips over an “old man,” and soon deduces that he is the retired detective Sherlock Holmes. Mary quickly impresses Holmes with her powers of deduction and a friendship begins. It isn’t long before there is a “minor” case of burglary in the area, which Mary is able to solve, and this cements their relationship and increases Holmes’s interest in taking her on formally as his apprentice.

This is a clever and interesting take-off on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s works featuring Holmes and Dr Watson. Unlike Watson, Mary is close to Holmes’s equal in deductive reasoning and powers of observation. She is quick witted, intelligent, assertive, a good actress, and physically strong and agile. I like that King has this work span several years, allowing for some needed maturation of Mary before she is fully tested. I think she behaves in a manner consistent with her age, social standing, experience, and emotional growth. If I had any complaint with Doyle’s Sherlock it was his superior attitude, but seen through Mary’s eyes, I can more easily tolerate his “all-knowing” persona. It helps that in his “old age” Holmes misses a clue or two which Mary catches and points out to him. Way to go, Mary!

The action was a bit slow in places, but I think King needed time to set up her characters and their relationship, so I’m okay with that. It was relatively faithful to Doyle’s style, and, as it is written in first person (as Mary’s recollections), I would expect that kind of pacing and sentence structure. My only regret is that I waited so long to get to this book. I look forward to more of this series.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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A Yellow Raft in Blue Water – Michael Dorris
2**

Dorris braids a single story told in reverse chronological order, from three unique perspectives. Rayona, a 15-year-old “half-breed,” begins the story, relaying her efforts to raise her own irresponsible mother. We then move to Ray’s mother, Christine, who recounts her struggles growing up and rebelling against her unaffectionate mother, Aunt Ida. Finally we hear from Aunt Ida, the matriarch of the family, whose secrets have shaped her daughter and granddaughter in ways she never intended.

It’s a great premise for a literary work. However, I don’t think Dorris succeeds in his execution. I really grew to care about Rayona, but then her story ends abruptly and Dorris transfers the tale to Christine. Because they are both portrayed as so unfeeling and irresponsible, I had a hard time caring about Christine or Aunt Ida, though I did begin to empathize with Ida when she finally tells her story in part three. HERE is a story I really want to know more about. But Dorris ends the book abruptly … almost mid-sentence.

I’m left feeling very dissatisfied, and almost as if I wasted my time reading this. A reviewer on amazon.com wrote this: It’s pretty much like a wonderful chocolate mousse with cockroaches stirred in here and there. The mousse is wonderful, but you’ll never forget the images and crunches of those bits of cockroaches.

It gets 2 stars from me – I can’t think of anyone to whom I’d recommend this book.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

Room – Emma Donoghue
Audio book performed by Michal Friedman, Ellen Archer, Suzanne Toren & Robert Petkoff
4****

Five-year-old Jack and his Ma have lived his entire life in a single Room, 11 ft x 11 ft, held captive by and dependent upon “Old Nick,” who grudgingly brings them groceries and “treats” (like aspirin).
Sounds horrific. But to Jack, who has known nothing but Room, this is normal. He leads what he thinks is a full and active life. He and Ma have their routines, play games, make meals, clean, do Phys Ed, watch TV, make toys, read books, sing songs, and tell stories. What is inside Room is real. What is outside is not real.

In Jack, Donoghue has created a child narrator that equals Scout Finch. He is observant, curious, maddening, creative, innocent, stubborn, scared and brave (“scave”). Things that we are all exposed to early on and never question confuse and scare him (rain, sand, stairs). Yet he has an amazing empathy and ability to discern others feelings - especially when their facial expressions do not match the words they are saying.

I’ve read negative reviews that fault Donoghue for not fully exploring Ma and Old Nick. I disagree with those comments. Readers who want a book that explores the abduction and rape should find a different book. Room isn’t about the adults in Jack’s world. It’s about Jack and how he manages to cope given his extremely limited environment during his early life. It’s about learning to explore the world outside of ourselves. It’s about being “scave.”

The audio book is performed by four voice artists. Michal Friedman does an exceptional job of voicing Jack, though I’ll admit I was close to irritation a few times because of that high-pitched child’s voice. (Imagine how Ma must have felt!) Ellen Archer as Ma gives us a woman struggling to maintain calm and control, yet needing so to rant and rave. Suzanne Toren and Robert Petkoff give voice to all the many other characters in the book.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Marguerite M

The Spy Who Came in From The Cold by John Le Carre
3/5 stars
Another group is reading this, so I thought I would check it out. The same experience as I had when I went from Lord of the Rings to Dune and truly understood the difference between Sci/Fi Fantasy and pure Science Fiction. I read Casino Royal, which really pop spy novels. This one by Le Carre was totally different. The good guys were bad, the bad guys were good and I didn't know what to expect next. I had to re read the last page a couple of times because I could not believe how it ended. I might try another one. It's always good to step out of your comfort zone.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

The Girl Who Married a Lion - Alexander McCall Smith
3***

This is a collection of fables, legends and myths from two countries in Africa – Zimbabwe and Botswana. These traditional stories share many characteristics with folk tales from neighboring regions. But while they may be a part of the oral literature of Southern Africa, the lessons taught are universal in that they explore emotions common to all humankind – greed, envy, pride, ambition, love, kindness, generosity.

Smith explains in the forward that he has done little more than record the stories, though he has added some description of landscape and expanded on emotional reactions to make them more understandable and entertaining to a wider readership.

I found them interesting – some more than others – but I got bored. Part of this I think is due to my realization about half way through the collection that I was missing the humor and “lilt of the language’ present in Smith’s #1 Ladies Detective Agency series. I guess I had expected to find more his signature style in his telling of these stories. I’m sure I would be similarly bored by a steady diet of Aesop’s fables or The Brothers Grimm. After all, in an oral tradition you would hear only one or two such stories at a time, not 30+ in one sitting.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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A Bitter Veil - Libby Fischer Hellman
3.5***

For this historical thriller, Hellmann has chosen the time frame of 1977-1980, during the Iranian Revolution. Anna Schroder meets fellow grad student Nouri Samedi in a Chicago bookstore. They share a love of poetry, which is what begins their relationship. Despite their different cultures, they find in each other qualities which complete them, and fall in love. But when they return to Nouri’s native Iran, Anna is confronted with a greater cultural and religious divide than she had anticipated.

Hellmann has obviously done her research and she presents both sides of the many issues that resulted in the rise of the Ayatollah Khomeini (at least in my opinion). I found the lead characters rather naïve, but I reminded myself of their youth and idealism and how each had been somewhat sheltered by his/her family, and went with the flow. I was completely caught up in the story of Anna’s increasing isolation, the limited (or lack of) options, and her resolve.

In the Author Note at the end of the novel, Hellmann explains how the idea for the book came to her – her fascination with a story of one woman’s struggle against seemingly insurmountable obstacles. But, she says, she felt stymied because the story had no crime, and she writes crime fiction. So, on the advice of a friend she invented a crime around which to build her plot. I have news for Hellmann – she does a fine job of writing fiction without the crime (which, in this case, I felt resolved a little too neatly). What I found most interesting about the book was Anna’s journey from a naïve college student to a strong and resourceful young woman.

I’ve passed the book on to my husband, who loves reading about international issues and intrigue. I’m sure he’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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The Drop - Michael Connelly
Audio book performed by Len Cariou
4****

This is the latest Harry Bosch mystery. I don’t want to give anything away so will dispense with the plot summary except to say that Harry and his partner are working a cold case when they are also assigned a priority case, investigating the death of a powerful councilman’s son.

Connelly writes a fast-paced, intricately plotted story, but he also explores his characters’ motivations, which makes the books more interesting to me. Doesn’t hurt that he manages some twists and turns I never saw coming.

Cariou does a pretty good job of narrating, but his naturally “gravelly” voice makes it more difficult to voice the women.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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Othello - William Shakespeare
4****

This is perhaps Shakespeare’s darkest play – featuring characters that are flawed and damaged, but which completely captivate us. Our title character – Othello, the Moor - is a highly regarded general. As the play opens he has recently eloped with the lovely Desdemona, to the consternation of her father and others who were hopeful suitors. Egged on by Iago (one of literature’s most reviled villains), they accuse Othello of somehow bewitching Desdemona, but the couple successfully convinces everyone that their love is true and pure.

Iago is a true sociopath. Rules do not apply to him, and duplicity is second nature to him. His oily manner convinces everyone that he has only their own best interests at heart while he plants seeds of doubt everywhere, ensuring that everyone becomes suspicious and disheartened. Iago uses the other characters as his pawns some sort of game he plays for his own benefit. He particularly targets Othello, recognizes the chink in his armor is his relationship with Desdemona, and manages to turn this noble general into a homicidal, emotional wreck.

I do wonder how Othello, Cassio, and Roderigo (among others) can be so easily swayed by Iago. Othello, in particular, should be able to see through this smarmy false friend. I’m completely perplexed by Emilia’s role in this tragedy. How can she abet her husband’s evil plans? Is she really so clueless?

Shakespeare writes a true psychological drama, exploring the darkest human emotion and motivation.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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The Talented Mr Ripley – Patricia Highsmith
4****

Long before Dexter there was Tom Ripley.

Ripley is smart and talented, but he’s also bored and restless. He has a good head for figures and has worked at several jobs that make use of his bookkeeping/accounting skills. But he never stays anywhere for long. He’s just getting by and longs for wealth, travel, friends and excitement. Enter Mr. Greenleaf who is desperate to have his son, Dickie, return from an extended stay in Italy. Would Tom be willing to go there and convince Dickie to come home? Mr Greenleaf would happily pay his expenses. This seems the perfect opportunity – a chance to get on the road to success and the kind of lifestyle Tom feels he deserves.

What I find so fascinating about Ripley is that Highsmith has created a rather smarmy and petulant “hero” – easy to dislike, and yet charmingly fascinating. How can we help but cheer for him as he strings Mr Greenleaf along and ingratiates himself with the young, wealthy Americans lolling about Europe? But there is a definite dark side to Tom. He is guarded and sneaky, a careful observer and willing to do whatever is necessary to further his own plans. It’s not his fault that he has to kill people; they posed a threat to his dream of wealth.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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Say Her Name – Francisco Goldman
Audio book narrated by Robert Fass
2.5**

Goldman found the love of his life in a decades younger grad student (not his student) from Mexico. He gave his heart to the brilliant, witty, exuberant Aura, and they were looking forward to starting a family when she was tragically killed during a beach holiday. This unexpected tragedy affected Francisco and Aura’s mother in ways no one expected. Francisco was completely bereft and lost in his grief. Eventually he wrote this “novel” – a barely fictionalized story of Aura and of their love.

I had such high hopes for this book. Everything I had read about it and what I was told by others who had read it (and whose opinion I trust) led me to believe this would be a wonderful testament to an enduring love that ended tragically. I was able to go hear the author speak when he was on the book tour, and was touched by his sincerity and emotion.

So what went wrong for me with this book? At first I thought it was the fault of the narrator. Fass does not have the right voice for this book. His tone is not “round” enough to tell the story of the Mexican Aura Estrada. Yes, I know the narrator of the book is Francisco, who was born and raised in the United States, but I’d heard the author read excerpts from the book, and Fass doesn’t sound like what I remembered Goldman sounding like. Still, I really do not think I can blame Fass and the audio version for my lackluster reaction. I have the text as well, and looking through it, reading sections on my own … I just don’t find the “heart” I was expecting.

I will say that the section where Goldman relates that final day at the beach is absolutely riveting. My heart breaks for Aura and Francisco, and all their friends and family, even for the “bystanders” who witnessed the events and tried to help, or shied away in horror. I wish the immediacy and emotion of these chapters had been present earlier and throughout the book.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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Lucky You – Carl Hiaasen
4****

Two redneck felons from Miami win the Florida Lotto, but so does a quiet black woman from a small town known for its religious shrines. The men figure they shouldn't have to share their prize, especially with a Negro, and so they set out to steal her ticket. But JoLayne Lucks isn’t taking this injustice lying down. She has a noble purpose in mind for her share of the winnings and she’s not about to let those scumbags destroy her dream. With the help of a reporter who has lost his interest in features writing, she sets out to track the felons down and retrieve what is rightfully hers.

This is Hiaasen at his best. The novel is full of quirky (or downright insane) characters – a man who drills his own stigmata in order to get donations from the faithful, a woman who is “married” to the oil stain on the highway that looks “just like Jesus,” an assistant managing editor who begins speaking in tongues when he encounters a dozen baby turtles near a “weeping” statue of the Virgin Mary. And these are the good guys!

Throw in a little love interest, more than a few guns, the help of a mysterious federal agent, three co-conspirators who haven’t one brain between them, and two women who are far smarter than the criminals, and you have a recipe for a fast, enjoyable romp through the Florida landscape.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Marguerite M

Emma by Jane Austen
4/5 stars

So far my favorite. Emma wants to make the world a better place. The only trouble is she has never left the small town she lives in so her views of the world are a bit narrow. Still she means well and although she blunders through the book her heart is in the right place and once she learns she can't control the fates she settles downs decides to focus on her own happiness.

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Ape House – Sara Gruen
Playaway audio book read by Paul Boehmer
2**

Isabel Duncan and her fiancé Peter Benton head a university research facility studying language in great apes. The specific apes they are studying are bonobos, and Isabel, in particular, has developed a very close personal relationship with the family of apes. The day after journalist John Thigpen comes for an interview, the center is bombed by an animal rights activist group, and Isabel is seriously injured. To avoid any additional public outcry, the university sells the apes to a private concern. Barely recovering from her injuries, Isabel is horrified to discover that the apes are now starring in a reality TV show called The Ape House.

If all this sounds somewhat farfetched … well, it does come off like a soap opera. I wondered at times if she was trying to emulate Carl Hiaasen for colorful characters and unusual situations; if she was, she failed miserably. The final confrontation is a little too neatly tied up for my taste, and several subplots seem to go nowhere.

I was invested in the bonobo family from the beginning and wanted to know what would happen to them. It was the humans in the book that I never really got to know. The most interesting characters are the minor ones (even as stereotypical as they are). As written, Isabel is a flat character whose emotional range is stunted; no wonder she prefers the apes to humans. John Thigpen is confused about his career and possibly about his marriage, though I’m not even sure about that; again his story isn’t fleshed out. Basically the humans in this book irritated me more frequently than not.

Paul Boehmer does a good job of performing the work. He’s especially effective voicing John Thigpen. The audio book held my attention, and for that I give 2 stars.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Marguerite M

The Leader's Way by The Dalai Lama
4/5 stars
This book is for anyone who had ever had to make a decision. The Dalai Lama talks about right thinking and right acting and how to achieve them. It's not easy, but it's worth the effort. He also gives lots of examples of people who have made a difference by applying those principles. An uplifting, informative book that should be read by all leaders.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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Peony in Love – Lisa See
Audio book narrated by Janet Song
3***

In 17th century China, Peony has grown up as the only child of the wealthy Chen family. Her father is a scholar and he has encouraged his daughter’s love of books, opera and poetry. Now, two days before her sixteenth birthday, the household is preparing for a presentation of the famous Chinese opera – The Peony Pavilion, and her father has made special arrangements so that women will be able to hear the performance. The opera is controversial because many young maidens have been lured to their deaths by the strong emotions engendered by the love story.

This is a very Chinese story. Steeped in the long-held traditions of ancestor worship, belief in spirits and strict societal roles, See manages to present a story that celebrates feminism and the women writers who are all but forgotten today. I found it difficult to engage in the novel because of this deep tradition; it was, simply put, too foreign to me. I kept judging Peony and the other characters by my present-day standards. I was irritated by the restrictions she and other women so easily accepted. I caught on to several plot twists long before Peony realized them. I just had to keep reminding myself of her sheltered upbringing, her youth and inexperience.

Song’s narration didn’t help this. She has a slow, almost ponderous delivery, which just did not breathe any life into the work.

What I found most interesting was the author note at the very end of the book. See’s assignment to do a magazine piece about Lincoln Center’s full-length production of The Peony Pavilion led her to information about the lovesick maidens. Intrigued, she did further research and found a wealth of information about the accomplished women writers in China. I appreciate that she tried to pay homage to them in this work, but I think the story got away from her.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

Small Island – Andrea Levy
4****

Set against the backdrop of World War 2 and its immediate aftermath, this is a story with universal appeal. Two couples – the Jamaicans Hortense and Gilbert Joseph and the British Queenie and Bernard Bligh – find their way in circumstances neither ever considered. They share a desire to better themselves, but fail to recognize their common goals and instead focus on their differences. Queenie grabbed at a chance to leave her life on a farm and hastily married a boring banker, but her husband never returned from the war and now she is alone and friendless in a house that she cannot maintain. Hortense, schooled in proper manners and with expectations of refined living, is shocked at the sordidness of the post-war London home in which she and Gilbert are lodgers, and at the hostility that many Britons display to these immigrants. The sudden return of Bernard Bligh will spark the turn of events leading to the climax.

Levy has written a gem of a novel that explores every human emotion, but ends with a feeling of hope. The dialogue is wonderful, including just enough colloquial expression to really bring the characters to life. I felt for these wounded people and celebrated their triumphs, however small. The four central characters take turns narrating, giving us insight into their expectations, strengths and failings. Levy also has the action alternate between Jamaica and England; the novel also goes back and forth in time, building suspense and leading to an ending that is as inevitable as it is unexpected.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

On the Beach – Nevil Shute
4****

This post-apocalyptic novel was published in 1957 and set in the future – 1963 (though current readers might consider it “historical”). It takes place primarily in and around Melbourne Australia. World War has decimated the northern hemisphere a year or two previously, and the nuclear debris is slowly spreading on the winds to the southern hemisphere. The population knows that the end is coming; in about nine months they will all get radiation sickness and die. But for now … the sun shines, people go to work (albeit on horseback or via bicycle since they have no petrol), babies are born, children attend school, sports matches are played, beach and picnic outings are had … in short, life goes on.

I cannot remember the last time I was so affected by a book. Part of my reaction, I’m sure, harkens back to my own days as a child during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Cold War. I lived in a military town, and we felt we would be a prime target if bombs were launched against us. I remember the “duck and cover” drills, the discussions I had with my parents about what to do if “something happened” while I was at school. On a basic level, this book touched and awakened all those fears and insecurities.

I’ve had dreams about the situation these characters find themselves in. What would I do if I knew I was going to die? Would I plant daffodil bulbs I’d never see flower? Would I start a new course of study I’d always wanted to pursue, knowing I’d never finish it and never be able to get a job in that career field? Would I abandon my duties and obligations to indulge in hobbies? Would I give up and seek the numbing effects of alcohol? Would I embrace the chance at a new love? Would I kill my baby or my elderly parents to ensure they didn’t suffer? Would I end it quickly or die a slow agonizing death, knowing my loved ones, friends, neighbors, countrymen were all dying similarly?

It’s not a “teary” book, but I was in tears at the end. I’m really glad I finally read this book that has been on my tbr list for (literally) decades.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Marguerite M

Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin
4/5 stars
A review of the 2008 election season with lots of behind the scene tid bits. The main focus was Obama/Clinton, but it looked at all the presidential hopefuls. Told in a story form there is lots of statistical information, but it's incorporated into the story so you never get the feeling you are memorizing spreadsheets. A very honest, open look at elections. The good, bad and so very ugly.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Marguerite M

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Gorden
4/5 stars
A moving tale of a young girl who is taken from your fishing village and transfered into the world of Geisha, where every move is a dance of enticement and entertainment. A Geisha is beautiful, graceful, clever, discreet, and the best ones are a power unto themselves. Glamor and heartbreak go hand in hand in this world and survival depends on catching the eye of the right man who can change everything.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

Grave Secrets – Kathy Reichs
Audio book narrated by Katherine Borowitz
3***

Forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan is in Guatemala working to excavate a decades-old mass grave and identify the bodies buried there, when she is asked to help local police with their investigation into the disappearance of four young women. Is there a serial killer on the loose? Why is the DA hampering the investigation? What is the Canadian ambassador’s wife hiding? Is the local detective truly interested in her – in a personal way – or is she imagining this because she misses Ryan?

Reichs crafts a fast-moving, intricate plot. The pace is unrelenting, with just enough scientific information to make Tempe an interesting professional, but not so much that the non-scientist reader loses interest. There are enough red herrings here to distract the most dedicated sleuth. I know that I was still thinking, “what about …?” when the final reveal came, and I like being surprised. But let’s talk about our heroine. Tempe is – for the most part – an independent and intelligent woman. She doesn’t take s**t from anyone and she’s pretty capable when it comes to taking care of herself. So why does she – yet again – go off chasing the bad guy without backup or even her cell phone? ARRGH. I typically give up on a series after about three or four installments; it’s not necessarily the fault of the author, but I get bored reading about the same character in similar settings over and over again. Grave Secrets is the 5th in this series, and I may have reached my limit.

Borowitz does a great job narrating this thriller. Her pacing is quick, and she does a reasonable job of the various accents required in this story. I’d listen to her again.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

The Forest Lover – Susan Vreeland
4****

Emily Carr was a pioneering painter, choosing as her subject the lush landscape and pre-European history of British Columbia. She focused her efforts first on recording the incredible art of the First Nations clans, especially as expressed in their totem poles, but soon expanded to capturing the spirit of the place - the serenity, power and life’s blood of the centuries-old forests that surrounded her. The path she chose was not an easy one. She refused to conform to the expectations of the white Vancouver society into which she was born. She fought her sisters for the money she needed to paint as she felt she must. She suffered negative reviews and scorn of her countrymen for her focus on native peoples. She pushed her way into art studios in France to learn the techniques she would need to capture the spirit of her beloved forests. She refused to compromise her vision, and finally achieved the recognition she deserved.

Vreeland paints a vivid portrait of Emily. She had a wealth of information from which to draw her novel’s characters. Carr, herself, left volumes of journals and narrative sketches, chronicling her efforts to understand, preserve and celebrate the land and the rich culture of its tribal people. I was captured from the first paragraph. There are passages in the novel that are breathtaking, powerful, urgent, serene and/or heartbreaking. I felt Emily’s frustration, elation, confusion, compassion and joy.

I’ve visited Canada many times, going to art museums in Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto and Montreal. Reading the book I can only think that I never saw Carr’s work in all those visits. How could I forget something so evocative and powerful? This novel makes me want to visit “the forest primeval” again, and to see Emily Carr’s paintings.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

My Man Jeeves – P G Wodehouse
Book on CD performed by Jonathan Cecil
3***

Bertie Wooster isn’t particularly talented or resourceful. He does have a significant income, however and is generous to his many friends. But his best asset is his man, Jeeves – an unflappable, intelligent, resourceful, creative, and discreet valet.

Wodehouse wrote and published these stories as articles in various periodicals. Published as a collection, they appeal to fans of the genre, but …

While they were fun and a great escape, the plots are repetitive, and I got tired of them after about four in a row. Still they were a nice diversion after reading some “heavier” material.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Eddie Edwards

Book Concierge, I love Wodehouse and am reading "Damsel In Distress" right now. It is delightful, as is the tv series Jeeves and Wooster! Fun!

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

Sights Unseen – Kaye Gibbons
5*****

Opening paragraph: Had I known my mother was being given electroconvulsive therapy while I was dressing for school on eight consecutive Monday mornings, I do not think I could have buttoned my blouses or tied my shoes or located my homework. I see myself fumbling with the snap on my skirt, trying to connect the sides, turning around in a circle like a cat chasing its tail. I was twelve, deemed too young to be told what was happening to her and in fact too innocent to surmise it.

Hattie narrates this novel exploring how a mother’s mental illness affects her family, particularly her daughter. The story takes place in the late 1950s to mid 1960s, in a small community in North Carolina, where Hattie’s grandfather is a prominent citizen who can fix just about anything by opening his wallet. There is much in this culture that is left unseen. In deference to his power, no one refers to Maggie (Hattie’s mother) as a “lunatic” but as “the woman with all those problems.” But more than her mother’s mental illness is unseen in this household. People choose not to see the prejudice and hatred regularly displayed by Mr Barnes. Nor do they acknowledge how he spoils Maggie, practically courting her, while ignoring his own son. No one seems to notice how the children are isolated by their mother’s illness. In fact, it seems that no one sees anyone else’s emotional needs and reactions.

I’ve read nearly all Gibbons’s works. She is a talented writer, who is, herself, bi-polar. Her works capture the reader who escapes ever so reluctantly at the end of each novel. Her writing is to be treasured.

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston
Book on CD performed by Ruby Dee
5***** and ❤

Zora Neale Hurston was part of the Harlem Renaissance of writers. This work takes place from about 1899-1930 in the Deep South, and chronicles one woman's struggle for independence. It tells the story of Janie who is first married to Logan Kennick, an older "safe" farmer, and then to Joe Starks, a smooth-talking "respectable" man, but finally finds love with TeaCake, a gambler and migrant worker. She slowly comes to realize her own desires and to stand up for herself.

I’ve read this book twice before. Like many readers, I originally struggled with the dialect in which Hurston writes the novel, but eventually succumbed to the rhythm and cadence of the speech. When I read it the second time I was ready for the experience and didn’t suffer the confusion I had on my first reading. For this third experience I chose to listen to the audio book, performed by the incomparable Ruby Dee. Wow! She gives such life to these characters, such immediacy and drama to the story line. Dee lets the listener live in the story – we enjoy the camaraderie of good friends and neighbors, feel the bone-weary ache of a long day spent picking beans, share the warmth of love, race with terror to outrun danger, and collapse under the strain of the inevitable. Dee’s performance deserves a 6th star!

posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

The Elephant’s Journey – Jose Saramago
4****

This delightful novella reads like a fable or morality tale, but is based on a true incident in European history. In 1550 King Joao III of Portugal decided that the perfect wedding gift for Archduke Maximilian of Austria would be an elephant. The elephant, Solomon, had been languishing in a corner of the king’s palace for a couple of years, along with his mahout, Subhro; the two of them all but forgotten. The decision to present them to Maximillian made, the only dilemma was how to get the gift to Vienna. Solomon had arrived in Lisbon via ship, but Vienna is an inland city. So, Solomon and Subhro, accompanied by a caravan of soldiers, laborers, and numerous wagons and ox carts full of provisions, set out to walk across Central Europe.

Along the way they encounter various officials, peasants, priests, and wildlife, each providing an excuse for Saramago to engage in philosophical asides and/or to skewer sacred institutions and beliefs. He treats us to his thoughts on power, dignity, friendship, religion, and human weaknesses. Saramago’s writing is not for the faint of heart. He uses minimal punctuation, and the only capitalization is at the beginning of each sentence. A sentence can be as long as a paragraph. A paragraph can last three or four pages. If the reader can surrender to this style, s/he will be rewarded with a wonderful story told by a master storyteller. I’ve read two other books by Saramago - Blindness and The Double. This book is certainly the most approachable of the three, and would make a good introduction to this author.

posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

A Year in the Merde – Stephen Clarke
Audio book read by John Lee
3***

This is a “true story” of one Brit’s experiences working for a French company in Paris in 2002-2003. Paul West is hired to open a chain of “typical” English tearooms in Paris. We quickly learn that he barely understands, let alone speaks French, he’s saddled with a team that isn’t at all enthusiastic about working on the project, and he can’t even seem to order a normal size cup of coffee. Still he manages to luck into a pretty good living situation – rooming with his boss’s daughter in subsidized student housing. As he traverses the streets of Paris and cultural nuances of the French, he soon finds himself stepping in the “merde” … both literally and figuratively.

I was hoping for a Peter Mayle style, but was disappointed. Clarke certainly tackles the French political climate, the people’s attitudes towards work, food and/or sex, the unions, and the love/hate relationship with all things English. There are some humorous scenes, but nothing laugh-out-loud funny. John Lee does a great job with the various characters and their differing accents. Three stars is a little generous, but (*shrugs with arms extended, palm up*) it did remind me of what I love (and hate) about France.

posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

The Language of Flowers – Vanessa Diffenbaugh
4****

Victoria Jones was abandoned as an infant. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday she is about to be emancipated from the foster care system she’s lived in all her life. She has limited schooling, no family, no job prospects. What she does have is an ancient Victorian Flower Dictionary, and the knowledge she gained during one important placement when she was nine. She leverages this limited but extraordinary skill into a job as an assistant at a flower shop, and begins – slowly and painfully – to blossom.

What a lovely debut novel! It wasn’t at all what I expected. Diffenbaugh has used her experiences as a foster mother to explore the emotional wounds and difficulties of a young woman truly left on her own for most of her life. Yes, she mentions some of the abusive horrors of the system, but mostly she focuses on the good that comes from understanding, patience and unconditional love, and how ONE loving placement can have a long-lasting impact on a child’s life. Victoria’s emotional growth is at times painful to read about, but there is much in her life (and in this book) to celebrate.

I found the use of the flower dictionary – harking back to Victorian times – to send messages of hope, love, belief, support, desire and forgiveness unique and interesting. I was afraid that the book would rely too heavily on this device and that I’d grow bored, but Diffenbaugh deftly weaves this information throughout the story, without overusing it. I thought the ending was a little too simply wrapped up, but I just looked at the remains of the purple hyacinth in my garden and all was forgiven. Fortunately I have plenty of hawthorn in my wooded yard to keep me company as I wait for Diffenbaugh’s next novel.

posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )

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Book Concierge

Never Change – Elizabeth Berg
4****

Myra Lipinski has spent her life looking out at everyone else living their lives. Working as a visiting nurse, she cares with tender efficiency for patients who need the kind of nursing care she can provide. She also feels genuine affection for them, bolsters their spirits and helps them outside of her official duties. But she has to remain professionally detached. Fortunately this comes easy for her. At fifty-one, she knows she will always live alone – except for her dog Frank. After all, she’s always been unattractive – the girl who sits outside the school cafeteria selling prom tickets, but never attends the dance. But her assumptions are tested when her old high school crush, Chip Reardon, returns to town. He is dying and he needs a nurse.

What I love about Berg’s novels is that she gives us something to think about, but also lets the reader feel with the characters. I felt Myra’s loneliness, exhilaration, peace, fear, anger, and pride. I found myself thinking about what constitutes quality of life, why certain people are attracted to one another, or how a chance encounter can really change the course of one’s life. I like that Berg’s characters are – for the most part – fully fleshed out. Even minor characters show both strengths and weaknesses. Pay attention to the prologue, and after you finish the epilogue go back and re-read the prologue. I love how Berg bookends Myra’s story with these two sections, calling attention to the wonder of normal everyday things.

posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )

Book Concierge

An Unfinished Life – Mark Spragg
Audio book performed by Tony Amendola and Judith Marx
5*****

Fleeing her abusive boyfriend, Jane Gilkyson and her 10-year-old daughter, Griff, are headed for the West Coast. But when car trouble strands them, they have no choice but to turn to Jane’s father-in-law, a man who blames her for the death of his son. It will be up to Griff to help them see the need to let go of recrimination and regret, and to embrace love and forgiveness.

This is the first book by Mark Spragg that I’ve read, and it won’t be the last. He has mastered the art of “show, don’t tell,” giving us insight into these characters and their complex relationships without spelling anything out. His writing is rather spare, yet he conveys a strong sense of place; and the dialogue is spot on. Spragg alternates different characters’ points of view. This lets the reader know what each character is thinking, but also serves to build suspense in that we aren’t privy to all the information at once. The audio book is masterfully performed by Tony Amendola and Judith Marx.

The Bibliophile Club