When reflecting on this book the first word that comes to mind is haunting, both in style and content. The novel is centered around Henry Townsend, a When reflecting on this book the first word that comes to mind is haunting, both in style and content. The novel is centered around Henry Townsend, a freed Black man in Virginia who himself becomes a slaveowner. Henry dies suddenly and his land and slaves are left to his wife who struggles to maintain order. In a close reading I wondered whether that was something she really desired -running a farm with slave labor.
The "haunting" feeling comes in the way the story is written. There's a certain nonchalance that makes the terror of slavery almost feel 'normal' (the in the South of the 1850s it was), it's just hard to read about it in those terms. The incongruity of a Black family (particularly slaves who bought their freedom) is especially jarring. The novel's strength though is in the depth of the characters. Too often novels of the south at that time play on stereotypes (and there are some of these - the sadistic overseer, the crooked slave traders), but there's always so much more. The author also brilliantly weaves past and present into the story - it jumps around but we do learn some of the outcomes of the characters.
Overall, an amazing, difficult and necessary novel....more
A fascinating and compelling biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer - the father of the Atomic Bomb, whose left wing politics tarnished his reputation latA fascinating and compelling biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer - the father of the Atomic Bomb, whose left wing politics tarnished his reputation late in life. This was a precursor to our modern "cancel culture" whereby no matter what one accomplished, the past is never far behind and political hysteria triumphs over reality. Yes, Oppenheimer was friendly with Communists prior to WWII and more likely than not was naive and loyal to friends. He never denied his associations but there is no evidence he did anything untoward. When approached to share secrets with the Soviet Union he steadfastly refused. I suppose his arrogance and unconventional personality worked against him especially in the conservative 1950s but his genius was unquestioned and who knows how the world would be without his work on The Bomb. Perhaps safer? Perhaps not?
I listened to this book and unfortunately the production wasn't great which detracted from the book at times.
And fun fact - the co-author, Martin Sherwin, was my professor at Tufts. He taught my favorite course - "Cold War in America". ...more
A mythical diamond links a German solider and a blind French girl during WW II. An overly simplistic synopsis of a very dense novel. The author switchA mythical diamond links a German solider and a blind French girl during WW II. An overly simplistic synopsis of a very dense novel. The author switched between the two characters chapter by chapter (mostly) throughout the novel. This convention didn't always work as it disrupted the flow of the narrative, but as the book went on I appreciated its intent. I hesitated reading this as the blurbs led me to believe it would be a stereotypical war time novel, but it wasn't. It dug deeply into what war leads one to do just to survive. The most moving parts of the novel came at the end when the sister of the German soldier brings the blind girl a model her brother had come upon during the war. You get a strong sense of how Germans and French were impacted 30 years after the war - scars that never actually healed....more
This is excellent biography of Theodore Roosevelt's early life (from birth until he gets the call that McKinley has died and he's to become president)This is excellent biography of Theodore Roosevelt's early life (from birth until he gets the call that McKinley has died and he's to become president). TR is a fascinating character (and he is a character to be sure). He's loud, brash, brilliant, funny, whip-smart, political and intense. We see all of this and more through the author's narrative approach to his subject. It's more of the "story" of the life of TR than a recitation of events as many biographies devolve into. Can't wait for volumes 2 and 3....more
There's so much to like about this book, particularly the clever plot. Trees and humans intersect in unpredictable ways and disparate threads are connThere's so much to like about this book, particularly the clever plot. Trees and humans intersect in unpredictable ways and disparate threads are connected. However at times the tree-symbolism was overwhelming and for me distracting. However the writing is brilliant and though it took me a while, I really enjoyed this novel....more
This is an incredibly powerful book based upon the atrocities that took place at a boys "reform" school in Florida. The story's main character, ElwoodThis is an incredibly powerful book based upon the atrocities that took place at a boys "reform" school in Florida. The story's main character, Elwood, ends up in the Nickel School under very unfortunate circumstances - though naivete in and of itself is not a crime it can lead to some truly unintended consequences. Prior to Elwood's incarceration he seemed to have a bright future (as bright as an African American teen in the Jim Crow south could at that time). He was reading the writings of Dr. King and becoming absorbed in the growing civil rights movement. His life changed in an instant and instead of taking college courses he navigating the violent and brutal juvenile penal system.
The writing was of course brilliant as is always the case with Colson Whitehead, but where some authors may have beaten the reader over the head with brutality, Whitehead is more nuanced which makes it all the more terrifying and real.
There are some interesting twists which I won't reveal, you'll have to read the book to find out!...more
I can see why this book won the Pulitzer Prize. The writing is amazing and the story compelling. The book starts with the fall of Saigon and follows aI can see why this book won the Pulitzer Prize. The writing is amazing and the story compelling. The book starts with the fall of Saigon and follows a Vietnamese double-agent (who himself is half-Vietnamese and half-French) as a refugee in the US and on an ill-fated trip back to Southeast Asia. Though I've read a great deal about the Vietnam War (or the American War depending on whose side you are on), this is the first novel by a Vietnamese writer with a Vietnamese perspective. It puts the experience in much sharper focus and the author deftly balances both the North and South Vietnamese sides of the story. There is an episode in the book where the main character acts as a "consultant" on a movie about the war (inspired by Apocalypse Now) which is some of the best writing I have ever read. In all, a fantastic book!...more
I ended up reading this book by happenstance - I saw it on the $1.00 table at the SF Library Wednesday book sale and started reading it. 20 minutes laI ended up reading this book by happenstance - I saw it on the $1.00 table at the SF Library Wednesday book sale and started reading it. 20 minutes later it seemed logical to plop down a buck and take it home.
I was in LA on September 11, 2001. My wife and I were packing up our apartment and getting ready to drive back to New York with stops at National Parks along the way. My company was transferring me back to NY after a year plus in LA and we were excited to be moving back to the city we called home after living there over five years. I have a million other ultra-vivid memories of that drive and the weeks that followed. Few of them very good.
Since then I've been reluctant to read anything about that day and its aftermath - I'm not sure exactly why - anger, frustration, fear of any book being "too partisan", etc. So to me it was strange that I picked this book up, but enough time has past.
It's really not a book "about" 9/11, but the history leading up to that day including the rise of Al-Qaeda and bin Laden. It's also about the shortcomings of our criminal justice and intelligence services to put the pieces together. Plus religious history, geography, social and political history, etc. It is a really dense, well-researched and meticulously written account. I was amazed at the level of detail and the ability of the author to tell a compelling story without editorializing.
I'll say it reads like a great novel, but that presupposes that novels are somehow better "reads" than non-fiction. But absent a better comparison for now, it reads like a great novel, yet tragically it is non-fiction.
It's a painful book to read, but a necessary one and to paraphrase those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. ...more
I'm not sure I can any more about this book than what's already been said. It's brilliant. It's harsh. It's honest. It's real. It forces the reader (aI'm not sure I can any more about this book than what's already been said. It's brilliant. It's harsh. It's honest. It's real. It forces the reader (and in my case a white reader) to face the uncomfortable truths about race and its role in our country - both yesterday, today and tomorrow. It's beauty is in its understatements - at times I almost wished it would be harsher, but the terror in the mundane is much worse when it seems commonplace and void of hyperbole. It's hard to say a book "has" to be read, but this one does....more
Actually this should be a six. I cannot remember a book I've read in a long time that captured so much of a great novel should be. Great characters, cActually this should be a six. I cannot remember a book I've read in a long time that captured so much of a great novel should be. Great characters, compelling story, and lots and lots to think about along the way. Though Donna Tartt clearly wears her Dickens-love on her sleeve (Pippa, references to Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist), she's earned the right. Her portrayal of class-obsessed New York hits the right notes without being preachy and her meditations on sudden loss, love, beauty, and connection will resonate with me for a long, long time. Sure there were some cliches and silly plot devices, but heck, no one is immune....more
Fascinating story of Eleanor and Franklin during WWII. They had a very complex relationship - at times distant, but full of admiration for each other'Fascinating story of Eleanor and Franklin during WWII. They had a very complex relationship - at times distant, but full of admiration for each other's accomplishments and intelligence. The focus was as much on what each wanted our country to be like after the war as it was on the war itself. The most amazing revelations to me were how much the war changed our society from women in the work place, to de-segregation, to the complete transformation of our economy. Many imperfections remained but these two individuals had a profound impact on modern society....more
Whenever I listen to a book, rather than read it I have a difficult time separating my thoughts from vocal to the written. The narrator of this versioWhenever I listen to a book, rather than read it I have a difficult time separating my thoughts from vocal to the written. The narrator of this version at times sounded like a whiney old man and that to me was a distraction.
Audio quality aside, this is a great book. More than anything it is a book about identity - who we "are", not biologically (thought that's a huge theme of the book), but how we identify ourselves and is that consistent with how others identify us. In the hands of a lesser writer, this could have been a trite, or boring work. Jeffrey Eugenides is NOT a lesser writer. His narrator, Cal Stephonides takes us back and forth in time - and tells us the story of her life and the lives of others from their immigration to Detroit from Greece/Turkey (again, idenity - are they Greek or Turkish and what happens when friends become enemies.
The challenge of the book was the first person omniscient point of view. I found it hard to relate to Cal when I realized he knew everything past and present. Or maybe I'm just jealous since it was such a technically adroit narration and I was mesmerized and perplexed with how he pulled it off.
I picked this up after hearing the author do a reading at a local bookstore. I didn't know what to expect - the story takes place in North Korea, a coI picked this up after hearing the author do a reading at a local bookstore. I didn't know what to expect - the story takes place in North Korea, a country where so little is known and what's reported is always subject to question. However, this is a fantastic book - actually two books in one. The first and second halves are very different in voice and structure, yet there's several threads tying it all together. The author did spend some time in North Korea (albeit a very restricted visit), but he provided insights in what this insular nation is like. ...more
A great story of 3 generations of a New England family. It won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and was written by the drummer from a classic Boston rocA great story of 3 generations of a New England family. It won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and was written by the drummer from a classic Boston rock band from the 80s 'Cold Water Flat'. This proves once again that there are indeed second acts!...more
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