Hope is the soul's disposition to transcend the here and now and look toward a horizon of meaning that is greater than this world. "As a faith, it makHope is the soul's disposition to transcend the here and now and look toward a horizon of meaning that is greater than this world. "As a faith, it makes it possible to act amid absolute despair" (51)....more
I really enjoyed reading this! I would鈥檝e loved more details about how he felt actually running the auctions and that really did seem to be one of hisI really enjoyed reading this! I would鈥檝e loved more details about how he felt actually running the auctions and that really did seem to be one of his great passions was performing at auctions running the show and getting the best prices. I was fascinated by his childhood in Switzerland, and thinking about Basel鈥檚 history as a city of art. I also love knowing about his parents living in Japan while he was so far away back in Europe. The book is really propulsive and lively, and really his career was active before the big changes in the art market with contemporary art although he was part of that too in the end. Really enjoyable book!...more
Absolutely love this book. It had a little bit of a slow start for me only because I鈥檓 not a fan of teenage POV characters and so was hard for me to fAbsolutely love this book. It had a little bit of a slow start for me only because I鈥檓 not a fan of teenage POV characters and so was hard for me to feel captured by the story but once it got going, I found it very hard to put down and then once we got into the adult section, I found the book to be incredibly moving. I learned a lot about Corsica 鈥攃ulture and history 鈥攁nd the scene setting was superb鈥�. I also loved the love story. I truly loved this book and highly recommended!...more
Writing the story of his friend Inigo Philbrick's epic downfall, Orlando Whitfield writes with novelistic style and verve. This is a memoir, but it reWriting the story of his friend Inigo Philbrick's epic downfall, Orlando Whitfield writes with novelistic style and verve. This is a memoir, but it reads like a literary thriller. I found it hard to put down. Inigo and Orlando, art school friends in London with those names! How could they not be drawn into each other's orbit. Both coming from art backgrounds (Orlando's father was at Sotheby's or Christie's whole Inigo's father was a regional museum director back in the states), both of them knew they wanted to work in contemporary art--because, well, that is where the money is.
This book is about Inigo's infamous frauds, and it is also about Orlando's own turbulent trejectory... but the book more than anything is a searing portrait of the dark world of post-capitalist art collecting (investing/money laundering). Given what is the state of things in the totally unregulated world of the contemporary art trade, is it any wonder that both men fell into trouble?
Whifield walks a gray line as Carraway to Inigo's Gatsby since over and over again, he has to explain why his role in all this was what it is... but in so many ways for me that was the most fascinating story of all. Highly recommend the book.......more
This is an old-fashioned travel book of the kind that I used to read and love so much when I was younger. Just a young man out in the world processingThis is an old-fashioned travel book of the kind that I used to read and love so much when I was younger. Just a young man out in the world processing what he sees and really self deprecating and wonderful prose. You don鈥檛 see a lot of these kinds of books being written anymore, which is a shame. Some of scenes made me laugh out loud!...more
#One of best books about Japan--ever! Beautiful sentences and wonderful story. Inspiring!!
Writer and photographer Craig Mod arrived in Tokyo when he w#One of best books about Japan--ever! Beautiful sentences and wonderful story. Inspiring!!
Writer and photographer Craig Mod arrived in Tokyo when he was only nineteen. In many ways, he was already running. Running from a challenging childhood, running from bullies. And running from that feeling like he was always just one step away from disaster because of violence and lack of opportunity in his hometown.
It鈥檚 a story we know: of people leading middle class lives in a factory town鈥攎aybe in the mid-west? 鈥攐nly to watch when the factory closes and the whole town becomes suddenly out of work. This leads to hardship and poverty, which can, and often does, lead to drugs and violence. And in Mod鈥檚 case, it led to trauma when his best friend, who鈥檚 like a brother to him, is murdered鈥� another casualty of economic injustice.
But even before Bryan dies, Mod already knew he wanted to get as far away as possible from the place where he was born. He longed to see the world and maybe be able to grow as an artist and as a human being. But in a world of constant struggle, that is easier said than done.
Almost on a whim, he lands in Japan, where he begins to take long walks. Crisscrossing the country on ancient pilgrimage routes, like the Kumano Kod艒, Mod starts opening up to people. And he is astonished by this new land in which he鈥檚 found himself, where so many of the problems back home had simply been solved.
Not to say it鈥檚 perfect and definitely not to say that Japanese people don鈥檛 have their own problems, but as he explains, in Japan, the safety net is stronger. And so, even the least fortunate citizen cannot fall that far. Part of it is simply having universal healthcare, outstanding public transportation, and a solid public education infrastructure鈥攐ne that is not based on wealth and zip codes like back home. That alone makes life less fraught, he says, and work becomes less perilous since your job no longer determines life and death healthcare outcomes nor the quality of your children鈥檚 education.
And so, arriving in Japan was a revelation. And feeling less vulnerable, he slowly begins to open himself to the world.
Scarcity is in important word in Mod鈥檚 book. By scarcity he is not just talking about financial scarcity but rather is referring to a state of affairs where people are in many ways pitted against each other in the rat race, something that is hard to opt out of if you have kids who need to be educated and have health care.
And Mod brings up an interesting point, one that has haunted me since returning to America. How can human flourishing exist in a place of scarcity, when character cultivation and compassion requires the time and space to notice and listen to the world around us?
Scarcity is in important word in Mod鈥檚 book. By scarcity he is not just talking about financial scarcity but rather is referring to a state of affairs where people are in many ways pitted against each other in the rat race, something that is hard to opt out of if you have kids who need to be educated and have health care.
And Mod brings up an interesting point, one that has haunted me since returning to America. How can human flourishing exist in a place of scarcity, when character cultivation and compassion requires the time and space to notice and listen to the world around us?
Reading his wonderful travel memoir, imagining his long walks crisscrossing the country on ancient pilgrimage routes, I felt myself falling in love with Japan all over again. My time there rewired my brain, making me less selfish and more giving, which is something he also talks about in his book. It gave me the ability to listen rather than talk about what I wanted or needed all the time. In America, I think it is true that we are taught to value and stick up for ourselves from an early age. And yet Mod says he felt abandoned by the whole and found it hard to love and value himself. Reading this beautiful memoir, following along step by step as he crisscrosses the mountains and narrow paths that cling to the sea, I realized how much this story was a pilgrimage within. And how much I love Japan....more
Based on an actual event, this book is centered on a shocking story about a group of migrants who took an inflatable dinghy from France to the UK, capBased on an actual event, this book is centered on a shocking story about a group of migrants who took an inflatable dinghy from France to the UK, capsizing in the channel when their boat stalls. They make repeated calls to the UK authorities for help, to be told that help was on the way, but then told "but you really should call France because you鈥檙e in French waters." Despite the fact that their are floundering in freezing water, they are made to call repeatedly and eventually all aboard die. The calls are recorded and when they are leaked the public is stunned to heard the coast guard authority becoming increasingly callous and irritated, and finally says something to the effect that, 鈥測ou know you鈥檙e not going to be saved, right?"
It鈥檚 a shocking story based on a shocking real life event, but because the author is a philosopher, who is a Kierkegaard specialist, it鈥檚 a nuanced exploration of the banality of evil. The authority is accused of negligence in her duty but she refuses point-blank to be held more responsible than the rest of us. I was really hoping for the book to win the booker prize. I was pleased it was on the shortlist because it鈥檚 absolutely fantastic.
Apparently the author wrote it in three weeks and it鈥檚 only based on the recorded calls other than the moving section in the middle from the perspective of the people on the boat.
Fantastic writing. I cannot recommend enough her latest novel, which is a retelling of Moby Dick. The wonders of that novel led me to her memoir. I caFantastic writing. I cannot recommend enough her latest novel, which is a retelling of Moby Dick. The wonders of that novel led me to her memoir. I can鈥檛 recommend her writing enough. She鈥檚 extraordinarily talented. ...more
Wonderful cover and great setup. For me the problem was putting an unconvincing heist plot together with flat characters and cringy romance writing...Wonderful cover and great setup. For me the problem was putting an unconvincing heist plot together with flat characters and cringy romance writing... I rarely leave negative reviews and I almost never don't finish a book. But I was pretty disappointed as I had looked forward to someone tackling the art looted from the summer palace and how that rightfully grates in China. The material was not tackled in a serious way, but the heist did not have a playful or light touch. Okay, this is my once every three or four years negative review and I already feel guilty about it. ...more
The reviewers are uniformly calling this novel ambitious. And that is very true. With three POV characters, the novel spans nearly a centBookclub Read
The reviewers are uniformly calling this novel ambitious. And that is very true. With three POV characters, the novel spans nearly a century. The ambition is not just in the structure of the book, but rather, the story itself is very successful at evoking what could be called the collapse of the American dream.
I think a lot of readers will be grabbed by the first POV character Tobey. His story is set in 2024 and he is struggling in the gig economy and suffering from a natural disaster--a fire wipes out his town. Compared to his cousin's grandfather's day, when a man from a humble background could show up in Hollywood, claiming an ancestry that was false and rise to stardom as a director, for Tobey things are tougher.
The grandfather is the alpha character. His story spans the longest and is the most detailed. The grandfather's granddaughter is Diane, who is a famous contemporary artist in the 1980s. This part of the novel is very beautifully written. The 80s art scene in NYC comes to life big time--with drugs and artists who come out of nowhere like Basquiet or Cindy Sherman.
At its heart, the book is about the commodification of art--who can make it these days? Who owns art? For me, one big mystery was why Tobey's father never sold the valuable paintings he owned--these paintings which Tobey plans to steal.
Contemporary art has become the place where the wealthy park their money. The rich have always collected art, of course, but now it is often seen as an investment in a way that perhaps is new...
This book is ambitious in that it is doing a lot. I will also say the writing is beautiful. Looking forward to tonight's bookclub....more
I loved the first book so much and pre-ordered this one the nanosecond I heard it was coming out--and it didn't disappoint!!!! It arrived on what was I loved the first book so much and pre-ordered this one the nanosecond I heard it was coming out--and it didn't disappoint!!!! It arrived on what was a pretty bad day (I had some disappointing news and stress) but isn't it amazing what a good book can do to lift your mood?
I sent both volumes to my son who by the end of page 3 realized how much his mother resembles Vera!! I do relate and love Vera so much. I adore these books... I still haven't read Dial A for Aunties which I heard the Caltech book club was reading a few years back. I am with an older group a Caltech but always follow both clubs.
I don鈥檛 say this often. This was one of the best books I have ever read. It was so incredibly intelligent and also deeply moving about the power of arI don鈥檛 say this often. This was one of the best books I have ever read. It was so incredibly intelligent and also deeply moving about the power of art in times of personal and social turmoil and war. I was in tears at the end. It was so well done. A masterpiece. Completely original writing I couldn鈥檛 put it down! I鈥檓 already looking forward to the author鈥檚 next book! ...more
Fantastic art memoir by Pulitzer Prize winning writer Benjamin Moser. Exquisite writing and also a deeply moving story about his life overseas and howFantastic art memoir by Pulitzer Prize winning writer Benjamin Moser. Exquisite writing and also a deeply moving story about his life overseas and how these paintings became a point of entry into the new culture.
The book itself is also a gem. Beautifully published with many reproductions-- a pleasure to hold and read.
2023 Akutagawa prize, translated by the fabulousPolly Barton! This one is on the long list for the book prize and I am really hoping it makes the shor2023 Akutagawa prize, translated by the fabulousPolly Barton! This one is on the long list for the book prize and I am really hoping it makes the shortlist! Very thought-provoking and fantastic translation! I never once had the urge to look anything up in the Japanese version. It just carried me along鈥� it鈥檚 amazing how much of our lives are lived in our minds, even in our imaginations, and I love the depiction of her incredibly rich in her life. I also don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever read such a depiction of a degenerative disease like this. Unforgettable book!...more
I had wanted to read this many years ago, when it first came out, so was happy when it became our book club March read! Patchett is such a masterful wI had wanted to read this many years ago, when it first came out, so was happy when it became our book club March read! Patchett is such a masterful writer. It took me a while to get into this book because it begins in the young boy's POV and I am not a huge fan of child POV novels. But it is really told from his adult memory, so I realized that I was drawn in almost from the beginning. Speaking of which, there is something so beautiful reading about a brother sister relationship, which is so rarely depicted in books these days. We have a lot of sister books. I really enjoyed watching Asura recently with the four sisters, but this was rare for me to read about this warm brother and sister relationship.
I loved the focus on the house --which was a character in its own right! I do think houses can exert a real power over our human imagination--this is something I love reading about in British literature. Also speaking of British literature, I found the mother to be especially compelling--like a character from a Dickens novel so works so hard to help the poor but is completely un-devoted to her children... A strange moral problem, when there is such a far-sightedness (but awful close up vision!)
I was struck by how beautifully crafted this novel was. I have read that Patchett does not watch TV or own a mobile phone... you feel she really has time to craft her books--she is so attentive to her characters.
This is my second Ann Patchett read, after her wonderful State of Wonder. I am hoping to read Bel Canto soon.
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