So, The Sandman: Overture is not my favorite Sandman book; it does not even make it to my top 5 list of encounters with Dream of the Endless! But ... So, The Sandman: Overture is not my favorite Sandman book; it does not even make it to my top 5 list of encounters with Dream of the Endless! But ... it IS a Sandman book, so all is well and I am happy, happy, happy!...more
When I was a teenager, Pearl S Buck was all the rage with the other teenage girls in my life -- sister, cousins, friends -- but I was not a fan... I pWhen I was a teenager, Pearl S Buck was all the rage with the other teenage girls in my life -- sister, cousins, friends -- but I was not a fan... I preferred torturing myself with Dostoevsky! So, imagine my surprise when, a few dozen pages into "Pavilion of Women" which I had started to read by default when nothing else was available, I found myself not only liking Madame Wu but also relating to her and also admiring her for conquering the daunting odds of a purely domestic life in order to read, reflect and learn. And then enters the development of "her soul" via the advent of a monk who will inspire her with a love that can only be sublimated into true service of others. Unfortunately, this is the point when I disconnected from the book and remembered why I used to prefer torturing myself with Dostoevsky. Wondering whether I should reread "Crime and Punishment" or " The Idiot"... ...more
There are only a very few writers whose books I wait for with a mixture of anticipation and excitement... and I have never been disappointed. Crow FairThere are only a very few writers whose books I wait for with a mixture of anticipation and excitement... and I have never been disappointed. Crow Fair bears all the trademarks of a McGuane book: ordinary people living ordinary lives, lives that get messy, that come undone, that end or, worse, continue on. The delight comes from McGuane's relationship with those characters he creates and with the words he weaves together seemingly effortlessly. While it remains very much the same, McGuane's voice is now deeper and smoother, with richer elegiac overtones; the comparison with the maturing process of a rare vintage is inescapable! Only his stories are so much more delectable than wine......more
It has been a few months since I finished "the Plague of Doves", and I have been thinking about the book a lot ever since. I really liked everything aIt has been a few months since I finished "the Plague of Doves", and I have been thinking about the book a lot ever since. I really liked everything about the novel: its construction as an assortment of portraits, the dramatic tension that culminates in the revealing of a shattering truth, and of course Louise Erdrich's impeccable voice. This is truly one of the many voices of America, telling its story of passion, excess, violence and betrayal. Ghosts loom large in this book, not only the ghosts of actual people, shot or hung, but also the ghosts of religion, new or ancient, the ghosts of mental illness, be they clad in alcohol, street drugs or institutions. Crystal clear, terrifying and seductive... ...more
I have been singing along with each of Modiano's new tune for the past 40 years... as if each book was a long forgotten song from my own suppressed meI have been singing along with each of Modiano's new tune for the past 40 years... as if each book was a long forgotten song from my own suppressed memories. I have started to believe that, although I am quite a bit younger than he is, he has somehow been my guide all along. I am also a typical post WWII French child, with my own murky origins, unanswered questions and inevitable "mal de vivre", and that is surely why he has been my Pied Piper, initially taking me to the war torn universe of my parents, before I came along as an aberration of fate, and now that I am on this side of maturity, showing me the way to those dark places of my own childhood with its uncertain memories. And this time again, in the final dread I felt for Daragane, the child summoned on the page, alone and forsaken, a memory of my own emerged like a secret meant to be shared with Modiano alone...
When I think about Zweig's work, one word keeps coming to my mind: "Impeccable". His thinking process, his style, his voice, are so refined that readiWhen I think about Zweig's work, one word keeps coming to my mind: "Impeccable". His thinking process, his style, his voice, are so refined that reading any of his works should and does feel like a priviledge, which is exactly whe I experienced when I reread "Beware of Pity". I started reading Zweig several decades ago, when I was a young woman still living in Europe, and at that time, I identified with his world so deeply that I felt literally elated. Years passed with so many other books, other thoughts, other life, and it was not until I saw Wes Anderson's "Grand Budapest Hotel", which he claims was inspired by Zweig, that I felt compelled to return to his universe. I am so glad I did. Although tragic and disheartening, "Beware of Pity" is a rare treat inasmuch as every thought, every sentence, every word is carefully chosen to weave a poignant tapestry where everything and everyone shifts to violence. There is nothing more searing than quiet desperation, and there can be no doubt that Zweig knew that.......more
I do like the idea of the book itself because it is a book lover's delight... It is a spy novel for spy novel lovers, and our unwilling hero, who grewI do like the idea of the book itself because it is a book lover's delight... It is a spy novel for spy novel lovers, and our unwilling hero, who grew up on spy novels, finds himself sucked into a dangerous odyssey simply because of the books he loved. That, I liked! I also liked the layers of secrets, some of them pertaining to the people closest to him, he is finally able to see through. I would have liked to have been afforded some time to understand why our hero has been so blind up to this point. He certainly is self-absorbed, but can it be the only reason why he has to be "handled" towards adulthood at 50? Regardless, the book seemed awkward to me somehow... too ambitious maybe? I am thinking of Le Carre's work in comparison, and so much seems to be missing: depth of character, tragic flaws that are deeply hidden, incredibly literary style etc... ...more
By all accounts, a great book, a best-seller, no doubt! The novel is in fact a page turner, so much so that I could barely put it down to do some actuBy all accounts, a great book, a best-seller, no doubt! The novel is in fact a page turner, so much so that I could barely put it down to do some actual living.
That being said, now that I have finished the book, I marvel at the fact that I could not wait to see what would happen to Nick, what Amy might do next, all this in spite of the fact that I disliked both characters who had no redeeming quality whatsoever, at least, not in my eyes. Doesn't this go against the cardinal rule that would have the reader empathize with at least one of the novel's characters?
All the characters in the novel are frightfully one dimensional, so much so that I have to believe this was part of Gillian Flynn's intent, to be sure. So, although I could not help but read on, this created a bit of a problem for me, most acutely so with all the supporting characters: Go, Desi, Boney etc... But then, when the Punch and Judy puppets appeared in the novel, I decided that this is what I was witnessing: a Punch and Judy play for adults. And suddenly, the whole story fit, and I was involved, riveted! But of course, as soon as the show is over, the story is forgotten......more
So, I read several reviews of "The Lowland" before reading the novel, and I have to agree with a lot of what I read: Jumpa Lahiri is at her best when So, I read several reviews of "The Lowland" before reading the novel, and I have to agree with a lot of what I read: Jumpa Lahiri is at her best when she writes short stories as opposed to novels, her exposition of the political climate that led to the Naxalite movement was too long and studious. However, none of this really mattered to me. I am so enthralled by her talent as a story teller that I am more than happy to let her carry me away to the unknown end of the world and back to my doorstep (I live within 90mn of her Rhode Island settings). I was also very happy about the sibling theme that she dove in and explored at such length. Her choice to decline the paradigm of the prodigal son in several iterations was of particular interest to me. Her strength is that both brothers are prodigal sons in their own way, through time, space, thought and death, of course.This inevitably leads her to look at parenting, also explored in all its imperfections. It is a rich novel, so rich that I could not care less if it stops short of perfection....more
Ever since I finished reading this novel, I have been thinking about how I might speak about it. What is it about? What point does it make? How did I Ever since I finished reading this novel, I have been thinking about how I might speak about it. What is it about? What point does it make? How did I experience it? Each time I do so, I answer those questions differently, which is, in and of itself, very fascinating to me. So, starting with the obvious, it is a novel about sickness, real and fatal or perceived and just as crippling. It is also a novel about obsession, that of others for us, and that of ourselves turned inwardly. It is about grief, always real, about closure, needed and dreaded, about loneliness, inevitable. But it is also a story about compassion and love as one experiences them when nothing else is left.
Throughout the book, each character experiences a disintegration of what they held dear, of what made their life and a fraying of the cloak of dignity that they had come to mistake for their identity. When all of that crumbles, all that is left is their resplendent humanity. And for all of us who have lost a parent or escorted a loved one through the end of life, this is not a novel... it is a vessel that contains each and everyone of us alone, and all of us at once....more
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