There are all kinds of memes out there that try to make light of what it was like to grow up in a generation whose parents famWow. A Gen X Must-Read!!
There are all kinds of memes out there that try to make light of what it was like to grow up in a generation whose parents famously left us to parent ourselves and get home “before the street lights came on� without bothering them too much in-between. At times, while reading, I found myself feeling nostalgic for the freedom and independence that kind of parenting style afforded us (or, as a parent myself (now), how freeing it might have been to be less entrenched in the claustrophobic parenting style we adopted when raising our own). I liked the story’s resistance of nostalgia, even though its set-design is littered with surprisingly wonderful ephemera (Charlie perfume, Members Only Jackets,—InTelevision!). But nostalgia is just memory without the pain, right? Playworld obliterates any “good old days� tropes (thank God). It seduces us into taking a peek backstage and punctuates scenes with the unfettered pain that often accompany actions in verboten spaces. I, for one, felt validated by the discomfort that never gets airtime—especially in the coming-of-age genre epic.
Ross� book is populated with characters who emulate the complications that arise when the power dynamics of order are less defined by expectations by positions of authority (parent/child; teacher/student, coach/player; older/younger sibling; doctor/patient; president/constituent) while raising uncomfortable questions about power itself through the experiences of people who endured the fallout from switching positions. I was particularly moved by his portrayals of vulnerability; his characters regularly defied tired gender tropes of strength and weakness. Are you strong because you endure pain without bothering your parents? What does it mean for a father to rely on his children to pay his family’s rent? Doesn’t every young man secretly lust over a teacher, a friend’s mom, a mother’s friend? A disciplined athlete follows directions from his coach, but what if that coach manipulates his position for his own weaknesses? Shouldn’t a young man’s masculinity be elevated to hero level if he achieves these fantasy positions so early in his life? I loved the story’s resistance to easy answers to all of these questions. And though it took a long time to write, somehow the timing of its publication seems perfect. The prose is downright gorgeous, and the imagery hits all of the senses: music (operatic to jingles), scent (the inside of a rubber suit to L’air du Temps), sight (his description of sailors� eel-ing vomit will stay with me), touch (too many to list—the scary & the sensual), and taste—really—hunger. The denial and gorging of food left me breathless (and hungry).
This is such a big book. I’m still trying to process it. I started reading the hard copy, but after hearing the author read, I bought the audiobook and listened. I loved the way Ross read it and marveled at his capacity to capture the intense and quiet moments with perfect tension/tenor. I know it is semi-autobiographical and often wondered what parts were difficult to read out loud; which parts may have felt righteous. I was genuinely sad when it ended, and I hope he writes a sequel—with a request that it comes out a bit sooner than Playworld did!...more
This book was surprisingly enjoyable; I’m surprised because it is labeled “YA,� and I’m a little wary of the genre’s conventions (whiny female protagoThis book was surprisingly enjoyable; I’m surprised because it is labeled “YA,� and I’m a little wary of the genre’s conventions (whiny female protagonists, terrible love triangles, tepid mysteries). I was not always so jaded! It’s just that the great YA novel blew up with Harry Potter/Twilight/Hunger Games and now we wade through streams of steaming cow dung alongside the (ghosts) of the cash cows� pasts. But I digress�.
Johnson’s novel is interesting and gripping. It is not patronizing to its young characters, and it also captures a contemporary true-crime fever and puts its appeal to good use. I love the use of creepy poems and game theory. I love that the school is a shell of an agrarian dream built during the Great Depression. I put this on my “historical fiction� shelf, but not because the story fictionalizes a true event; it makes great use of timelines & attitudes and art and crime and economic inequities (that feel true). I love the quirky female protagonist, and I think any fan of Agatha Christie will too.
File Under: Don’t Stay in a Place with a Murder Poem Above Your Bed...more
A Canadian “true crime� suspense/thriller. The “truth� factor kept me in it because, at times, it really seemed hard to believe. Definitely a trauma nA Canadian “true crime� suspense/thriller. The “truth� factor kept me in it because, at times, it really seemed hard to believe. Definitely a trauma narrative—told from multiple perspectives—it made me think about the research being done about the genetic translation of trauma onto offspring. So much we don’t know. Does mass trauma affect generations? Of course I’m thinking about the elementary school massacre in Texas this week. Of all the shootings, and the training all three of my kids have gone through to prepare to be shot at in school—as regular as fire drills. It’s been traumatic all around. But I digress.
This revenge drama is as old as drama, but mental illness explains “the devil� away. Not as compelling as Marlowe’s Faustus, but interesting.
File Under: The Devil Didn’t Make Her Do It...more
Well, this novel was built upon an excellent idea and an intriguing question: can mental illness be cut out of the brain? I grew up in a post-lobotomyWell, this novel was built upon an excellent idea and an intriguing question: can mental illness be cut out of the brain? I grew up in a post-lobotomy era, where the procedure was often referred to as a punchline for a total loss of thinking. Like, Randall Patrick McMurphy’s ultimate end in Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest—if the last shot of Jack Nicholson’s character doesn’t haunt your impression of mental hospital “treatments,� you missed the point of the entire story. But I digress.
I knew I should have abandoned ship about halfway through, when it was apparent that “The Lobotomist’s Wife� (how telling that her name is withheld in the title!) is too good, especially as measured by 2022 standards. It’s a story about “the past� with cherry-picked feminist values plastered onto a perfectly charming, socially adept, unmarried, career-minded heiress who wants nothing else to do with the world but make it a better place! My daughter (in college) taught me about the current use of the slang term “Mary Sue� to define protagonists that annoy audiences *because* they are presented without flaws. It fits this protagonist so well. Like a poodle skirt paired with pearls.
So: the upside is that I am interested in reading about the history of lobotomies (and I wonder if the legend about them ultimately helped conservative Governors shut down state hospitals everywhere in the 1990s without providing other desperately needed social programs to help society cope with mental illnesses), and I wonder if the procedure evolved into something more useful/targeted, and if the scientist who came up with the procedure died in disgrace.
This book might be a satisfying read for people who love adverbs and predictable outcomes. They will silently, gratefully, willingly, lovingly, and adoringly embrace this “heroic� tale.
I’m not a huge fan of podcasts (too much chatter—I like scripts!), but there are a few true crime stories that seem to transfer well to documentaries I’m not a huge fan of podcasts (too much chatter—I like scripts!), but there are a few true crime stories that seem to transfer well to documentaries or other written mediums. Technically, this book is based on a “True Crime� story (in Canada!), and that dash of authenticity always infuses the narrative with a little something extra to keep the reader engaged. The mystery was interesting, and I was pleased to find out that I guessed incorrectly. Anyway, the first-person multi-perspective kept me interested for about 75% of its content; however, its pacing was inconsistent, and the end—though it might be “true”—took a swift turn into melodrama, which kind of gutted my enthusiasm for the entire tale. I’m putting this into the “historical fiction� category because it sagged exactly where truthful tales tend to get bogged down (in this case—tying its denouement to an overly dramatic end).
According to the characters, it’s going to be made into a Netflix special (insert golf clap here). It’s good to know ahead of time that I can skip it.
File Under: It Takes a Village to Raise a Cliche, Right?...more
I read Maus I & II in my first or second year of college in an English course, and they marked my introduction into the graphic novel genre. They are I read Maus I & II in my first or second year of college in an English course, and they marked my introduction into the graphic novel genre. They are superlative on multiple levels, not the least of which is the effective way the format reaches audiences who are already inured by a culture that promotes learning through visual mediums at every level of education. I have recommended them countless times over the past 20 years to people of all ages, including my daughter, who is currently publishing her own graphic novels. She cites the text as a seminal one in her development as an artist.
I live in Tennessee, and our neighboring county's school board voted to ban Maus in January, 2022, from their curriculum, citing that the violence and "nudity" portrayed in the books are inappropriate for school-aged children (ah, yes--the ones who play "Grand Theft Auto" or watch any Marvel movie??). The backlash against this decision has been quite wonderful to witness, including a successful campaign promoted by a local comic book store who is giving the book away to any student in the county who wants one, but the core decision ignites a fury in me. I know many of my friends and colleagues feel the same way about book banning--and I can't figure out why this year has been chosen to stir up these kinds of campaigns against books that are--at their core--wonderfully and thoughtfully done.
File Under: A quote from Oscar Wilde: “The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame."...more
3.5 stars because I *did* enjoy reading the book until I discovered its core and, then, I felt a bit cheated.
There is a lot to like about this book, i3.5 stars because I *did* enjoy reading the book until I discovered its core and, then, I felt a bit cheated.
There is a lot to like about this book, including the shifting perspectives from early 20th Century to the “present� day. The mystery is compelling. I like the whiff of witchcraft, and I was reminded of the excellent Robert Eggers� film The Witch (2015), as well as the Alfredson/Lindqvist film Let the Right One In (2008) while reading (btw, I highly recommend both films if you like creepy/magical realism horror).
BUT—well, I was disappointed that the allusions took a stark turn at the end into a genre I know too well. The reframing one has to do at the conclusion is a bit of a cheat, in my opinion. I felt like the narrative hinted toward the Gothic tradition (“crazy women doing crazy things!�), but abandoned or purposely misled those tropes in favor of a supernatural explanation in the end. It just felt disjointed instead of clever.
File Under: Enjoy the Journey, Not the Destination?...more
I love it when a book comes through and surprises me. This author masters the use of metaphor and simile, and the rich imagery is so captivating! Yes,I love it when a book comes through and surprises me. This author masters the use of metaphor and simile, and the rich imagery is so captivating! Yes, there is a mystery; yes, there is a lot of American/Irish/New York (non-fiction) history feathered in; but, yes, the fiction is vibrant apart from the conventions of “historical fiction.� Several characters were given dimension and depth and surprising outcomes (hooray!).
I was hoping for author’s notes at the end about the bits she stretched vs. the non-fiction parts (like, for example, the beginning of the police force in New York during the influx of Irish immigrants), but she did not offer any footnotes. I might have to do some research myself! Also pleased to see this is a series. Will definitely read more.
File Under: It’s Tough to See How Much We Haven’t Changed
p.s. The (printed) book includes a section called “Flash Terminology� (cited from GW Matsell’s 1859 publication, The Secret Language of Crime: Vocabulum, or, The Rogue’s Lexicon!) that you need to know in order to get started:
KEN: a house KINCHEN: a young child MAB: a harlot (male or female) LADY BIRD: a kept mistress SQUEAKER: a child SLAMKIN: a slovenly woman RED RAG: the tongue MOLLEY: a miss; an effeminate fellow; a sodomite. NATURAL: Not fastidious; a liberal, clever fellow DEAD RABBIT: An athletic, rowdy fellow. STARGAZERS: Prostitutes
I really enjoyed this book! Sometimes historical fiction can feel weighed down by a pre-determined plot, but this one did a splendid job of weaving hiI really enjoyed this book! Sometimes historical fiction can feel weighed down by a pre-determined plot, but this one did a splendid job of weaving historical details into a genuinely intriguing man’s life. I am not a Shakespeare/Marlowe buff, but I took enough courses to recognize the allusions and appreciate the journey into the life and mind of the man who brought the world Faustus. A book worthy of your time!
Another historical fiction novel that does a nice job of not letting the source material overtake the story, but maybe should have shortened the conclAnother historical fiction novel that does a nice job of not letting the source material overtake the story, but maybe should have shortened the conclusion. The main setting takes place at a coastal residence of a famous author, who agrees to billet British children during 1941-42 to avoid the bombing in London. I cannot imagine this happening today! The fact that this was a real social practice during the war in an effort to save British children is probably what I will remember most about this book.
The protagonist is a nurse-in-training, and I found the pace interesting and engaging for about 60%; the end “mystery� is less successful than the beginning’s intrigue. Ah well. I enjoyed the author’s notes at the end.
File Under: Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You. . ....more
Slow start but great finish. Set in 1975 in Atlanta, GA, with plenty of plot twists steeped in toxic masculinity. Luckily, the protagonists are women.Slow start but great finish. Set in 1975 in Atlanta, GA, with plenty of plot twists steeped in toxic masculinity. Luckily, the protagonists are women. I can picture Dolly Parton & Lily Tomlin in the roles (a la 9 to 5), though this plot was not exactly full of hilarity. Slaughter infuses plenty of social class/race/education clashes into her narratives, and I always appreciate her willingness to wrestle thorny conflicts in southern landscapes.
File Under: Would You Like Some Sweet Tea with Your Murder? ...more
Interesting to read next to Karin Slaughter’s Cop Town; both are set within the mystery genre with female characters (in different parts of the world�Interesting to read next to Karin Slaughter’s Cop Town; both are set within the mystery genre with female characters (in different parts of the world—Georgia & Scotland) who must grapple with 1970’s shifting policies regarding gender values in the work place /oil crisis/LGBT relationships. McD’s protagonist, Allie, is a new, sharp reporter (vs. Slaughter’s beat cop), but both women must play roles with a kind of weight on them that they don’t have the ability to question or regard critically. They are The second-wave feminists who donned the clothes of the men who came before them to prove they can do it, gdi! But there is real loss and grief in these roles, too. Sacrifice and pain and isolation from so many social parts of their lives. I would love it if my dad would read these so-called “genre� books (he loves mysteries too!), just so he could see the cracks in the systemic performance of “equality� and understand how very skewed it was (and still is).
Sorry, I don’t mean to sound like I pity these characters—I don’t. They are smart and strong and resilient, but I suppose I feel the cost of their pioneering.
I think this might be my third (fourth) novel by Meissner, and I have to say I appreciate her style and research each time I read one of her books. ItI think this might be my third (fourth) novel by Meissner, and I have to say I appreciate her style and research each time I read one of her books. It's crazy to me that she was writing about 1917-1918 just before the pandemic hit us, and I loved knowing her perspective was untainted by our current (lived) realities.
So: this book's strength is in its intersection of WWI and the Spanish Flu through a family that moves from the country to Philly at exactly the wrong time to take over a mortuary business. I couldn't put the book down, even when I should have!
Warning: the beginning is dreadfully sad. It doesn't last long, but I wish I wouldn't have had to endure it. You have my permission to skip it. Just get the gist and move on. Her books have all made me cry for different reasons and I HATE crying while reading (don't you??). Still, the book doesn't stay in that sad space while pounding you to death with tragedies (but, to be fair, there are plenty to be had during that time period).
I like Meissner's narratives because they seem to keep going beyond genre conventions. It's quite a journey.
File Under: Spanish Flu: Prepare to Boo-Hoo...more
Excellent book. I picked it and and put it down several times over the past six months. It is not meant to be consumed quickly. Save this book for a tExcellent book. I picked it and and put it down several times over the past six months. It is not meant to be consumed quickly. Save this book for a time when you have no deadlines looming over you. It is meant to be savored.
File under: History Mystery In French Canadian Deep Freeze...more
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