You'll notice that I didn't write a review of the first book in this series, though I've read it. Overall, it contained some wonderful, hilarious, andYou'll notice that I didn't write a review of the first book in this series, though I've read it. Overall, it contained some wonderful, hilarious, and heart-breaking moments, but it lacked continuity and Johannes's overall motivation turns out to be flat and trite. Brilliant opening scene, though, in which Johannes breaks into Hell.
The Detective is MUCH better, though. With only a few brief exceptions, the plot flows, the characters are dynamic and complex, and Johannes is just as much of a necromancing badass as he can be. If you're picking up a Johannes Cabal, you need to accept the steampunky/magical realismy/historical thing that's going on and move on to the character interactions and plot. I can highly recommend the audio book, too, even if you only sample a little of it on Amazon or Goodreads. It bolsters characterization beautifully.
Keep your eye on Mr. Howard. If he continues to develop as an author, he'll rise into the rarefied air of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman in no time!...more
Oh, this book is wonderful. I'm a little annoyed because of the volume of book hangover I'm experiencing.
It's fair, as a caveat, to say that I listenOh, this book is wonderful. I'm a little annoyed because of the volume of book hangover I'm experiencing.
It's fair, as a caveat, to say that I listened to The Golem and the Jinni while doing 9,000 other things, and the man who reads it, George Guidall, is my new all-time favorite voice of anything, ever. He has surpassed Mandy Patinkin, and that is saying something. Mr. Guidall can fatihfully and reliably produce a teenage girl, a 1000-year-old Syrian jinni, an Irish cop, and a Yiddish baker's wife with the same panache. Even if the writing in the book was awful (which it is very much not), it would be worth listening to Mr. Guidall read it.
Then there's the story.
Sigh.
What a story! On the surface, it's just an adventure/whodunit, but a half-step below that, it's about hope and love and restraint and being who you are in a way that gets you what you want. It's about living in spite of your "nature," and finding people who embrace who you are with their whole hearts.
One of my pet peeves with "historical novels" is that the street names, place names, and customs of the time take over the story, as if the author, once she's completed the research, feels compelled to trot out every iota of it. In The Golem and the Jinni, the period detail is present but not overwhelming, and always important. The very second you're annoyed that a particular geographical element keeps turning up, you realize that it's an integral part of the story.
If you're going to read it (do it!), you should know that there's a little bit of sex without detail, some violence that is integral and natural in the story, the best/worst villain I've read in a long time, a series of sort-of love stories (this is difficult to explain, but I thought of it in terms of my male high school students reading it, and they definitely would - no soppiness here), realistic supernatural elements (and you're thinking, "How can they be BOTH things?" To which I say, "READ THE BOOK."), and a timeline that jumps everywhere and everywhen. The book's long, too, though it certainly didn't feel that way. Every word is necessary.
One of my favorite words is "poignant," because it derives from "Poignard," which besides being a word Shakespeare used in his plays, is a knife fashioned for stabbing people in the heart. This book is poignant, in all the best ways. ...more
Gads, but I love how Leonard wrote this character. Raylan Givens oozes cool. He doesn't lose his temper, intelligence, or humor, no matter what. I lisGads, but I love how Leonard wrote this character. Raylan Givens oozes cool. He doesn't lose his temper, intelligence, or humor, no matter what. I listened to this book while tearing the rusty metal screen off my porch, painting, then installing new tracks and screen. I desperately needed Raylan's good example.
The plotting in this novel is pretty complex, as it encompasses several complete storylines that seem not to touch each other until about halfway through. Have faith that they will indeed become to integral to each other, and enjoy the heck out of each one. If you liked the TV series Justified, several of the situations and characters will be familiar, but you won't be disappointed.
It's important to say that this isn't my kind of thing. I don't like stream of consciousness, I don't like not being able to tell if the main characteIt's important to say that this isn't my kind of thing. I don't like stream of consciousness, I don't like not being able to tell if the main character is experiencing one long acid trip or is schizophrenic, and I don't like stories that don't have a discernible structure. That's just me. Some people have much more tolerance than I do, and that's OK. This story - which is apparently about a guy whose girlfriend, Karen, committed suicide after having an affair with a much older man - doesn't satisfy me, however, because it's really an extended prose poem that never moves beyond the first stanza. I don't mind grief and I don't mind guilt, but the casually self-indulgent nihilism has to change for the character to be sympathetic, and I never cared a whit about Jack, the main character. If you want an interesting narcissist, try Nick Hornby's High Fidelity. Jack, however, is an entitled hipster wannabe who has encountered true tragedy, yet still thinks at 25 that the universe revolves around him and his fantasies. Tragedy has to change us for it to have meaning, and meaning is what writing is all about. When I read, I ask myself if I can discern the message, and if there isn't one, or the message is muddled, or it's begun and not finished, or if there is one but it's unintentional, the work is unsatisfying to me. That's why I don't appreciate First Aide Medicine: Karen is dead, but the apparent message about her death is that the real significance of the tragedy is that alcoholic Jack's fallen into his own navel. I'd like to add one final word about the genre of this piece. The author believes it's an horror novella. I think he's wrong. "Horror" is Daniel Kraus's Scowler - a unified piece that tells a complete story that includes a clear message with elements that leave the reader aghast. Horror includes elements that leave us both fascinated and disgusted at the same time. The worst part is (or the best, if you read a lot of horror) that horror is really horrible because of its plausibility. We're terrified of Michael Meyers because we have the innate sense that, a. People are crazy, b. Bad crap happens, and c. The next town over (a stand-in for anyplace we don't know very well) is dangerous. We think that stuff because we're prey animals and that's how we're hard wired. However, there's a newish genre (maybe a new group of authors?) who are under the impression that writing a collection of words that include examples such as "maggots" and "blood" automatically qualifies them as horror authors. Personally, I think they're wrong. In one of my writing classes, my professor read a piece I'd written, looked at me, and said, "Yeah, but what's the story? Why should I care?" Can you answer those questions, Mr. Patnaude? They're pretty important....more
You know that old saw about writing what you know? Someone needs to gently remind Mr. Morrow of it. The best part of this book is the description of tYou know that old saw about writing what you know? Someone needs to gently remind Mr. Morrow of it. The best part of this book is the description of the different locations. The worst part of this book is the near lack of plot. Not that I'm constitutionally opposed to it; I liked The Road just fine. That technique doesn't work for a book that is essentially a murder mystery. It was as if Mr. Morrow couldn't decide what genre he'd be writing in, but he just started writing anyway because he had a lot of cool research about dowsing. In one of the notes at the end of the book, he mentions that dowsers like to be called dowsers, which is certainly true of the two I've met. However, he liked "diviners" better, so he used that. And that would have worked, were the book not attempting to walk the fine line between realism and mysticism. Unfortunately, that line proved too narrow, so the tale spills from one side of the wall to the other, back and forth, never comfortable with itself. I like the main character, but would have found her much more believable at 26 than 36. Women follow a relatively predictable arc of character development, and are infinitely more settled and happy with themselves at 36 than the main character seems. The best characterizations are of the main character's father, who is in the last stages of dementia, and her young twins, who are aware, awake, and funny as heck. ...more
I have no idea who the audience for this book is supposed to be, I don't understand the point, and whoever at the Boston Globe wrote that this book isI have no idea who the audience for this book is supposed to be, I don't understand the point, and whoever at the Boston Globe wrote that this book is "First-rate, a devastating novel that won't let go," must have written a review after looking at the picture on the cover. Sorry, Mr. Yates, but your book has little plot, less theme, and no redemption. No character in literature has ever gone insane with less style....more
Like some of Palahniuk's work, I find myself almost unable to describe what happens in this book. When I say, "It's a story about a cockroach who moltLike some of Palahniuk's work, I find myself almost unable to describe what happens in this book. When I say, "It's a story about a cockroach who molts, and finds that he's now a full-size human being," I am inadequately describing what happens in the story, but that's as close as I can get.
Kockroach is a metaphor, but it's also a story of discovery. You're meant to think about what it means to be human, and the choices you've made that form your personality, as well as your persona, and how those two things differ. You're also meant to think about the serendipity that affects us, both for the better and for the worse, and how our reaction to events is what makes us who we are.
All of that makes Kockroach sound like a huge philosophical tome, but it's not. It's a medium-sized romp through petty crime and accidental friendship, so don't feel obligated to have a revelation while you're having a good time.
Extra points for the people who catch the cultural reference......more
Every once in a while, I read a book that just feels DOOMED, from the first page. I know it's depressing, and it's going to be depressing, and yet it'Every once in a while, I read a book that just feels DOOMED, from the first page. I know it's depressing, and it's going to be depressing, and yet it's so good, I can't stop reading it. TTTW is one of those. From the first page, I knew I was going to be under a black cloud for a week after finishing it, but that didn't stop me from reading the whole thing! I loathe the word 'poignant' (both because it's become trite and because some fool decided it should be spelled with a g in the middle), but TTTW easily affords that poignard (the French version of a stiletto) to the heart. With a story about lovers who are stretched across time and at the mercy of fate, how could it not? The most striking thing about this book isn't the story - though that is remarkable, and well-written, and sharply chracterized, etc. - it's the plotting. Because the male half of the relationship is a time traveler, he meets his wife for the first time when she is small, but she meets him for the first time when he is in his late 30's. Wrap your brain around THAT. Interweave work and family issues and trying to conceive a child and the hiring of theoretical physicists, and you have a plot that would sprain Stephen Hawking's brain. TTTW would be a great beach read, but don't read it in the depths of winter... or when it's raining... or when you're ill. Really, plan on a little therapy afterward and keep a kleenex box close by as you read....more
I LOVE this book! It has a strong but flawed hero, an unpredictable villain, and a plot that's strong enough to move the action at a pace that keeps yI LOVE this book! It has a strong but flawed hero, an unpredictable villain, and a plot that's strong enough to move the action at a pace that keeps you reading. I read it in one day because I just couldn't put it down. That's a pretty strong recommendation, expecially because I LOATHE circuses. This book isn't necessarily about the circus, though - it's about the lives of the people backstage during the Depression, which concentrates their lives in a way that they might not be, otherwise. The characters are riveting, the action strong and real, and the climax (while expected)is powerful. The real payoff, however, is in the denouement, in which the narrator's problems are solved in a way that feels not only satisfying, but a gift from the author to both the character and the reader.
One of the most satisfying things about the book is its treatment of the narrator, who is in his early nineties. Gruen is both gentle and uncompromising with him. He's the old person we all want to be, but his observations of aging, being old, and the lives of the old people around him are scathing. He doesn't bother explaining; he says what he sees and lets other people's feelings be damned. That trait is both startling and comforting, as it takes a lot of the fear out of the idea of aging.
A warning to the reader, though: this is not an easy read. The plot provides easy-to-understand sex, drugs, and rock n' roll (in the form of sex, alcohol, and circus music), but it's couched in prose that approaches poetry. If you can't stand synesthesia and powerful metaphor, choose another book. Water for Elephants isn't just fiction, it's literary fiction, and Gruen doesn't pull any punches in regard to word usage and arrangement. ...more
Like Cormac McCarthy's The Road, this book may be a tough read for you if you like action. In truth, very little happens. The story is about a healthyLike Cormac McCarthy's The Road, this book may be a tough read for you if you like action. In truth, very little happens. The story is about a healthy 67-year-old who leaves his life in Oslo (Norway) and moves to the boonies with his dog to repair a rundown house and live out his life. A chance meeting with his neighbor brings up memories that he'd thought long forgotten.
There are several reasons the book may be a tough read. The first is that the pace of the book is very slow. There isn't a single second in which I wasn't absorbed and entertained, but I could definitely hear my grandfather's slow, accented voice telling the story. The narrator diverges from and rejoins both the past and present stories, weaving both together until they are inseparable, but if you need constant action, you'll be disappointed. If you stick with the story, though, you'll come across peaks in the story that will make you gasp. When you look back on it, you'll realize that the peaks aren't that high, but the pace of the story makes them seem much higher, which is just like life.
The second reason the book may be a tough read is that it's translated from Norse by a Scot. If you have no experience of either culture, and haven't read translated books before, you'll find the vocabulary and sentence structure pretty hard to handle.
Hang on for the ride, though. The things you'll find out about the main character, his family, and the way life works are expansive and amazing. For good readers, this is a must-read....more
This is the hot new book by a Las Vegas author. It's supposed to be the seminal Vegas book of our generation.
I didn't find it particularly Vegas-focuThis is the hot new book by a Las Vegas author. It's supposed to be the seminal Vegas book of our generation.
I didn't find it particularly Vegas-focused as I found it focused on parents and children. The story is about a group of interconnected people who occupy a range of positions in society. They're connected by all knowing a boy who disappears. There are intense, heartbreaking ruminations on both the previous lives and the aftereffects of the boy's disappearance, as well as some of the extenuating circumstances that lead the characters to be where they are at the moment they report their lives. Beautiful Children doesn't so much seek to explain why the boy disappears as it seeks to lay out the disparate characters, lay out their thoughts and feelings, and let you decide how you feel about what happens.
A word of warning: there is very little judgment in this book. The author simply tells what happens and what the characters feel about what happens, then lets you judge. The book includes porn star tryouts, vivid scenes of drugs and homelessness, irritating teen behavior that makes you want to go slap a young person just so you'll feel some relief, and a rape. It's all up front and very personal, because you get to know all of the characters very well, and you want the best, even for the scumbags.
This book isn't for the faint of heart or the immature....more
Felix Gomez is a cross between Angel (the TV series) and George Lopez. What's so amazing is that the first book in this series is pretty crappy. BloodFelix Gomez is a cross between Angel (the TV series) and George Lopez. What's so amazing is that the first book in this series is pretty crappy. Bloodsuckers is funny, startling, a quick read (took me 3 hours for 370 pages), compassionate, sexy, and uplifting. It's hard to explain how a vampire could tell you more about what it means to be human, but when you reflect on Coyote - Felix's sidekick in the book - you'll know not only what love and loyalty are, but what survival takes, as well. People who love mysteries and/or vampire stories will love this book. ...more
Don't read this book if you're just starting the series. In fact, don't read it at all. Acevedo makes all of the first-timer mistakes: mentioning charDon't read this book if you're just starting the series. In fact, don't read it at all. Acevedo makes all of the first-timer mistakes: mentioning characters who never appear, referencing events that never happen, and losing track of his storyline. On the other hand, you MUST read the second in this series (X-Rated Bloodsuckers). Someone either helped Mario edit his work himself or someone edited it for him. This first effort, however, needs a deep clean before it will be a good read. The idea (soldier comes back from Iraq a vampire and becomes a PI) is brilliant. The carrythrough just isn't there, though. ...more
As someone who hasn't ever felt the impulse to kill myself, this book was a real eye-opener. It's almost as if Hornby made a list of all of the most pAs someone who hasn't ever felt the impulse to kill myself, this book was a real eye-opener. It's almost as if Hornby made a list of all of the most potent reasons to kill yourself (a humiliating sex scandal, a severely handicapped dependent, general teenage angst), then brought all of those people together to see what would happen. In Hornby's universe, what happens is that the characters, who have all come to the same building to jump off on New Year's Eve, decide to join together to see if they can solve at least one person's problem. Just like life, their plan doesn't work the way they think it will.
I struggle to tell people why I like this book, because it certainly doesn't have a rousing, heartwarming ending. The characters are morally questionable, depressing, or weird beyond likability. Like all of Hornby's work, Long Way Down flirts with that unreadable edge of being TOO real to enjoy. If you hang in with it, though, and embrace these people like you would a doomed relative, there are things to think about. What is hope? How much does your life mean to you? How much are you worth, in absolute terms? And, most important, Who are you? Are you the person you take care of, your career, the music you listen to, the car you drive? Your identity and how you position yourself with respect to success, hope, and happiness are essential elements of the plot, and they're not discussed. Hornby trusts you to do the thinking necessary to supplement the plot, which is a lovely thing.
I wouldn't recommend this book to people with suicidal tendencies, and I wouldn't recommend this book to plot-only readers. What you bring to the book is as important as what it brings to you....more
I read this because I've read several other of Lisle's fantasy books. This is markedly different in that it is set in the present and the main charactI read this because I've read several other of Lisle's fantasy books. This is markedly different in that it is set in the present and the main character is physically handicapped by a torn up knee. There are no swashbuckling episodes or magical battles in this book. On the other hand, there are several rather vivid sex scenes. They're well-written and tasteful, but the stalker/ex who plays the villain is extremely disturbed, and that balances out any tastefulness that may exist. Lisle is a little overenthusiastic in her description of the villain, his proclivities, and his activities. The effect is like a romance novel gone terribly, terribly wrong. Don't think I didn't like the book. I read it in 4 hours in one day. It's just disturbing, so be prepared!...more
I'm uncertain about this one. On the one hand, there's sumptuous description in the book, and the setting is China, so the description is necessary toI'm uncertain about this one. On the one hand, there's sumptuous description in the book, and the setting is China, so the description is necessary to a Westerner. For example, there's a passage in which the narrator describes the smell of a village as a mixture of human excrement and cooking spices... and that's pretty vivid. However, there's something slightly caricatureish about the characters. All but two of them - and they're incidental characters - are Tired or Bored or Happy or Stupid or... The two incidental characters are a drug-smuggling Scotsman and a woman from mainland China who essentially sells herself for a chance to leave the backwater in which she lives. I got a real bang out of both of them, and more so as the book went on. The main character is a series of rotating cardboard cutouts, though, and when he has an affair with a 16-year-old girl, you're disgusted, but not as much so as if you'd known him better. He pursues the affair because he's lonely, but the author TELLS us he's lonely, instead of SHOWING it to us. He uses that technique all the way through the book, and there's just too much distance between the reader and the characters to really FEEl what they feel....more
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