First off, I read the NW/"B"/For Miles and Henry version of this book -- if you don't know what I'm talking about hold on and I'll get to it, ha!
This First off, I read the NW/"B"/For Miles and Henry version of this book -- if you don't know what I'm talking about hold on and I'll get to it, ha!
This is my 2nd Percival Everett book and also my 2nd Everett book that I have read thanks to Tournament of Books (ToB). I had 'Telephone' on my radar given that I did like 'So Much Blue,' but as is often the case in my reading life I hadn't quite got around to it until its inclusion in the 2021 ToB sent it back up the priority list.
I'm thinking Everett is one of the more underrated/under-read contemporary literary fiction authors out there -- like 'Blue' this novel takes you to places and plot lines that are totally unexpected which granted may leave you scratching your head at the end wondering what it was all about, but -- as has been in my limited Everett experience -- still glad you did. But to put it kind of simply this book is about an unhappy marriage between college professors (geology and poetry), a dying (young) daughter, and human trafficking. Like I said, Everett is good at throwing a curve ball in there. And there was stuff that was definitely over my head like Everett using this repetitive device breaking up intra-chapter sections with geological tidbits, chess moves, art works, etc. -- again something that could have potentially bothered me if I chose to allow it to.
Now back to that explanation at the top. There are 3 versions of this novel (and guessing the reasoning behind the title) and again I read the NW (compass direction in red circle on cover), B version (letter after ISBN), and For Henry and Miles (one of three versions of the dedication) -- which seem to provide the easiest ways to figure out which version you have of the slightly different text and alternate ending(s). Much like those intra-chapter thingies, this could be a fairly self-indulgent gimmick on Everett's part, but again just based on these two reading experiences with him I feel like he knows what he's doing -- even if I don't, but again I find it both interesting and intriguing. Knowing of the three versions going in, I had absolutely no intention of seeking out another version -- but now having finished, I think I might. Though the only issue, is reading it fast enough before forgetting this version (reader amnesia!) and getting myself to a bookstore which I think I've only managed to do once in the last year due to this damn pandemic (or pan-damn-ic? I'm copyrighting that!)... and don't really want to chance getting a duplicate "B" copy to mail order or e-book (I read it in paperback).
Also, I need to add that I was quite surprised that part of this book took place in my home state of New Mexico and in fact, the protagonist likely drove through my home town on a couple occasions (tho it is never mentioned), but one thing that made me laugh is that one of the characters in the book says "There's no oil in New Mexico!" (or something to that effect) which couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, oil is one of the biggest industries in our state -- now granted, not largely (or at all?) in the area of the state where the action takes place (pretty much dead center), but in the southeast corner of the state bordering Texas (the Permian Basin region). So anyhow, just some local-ish trivia/slight correction that I had to pass along.
Overall, giving this one 4 stars. Intriguing book, didn't totally get it all -- but apparently good enough that I'd consider reading an alternate version. This also marks my 11th and last intended read for the 2021 ToB. After being a "complete-ist" last year (read all 18 entrants), I am likely never doing that again as it sucked up too much of my valuable reading time on books I suspected I wouldn't like and did not -- so going forward, it will just be to read those books that were on my radar and never go to or something new that sounds like it's up my literary alley (so no cannabalism satire or more dystopias as I attempt to survive the one we're currently living in).
Tough call on a tough read. Given that it won the Booker Prize, it was hard not to know at least something going into Douglas Stuart's debut novel "Sh Tough call on a tough read. Given that it won the Booker Prize, it was hard not to know at least something going into Douglas Stuart's debut novel "Shuggie Bain" -- and I'm guessing the thing most known is that it is relentlessly sad/bleak. I suspected this tale of a young (gay) boy and his alcoholic mother was a very personal novel for Stuart, so was not surprised at all when it was confirmed in the acknowledgements.
While I wouldn't say the book is a slog, the long and detailed (and repetitive-ish) passages of living with an alcoholic were pretty heavy and oppressive, certainly not a propulsive page-turner - which I suspect was exactly the point/intention. It makes one appreciate having a a happy (or perhaps "not unhappy") or even lower-case "d" dysfunctional family/childhood. It was a book that I was glad to be finished with -- so, not exactly a ringing endorsement -- but also one that I ultimately could not help but be emotionally moved by. In the very late stages of the book, I still questioned whether Stuart would be able to round that corner *and* have a realistic and sincere ending - but much to his credit I felt he stuck the landing (indeed one of the trickier things to do in fiction).
So while this 3-stars for me for the bulk of the way, having now put these thoughts down I find myself landing at 4 stars (even after thinking anticipating one of my unofficial 3.5 stars when wrote the first sentence of this review). ...more
My 9th read for the 2021 Tournament of Books (ToB) and a good example that after being a "completist" (reading all 18 books in the tournament), I willMy 9th read for the 2021 Tournament of Books (ToB) and a good example that after being a "completist" (reading all 18 books in the tournament), I will likely never do it again. While it is good thing to go outside your comfort zone/"box," I am realizing it's usually better just to trust my instincts and read the books I want to read and I am pretty much doing that with this year's ToB (targeting about 10-12 books), but this one slipped in just under the wire with the justification that it was short, a good price, and had received praise from both my Goodreads peers and critics.
And okay, it's not the disaster maybe I am making it out to be. It was indeed a super-fast and compulsively readable book and,, as with most ToB books, even if I don't end up liking it I can't deny it is "interesting" -- so honestly no regrets in reading it (especially since it was in quick fashion). For me it was just an dystopian acid trip from start to finish that constantly tested believability and credibility and patience. Did I believe any of the actions of any character in this book? No. Could I imagine the cataclysmic natural and social events that happen in this book actually happen and people handling them as atrociously bad as they do in this book? Well, yes -- with our current pandemic dystopia of 2020-21 supplying plenty of the proof.
If there's more biblical stuff going on here besides the obvious ("Eve," floods, end times, and some mumbo jumbo about the Holy Trinity and science and art) I'll fully admit I may have missed the Noah's Ark on this one .
2.5 stars with almost a round-up to 3 for the sheer readability and messy creativity and audacity of the novel, but have to round-down to 2 for the overall experience that left me yearning for a Book of Revelation beyond the allegory for these crazy-ass times....more
This one snuck up on me. Through much of the first half of Yaa Gyasi's sophomore novel, I was enjoying it well enough, the phrase "very competent" croThis one snuck up on me. Through much of the first half of Yaa Gyasi's sophomore novel, I was enjoying it well enough, the phrase "very competent" crossed my mind, which seems sort of a backhanded compliment (the equivalent to "great personality" I'm guessing), but just could not quite put my proverbial finger on what was the missing link/connection. But then about 60% in (yes, read it on a Kindle), something clicked -- tho again, I still finding no target for that proverbial finger -- and it really turned into something wonderful, or dare I say it... transcendent.
I don't think I have ever read a novel that has some deftly handled (or juggled the struggle) between religion and science, not that there's any rule saying they are mutually exclusive, right? I can see where some readers may feel this is a laundry list of literary fiction "hot topics" -- immigration, dysfunctional family, addiction, mental health, race -- but it still felt fresh thanks to Gyasi's empathy-inducing and full developed protagonist, Gifty.
I was a fan of Gyasi's debut "Homegoing" -- but was not as in love with it as others, and admit maybe suffered a bit for me given the literary buzz around it at the time, so it probably helped that I did not come into this one with super-high/"Can she top that?" expectations. "Kingdom" is definitely a very different novel. While "Homegoing" impressively spanned hundreds of years and generations in 300 (or a bit less) pages, I would give the edge to this more intimate and personal novel.
This is my 8th book for the 2021 Tournament of Books -- and one of the books I was glad to have been chosen as it finally provided the impetus to move it up my TBR cyber-pile. Definitely one I'll be rooting for to make the later rounds. Let's go with an unofficial 4.5 stars, but I'll round up to a Goodreads 5 stars for good measure in this brand new year of 2021 (and maybe help to wipe out the bad vibes of annus horribilis 2020)....more
Finally getting around to one of the most buzzed about book of 2020 thanks to its inclusion in the 2021 Tournament of Books (my 7th completed read for Finally getting around to one of the most buzzed about book of 2020 thanks to its inclusion in the 2021 Tournament of Books (my 7th completed read for the ToB tourney). I was a bit confused about the middling ratings on this one (and honestly try to avoid looking at Goodreads too much before starting a bit), but I can now understand why this one is a love-it/hate-it kind of book... definitely Goldilocks syndrome of it being "too hot" or "too cold" for readers in this very slow burn, the unknown is more scary than the known mystery/thriller.
Personally, I was a little hot and cold with it too. I ate it up at the beginning, always intrigued on where it was and what it was all about. I suspected I was going to be frustrated with the lack of a reveal or closure -- and again, while it's a case of "your mileage may vary," personally I think Alam almost revealed too much in the end -- tho again, I totally couldn't argue with those who thought it was not nearly enough. It's *that* kind of book, which is always quite intriguing -- and what makes it an excellent ToB selection as they often are not the "best" books, but always interesting.
So yes, I felt like it lost a bit of momentum in the end as what was revealed was revealed. Nevertheless very creepy and unsettling -- which I am not sure was needed after the year of 2020, let alone reading it during an extremely troubling first week of 2021. Great atmosphere and feel, liked the doses of racial and societal snark/satire along the way. ...more
Being on the outer (and older) edge of Gen X, I have to admit I have been struggling with Millennial protagonists, and here in Raven Leilani's debut n Being on the outer (and older) edge of Gen X, I have to admit I have been struggling with Millennial protagonists, and here in Raven Leilani's debut novel "Luster," the rarely-named Edie is almost on the cusp of being Gen Z -- additionally, Edie is a hot mess and the majority of the book's plot is wildly unrealistic. Given my low tolerance for all three of these things, this novel should not have worked for me at all -- but as you have by now seen by the 4 stars, somehow it did -- and honestly I don't know quite why.
I guess there is Leilani's snappy and often bold prose. It's often sly examination of race and the economic insecurity of these younger generations. A well-rounded protagonist who I don't have anything in common with, nor would want to spend any time with in the real world -- but still engaged and fascinated with what she would do next in these (again) quite highly improbable scenarios. It's funny and witty, sad and even tragic at times.
A very interesting book that I suspect will have its avid supporters and equally strong detractors, which made it an excellent choice for inclusion in the 2021 Tournament of Books (which was the primary reason I finally got around to reading it after linger on my cyber-maybe TBR list for the last several months). ...more
Granted it is now on a sample size of two books, but I am suspecting Brit Bennett and I are going to have a shaky relationship. She is a wonderful wri Granted it is now on a sample size of two books, but I am suspecting Brit Bennett and I are going to have a shaky relationship. She is a wonderful writer and I enjoyed both of her books, but each had nagging issues that prevent me from a higher rating without any reservations. I think what also may be the case is that I go in with this high falutin' "literary fiction" mindset and what she is giving readers -- again, in this sample size of two novels -- is a well-written soap opera, and as they say in 'Seinfeld'... Not that there's anything wrong with that!
So my nags here were the multiple coincidences and conveniences to move the plot along. I know random, "it's a small world" occurrences happen in real life but it was just the proverbial bridge too far here. It's a bit odd because as I was finishing up this book I started on another novel (Raven Leilani's 'Luster) and in that one there is this highly improbable, utterly ridiculous situation the protagonist finds herself in and I'm just going with it, unbothered. I can't quite put a finger on what makes it "work" or not between these two novels. I was also slightly bothered by the character of Reese, who really deserves a novel of his own -- and gets the short stick here as a bit of heavy-handed ("passing") symbol, but some many questions unanswered and areas unexplored or underdeveloped (not that there was room for that in this novel).
A tough call -- but am going with an unofficial 3.5 stars, I had planned on a round-down to 3 stars for Goodreads, but think I will lean slightly the other direction and round-up to 4 stars. I did prefer this novel over Bennett's debut, 'The Mothers' -- and if I let go of my hang-ups and embrace this as this as the really quite good soap-opera-y storytelling it is, there is less hesitation for that rounding up!
(Side note: Started this one as had a hunch it would make Tournament of Books for 2021 -- and it did ... so on my way as this is now the 5th book complete from the short list. I managed to complete all 18 book for the first time ever this year, but probably plan to only get to ~10 of them for this next competition). ...more
For a novel that I seemed to have a lot of issues with, I sure did like this one quite a bit -- a very odd feeling indeed! It started right from the g For a novel that I seemed to have a lot of issues with, I sure did like this one quite a bit -- a very odd feeling indeed! It started right from the get-go where I could not fathom a situation/get onboard with the premise that someone would leave their visiting mother in a one-bedroom apartment with their partner -- for any circumstances -- let alone a Japanese-American guy leaving his Japanese mother with his African-American boyfriend! Not a great sign of a good relationship, tho again -- I was never convinced of what truly got them together in the first place -- let alone did I have any interest in them staying together. So this all ended up being an odd combination of not what I was expecting this novel to be at all and also not living up to the hype. Granted neither of which I can place the blame for with Bryan Washington (and have not read his critically acclaimed debut short-story collection 'Lot.') -- but still something that I had try to reconcile with myself the whole way through.
But what did work? As there must be something as I am sure you have already noticed the 4 stars. Well, it was a wonderfully breezy read -- quick and engaging. The character parts were great. I really liked Mike and Ben(son) individually, just not together -- and the good thing is that they spend much of the novel apart. I went in expecting and African American story with a Japanese twist -- and it was more like the opposite, which was really a unexpected surprise but in more delightful way -- honestly enjoying the whole Japanese story line and particularly Mike's parents, Mitsuko and Eiju. These four characters were very well-rounded out that even this a day after finishing it feels like they are really still out there in the universe.
This is one of those reads where I shake my fists to the sky at Goodreads for not having 1/2 stars -- as this truly would have been a solid 3.5 stars for me with neither 3 stars or 4 stars both feeling not quite right. There was enough the bothered me to honestly justify a round down to 3, but it was an enjoyable enough read that I ate up like potato chips -- and its uniqueness of its characters and really caring for them (tho again, oddly enough not Mike and Ben's relationship) is enough to make it a Goodreads 4 stars. ...more
My first read for the 2020 Tournament of Books (ToB) Summer Camp competition. I gave the preview of first entrant, N.K. Jemisin's 'The City We Became, My first read for the 2020 Tournament of Books (ToB) Summer Camp competition. I gave the preview of first entrant, N.K. Jemisin's 'The City We Became,' a shot but just could not connect with it, so I moved onto 'Sharks' which I had much more confidence about it as it had been on my TBR radar and a decent amount of positive buzz from my fellow ToB-ers. Unfortunately, as you can see, this one did not quite work out for me either (which seems to be *the* personal trend for me in this struggle of a year we call 2020).
I give Washburn's debut high marks for creativity and uniqueness. Having been to the islands several times, I really loved the Hawaiian local/cultural aspect of the novel. Hawaii is indeed a special and magical place. Additionally, I give Washburn credit for a pretty bold narrative move (which I will keep spoiler-free) at about the halfway point. I thought for sure it would resolve itself quite predictably - but alas not, which was a nice surprise.
But other than that, the rest of it felt kind of ordinary to me -- just a typical and meandering family drama with characters I didn't feel particularly connected to -- with diminishing lost interest after that halfway point (which may have been the point!). I felt the cultural/spiritual magical realism aspects of the novel could have worked for me, but most of the time again it was a missed connection. It made me wonder if this was one of those potentially "right" books at the "wrong" time. Maybe... tho probably not as my criticisms feel like they are beyond a funky mood.
Sadly, this one just notches a smidgen beyond "okay" -- so let's say an unofficial 2.5 stars with a Goodreads goodwill round-up to 3 stars. ...more
If you read James McBride's "The Good Lord Bird" you know how capable he is of creating a cast of colorful characters - and it is most certainly the c If you read James McBride's "The Good Lord Bird" you know how capable he is of creating a cast of colorful characters - and it is most certainly the case in this follow-up novel which takes place in projects of Brooklyn and follows the intermingled (and often serendipitous lives) of its African American and Latino residents with some good 'ole fashion Italian mobsters thrown in for good measure.
In a quite circuitous manner and in an unexpected manner (at least to me!), "Deacon" ends up being a mystery novel -- often funny, always charming with of sorts -- but is often funny and always charming sprinkled in with incisive moments re: poverty, racism, grief, and addiction - both drugs and alcohol (the latter providing the key to the novel's unusual title).
I didn't quite love it as much as I did "Bird" but that is faint criticism. McBride can WRITE and each of the many, many (almost too many!) characters crackle off the page.
Fun side-note story: I bought this book as part of a "pandemic care package" promotion by my former independent bookstore (Changing Hands in Tempe, AZ). For a set price, you picked out 3 books (in order of preference) and they would send one of those along with other random goodies from their store. When I opened the package, I was surprised (and okay, admittedly a bit disappointed) to see this book. Not that I didn't want it, but it was my 3rd choice -- but then I saw it was a Signed First Edition copy, which was a pretty cool surprise. Tho McBride's "signature" is more of a doodle that kinda sorta resembles the letters J & M if you look pretty closely. :-) ...more
2020 has been an "annus horribilis" in too many ways to measure (and it's just April!) and it's been pretty disappointing and frustrating that it has 2020 has been an "annus horribilis" in too many ways to measure (and it's just April!) and it's been pretty disappointing and frustrating that it has crept into my reading as well. 4 stars is by far my most popular rating handed out and through 14 books so far this year my average rating stands at 2.7 stars. I've already had more 1-2 stars books so far in 2020 than I do most years!
Thus it was a "Hallelujah!" moment when I picked up and started Charles Yu's "Interior Chinatown" -- even before this slump, it has felt like it's been a while that a book has thrilled and impressed me so thoroughly. It was like nothing I had ever read before (an attribute I have come to realize I place in high value) -- a biting satire (is there any other type?) of Asian-American culture that was funny and even absurd at times, but like any good satire -- relentlessly honest and brutally uncomfortable. But also unexpected doses of kindness and compassion of the Asian-American struggle to find (and even yearn for) their place as "Americans" in the face of racism and discrimination. As a white male, it's an definitely awkward to "review" this book on any kind of race/ethnicity issue -- but as a gay male, I could definitely relate to the feelings of trying to assimilate into the mainstream (straight white) culture and finding yourself either playing roles or trying to defy or fall into stereotypes for self-preservation.
And this is not even getting into that this is also a satire about Hollywood and the casting of minorities and women. And (!!) that large chunks of the book are done in screenplay style/format, so a fresh and bold work both in style and substance.
That said, satire is an extremely difficult balancing act -- it's often is Goldilocks syndrome of being too much or not enough -- so I am sure this is not a novel for everyone (even more so, with it's very unconventional presentation), but it certainly hit my sweet spot (the last satire to do so for me was Paul Beatty's "The Sellout" to do a YMMV (your mileage may vary) test). In other times, I'm guessing I may have knocked off a 0.5 or full star -- but as this ended up being a novel I really needed will just go full throttle to 5 stars.
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