Finally getting to this one after owning it for years, but buoyed by its recent renaissance having seen Patrick Radden Keefe at the 2024 Santa Fe LiteFinally getting to this one after owning it for years, but buoyed by its recent renaissance having seen Patrick Radden Keefe at the 2024 Santa Fe Literary Festival, having this book named one of the NY Times Top 100 books of the 21st Century (by both editors and readers), and preparing for the limited series that just dropped on FX/Hulu/Disney+. Glad to finally have a bit of a better understanding of The Troubles in Ireland (and Ireland history itself) and so wonderfully done in the hands of Raddent Keefe's always impressive and immersive narrative non-fiction.
While learning about the IRA and The Troubles was interesting, I almost was more interested in the aftermath and legacy and lives of some of the main players and particularly how he threaded the story of "disappearance" of Jean McConville throughout the book. I'm knocking off a star (probably less if fractional stars were allowed here), as I still found keeping the characters straight other than again the main players of the Price sisters and Gerry Adams and maybe still didn't totally understand all the history and politics involved (which granted was not Radden Keefe's purpose/intent here). But still a very good b0ok that was both an education and a captivating read.
p.s. One other humorous thing I learned here was, after having seen the cover of this book for years, that it's a picture of a young woman not a young man! ...more
I think my love affair with Isabel Dalhousie may be over. Think it's a case where I may have been charmed by her quirks in the past, but in this 9th iI think my love affair with Isabel Dalhousie may be over. Think it's a case where I may have been charmed by her quirks in the past, but in this 9th installment they just all ended up being annoying. Tho always well-intentioned, increasingly it seems she is just not very nice to anyone in her life these days. Also, in the past it seemed at least there was some self-awareness of her own quirks but again that has seemed to slip away in been judge-y and/or passive aggressive.
I have used these books as a literary palate cleanser in the past -- something light, fun, quick. While those elements certainly were still there, I still struggled through this one more than ever.
I read these last two installments as bookends to a vacation/trip to Isabel's hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was nice to finally have the visuals. But again, I think this may be it for me and the series (tho never say never). Tho I will worry about Jamie, Grace, Eddie, and heck even Cat and how they're dealing with Isabel!...more
Picked this one up as was intrigued by it (and one particular quote from it, that I'll share below) as it made the 2024 Booker Prize longlist and ulti Picked this one up as was intrigued by it (and one particular quote from it, that I'll share below) as it made the 2024 Booker Prize longlist and ultimately shortlist (I had intended to read it before the shortlist was announced, oh well!). But nevertheless, a well-deserved honor for Harvey's amazing novel about 6 cosmonauts orbiting the planet on an international space station. While the book is not tech-y/geeky, and obviously I can't vouch for any of the scientific aspects of the book -- it's all very cool and staggering that I am not sure how Harvey was able to digest all that information and gently weave it into the narrative.
It's worth throwing out the caveat that this book is not heavy on plot or on characterizations and that seems like it shouldn't work, but it also just seems to gel/jive with a book about floating through space and circling around the planet and experiencing multiple sunrises and sunsets each "day" and passing by continents like they're fast-food restaurants on a main highway. It's one of those books where it feels like it's about nothing and everything all at once -- humanity, the planet, life.
Does it get a bit too ethereal at times? Or do you get fuzzy of who's who on the space station or find yourself not even caring? Sure, and that's probably why this one lands at 4 stars for me -- but it's still a worthwhile and unique reading experience and I'm glad the Booker (as it typically does) brings me a book I otherwise would have not known about.
Oh, before I leave here's the quote that lured me in...
"The planet is shaped by the sheer amazing force of human want, which has changed everything, the forests, the poles, the reservoirs, the glaciers, the rivers, the seas, the mountains, the coastlines, the skies, a planet contoured and landscaped by want." ...more
A totally sentimental and based on pure emotion 5-star review. I've been reading 'Tales of the City' novels for probably around 30 years and have had A totally sentimental and based on pure emotion 5-star review. I've been reading 'Tales of the City' novels for probably around 30 years and have had so much affection for these characters and these stories that it is always feels like such a gift when Armistead Maupin gives us one more of these novels (and it's really hard to believe it has been 10 years since the last one, 'The Days of Anna Madrigal'!). Much like Maupin himself these days, this novel finds Mona living in England in the 1990s and running a country manor and B&B with her adoptive son. I have to admit I really don't remember if we/readers already knew Mona was doing this in past 'Tales' novels, but honestly it doesn't matter as Maupin just works his magic and serendipity, that nothing is ever a surprise or seems out of place. There's fun new characters and the typical mysteries and odd occurrences with Maupin tackling some serious issues along the way in his own special way.
I can't imagine anyone reading this one standalone and not having any of the history or connection with these characters -- guessing it would all seem pretty silly/trite. But I am fairly confident that anyone who has loved this series as much as I have would not welcome this latest addition. Now to wonder if or when we'll see another, and when/if there is I know I'll be there for it. Tho maybe I'll not have to whip through it so quickly (feels like I read this one in only a few sittings)....more
I picked this up for a couple of reasons. One: I was still looking to bump up the number of books read this year after hardly reading anything in Sept I picked this up for a couple of reasons. One: I was still looking to bump up the number of books read this year after hardly reading anything in September and October. Two: Somehow I reached my mid-50s with multiple decades of being an avid reader and had never read this classic, or perhaps even more surprising had not even seen a production of it on stage or screen. And I guess "Three" in that Christmas is indeed on its way, whether we like it or not (not to sound Scrooge-y or anything)!
Of course, I was still familiar with the general story of Ebenezer and his visits from Ghosts of Christmas' Past, Present, and Future -- and some of the supporting characters of Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim as well -- but there is still a lot more going on in this novella (my paperback copy was 96 pages) and I'll have to admit it was confusing at times. First, there is the supernatural/ghost aspect of it that lends a fever dream quality to it all but then there's the issue of reading any 19th century (or earlier) classic in that while all the words on the page are in English, it sometimes felt like I was reading a different language ... not so dissimilar to needing to turn on the subtitles while watching "Ted Lasso."
I am giving this Dickens classic a Goodreads 4 stars mostly for it being such an ingrained part of Christmas//having the spirit of Christmas (or not!) and it was nice to finally read the source material... but (you knew this was coming!), I'm giving it an unofficial 3.5 stars for the overall reading experience/enjoyment. I may give it another go next holiday season as I still felt like I was fighting it on this first go-round and maybe watching a production of it will help out in a "Cliff Notes" kind of way too. ...more
Tough ratings call here as I am a *HHHHUUUUGE* fan of the Netflix series and only coming into this one being quite familiar with the characters and stTough ratings call here as I am a *HHHHUUUUGE* fan of the Netflix series and only coming into this one being quite familiar with the characters and storylines -- so unsurprisingly and not unexpectedly, there was not much new or discover here other than to see the inspiration and very much admire the fine job that was done with the casting and making the graphic novel into a series. I was kind of surprised (and maybe not) that the Volume 1 only covers the first 3 episodes of the 8-episode first season (with at least two more seasons coming).
But much like the series, it is very adorable and heartwarming -- but of all the graphic novels I have read (maybe a dozen??) this one has to have the least amount of text -- so pretty darn great if you are looking to pad up some book/page reading goal counts, ha!
Given all that and while I truly do think it is a fine story and artwork, I am leaning towards probably not continuing on with the book series as I'm guessing Season 1 of the Netflix series likely covers the plot lines of the another volume or two and even less as the series expands on what's in the books. But again, glad and totally satisfied with reading and seeing the genesis of this project from Oseman -- and getting ready to re-watch Season 1 (something I very rarely do given all the streaming TV show options out there these days!) in anticipation of the Season 2 dropping in August of 2023....more
Like a lot of books, 'Babel' was on and off my TBR list -- only getting read thanks to being a part of Tournament of Books (where it was resurrected aLike a lot of books, 'Babel' was on and off my TBR list -- only getting read thanks to being a part of Tournament of Books (where it was resurrected as a Zombie and fell in the final this morning). That said, I had trepidation going into this one as it was definitely outside my comfort zone as I am not a fantasy reader or enjoy-er. I don't know what it is, but I just don't have the imagination to grasp the worlds these authors create (as another example, I read the first Harry Potter novel twice -- and never got to or had a desire to get to the others... in retrospect, maybe not a bad thing given what we know about that author now). So yeah, this book had a mental roadblock for me right from the get-go -- and while I feel like I gave it a chance (heck, I did read all 540+ pages!) it just never gelled for me.
I guess the litmus test here is if you can imagine a silver bar engraved with a translation the same word in two different languages providing the technology/ability to power vehicles, hold up bridges/buildings, be a weapon of war, kill someone, etc. -- basically powering the industrial revolution in mid-1800s England. Or I think that was it is. It's also the story about academia (the titular tower where this magic happens is on Oxford University) and Kuang is doing a lot of stuff here about race, gender, colonialism, linguistics, etc. -- there was a lot of things thematically that I felt like I could get on board here, but it just was a bit of a slog.
This is certainly a book that I can see a lot of folks enjoying and I have no doubt about the Kuang's talent (knowing nothing about her, I was shocked to see the author photo and how young she is... or at least appears). In fact, I am interested in Kuang's next novel ("Yellowface") scheduled to be published in May. But for this one, I am going with an unofficial 3.5 stars for ambition, worldbuilding, and at the bones of a good/interesting, but a Goodreads round-down to a firmly just liking it. ...more
I went back and forth about reading this one. I am thoroughly fascinated with the Royal family - a big fan of Netflix's "The Crown" (well, maybe not s I went back and forth about reading this one. I am thoroughly fascinated with the Royal family - a big fan of Netflix's "The Crown" (well, maybe not so much Season 5), read many books and watched countless documentaries about them, including Harry and Meghan's own Netflix docuseries. So I feel like I know a lot already, particularly about this duo, plus there was the deluge of press with all the "good" parts leading up to and upon the release of this memoir.
The good news, and honestly a bit surprising, is that there is still plenty here that feels fresh and new information and even the more well-known tawdry parts when put into context and not presented as a headline or sound bite is interesting (tho Harry's frostbitten penis did get more of a word count than I was expecting). But there are a lot of recounting of quieter, behind-the-scenes stuff and conversations that will surely satisfy my fellow readers interested in this complicated family in truly extraordinary and impossible circumstances. Sure other members of the Royal family don't end up looking too well... but then again, I'm guessing many of us can relate to a distant and hapless father, an antagonistic and competitive relationship with a sibling, and challenges with a step-parent and/or in-laws ... or the tragic death of a young parent. But you can have all these familial issues and still love your family and want things to better -- and that's something that's communicated and evident here.
Is this airing the proverbial dirty laundry? Perhaps. Well, yes. But, if you choose to believe Harry and I do, (though also good to stay aware that this is his story/perspective and am sure others have their own versions, with truth somewhere in the middle), there seems to be no other choice in dealing with machinations of "the firm" and British press (and let's throw in some good old-fashioned misogyny and racism too).
Criticism-wise, I found the lengthy parts of Harry's military service a bit dry and repetitive (and really don't understand the hubbub about him killing people while in combat) - tho these sections are also very sincere as he has obviously has a deep care, reverence, and compassion for soldiers and veterans. And his privilege does get a bit eye-roll-y between jetting off to African safari when things get tough or casually ringing up Elton John -- but again, in this extraordinary bubble it's not surprising or shocking and again, certainly comes with a price.
Overall, glad that I read it. Will be interesting to see how things all shake out. It's sad to think things didn't work out with this new generation of Royal family -- but just like Charles and Diana, you realize how much of it is an illusion or aspirational. As the famous opening line of 'Anna Karenina" goes: All happy families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. And that's certainly the case here. ...more
Having read and enjoyed Tina Brown's "The Diana Chronicles" a long, long time ago (*gasp!* pre-Goodreads!), I had "The Palace Papers" on my radar, bu Having read and enjoyed Tina Brown's "The Diana Chronicles" a long, long time ago (*gasp!* pre-Goodreads!), I had "The Palace Papers" on my radar, but never got around to it as there didn't seem like a whole lot of buzz when it published... but alas, when Queen Elizabeth II passed last month, my interest was renewed and a super-duper Kindle sale deal made it a no-brainer to dig right in. While Brown does a quick review of royal history and the Diana era, this book concentrates on the last 20-ish years of Windsor history, post-Diana thru the death of Prince Philip and, arguably the greater pop culture moment, Harry and Meghan's Oprah interview. The book also seems to be a good primer for the upcoming 5th season of "The Crown" which has also arrived at portraying Diana's death and its aftermath and beyond.
I don't know how best to describe my interest in the British royal family. I am tad obsessed with them, find them very fascinating, but I feel like I am not obsessed to the point of getting caught up with the day-to-day gossip or drama or taking sides, but more feeling there's enough blame/reason to go around for what is a pretty f&cked up "tradition" and dynamics. And while I felt like I knew most of the basic thread of "plot" that was in this book, I still felt I learned quite a bit about the "origin" stories of Camilla, Kate, and Meghan ... and a bit more about the Andrew/Jeffrey Epstein sh*tshow. Not sure this is the best book if you are really looking for deep dive into things or into any one individual or event/scandal, but I imagine it will satisfy the curiosities of most Royal fans and provide a better understanding/background of how "The Firm" operates and how things tend to go very awry when members don't follow the unofficial royal mission statement: "Never complain, Never explain."
And while the book was published well before the death of Queen Elizabeth, the last chapter very interestingly discusses the challenges and hopes of a post-Elizabethian monarchy in a way that felt like it could have just been written over the past several weeks. Overall, and entertaining (and occasionally snarky) read for casual and slight elevated fans and followers of the British monarchy. And apparently well-researched and documented too as the main body of the Kindle edition ends at around the 56% mark with the rest being photos, notes, and source material.
Lately it seems I am quoting some publication or blurb to help jumpstart my "reviews" ("thoughts" is a probably far more accurate), so here I start wi Lately it seems I am quoting some publication or blurb to help jumpstart my "reviews" ("thoughts" is a probably far more accurate), so here I start with the closing line from above of the Goodreads blurb...
"With a steely, unfaltering gaze, Natasha Brown dismantles the mythology of whiteness, lining up the debris in a neat row and walking away."
Totally accurate, as there was a "Wait? What? Huh?" quality to finishing this literary debut -- and by the way, a very quick one. I'm guessing many finish it's 100ish pages in one sitting, I chose to slow it down across a few sittings over the course of three days. But sly boldness here as Brown tells the story of a young black woman of Jamaican heritage living in London, by all means a "success" -- risings in the ranks of the banking industry and finding herself at schmancy garden party in the English countryside with her (white) boyfriend but with the collateral and continuing damage of a life of micro- and macroaggressions surrounding her race, ancestry, class, and gender. Knee-jerk, I want to say it's provocative, but I find when that word is used, especially in describing literature, it typically means "the truth/reality presented here makes me -- and probably a lot of other people -- very uncomfortable." So yeah, a bit provocative for me (and I'm guessing others), but bring it on... and more.
Knocking off a star, as this is told in a very fragmented, stream of consciousness style that I am a bit challenged with of late (not great for me, as it appears to be a trend - thanks Twitter!). It's very breezy, fast-reading. While I felt like I saw/knew what Brown was doing in the big scale, but at times it felt disjointed and I was unable to put all the puzzle pieces together. Even in the end and presented with the final picture (or, as noted above, Brown lining things up and walking away)-- it still felt like I did not have all the pieces in all the right places (which as a middle-aged white (tho gay!) male may have been the point) or the whole novella just flew by too quickly to "get" it. But still an fascinating read that will surely put Brown on the literary map.
Not sure what is going on. I spent a lot of my younger adult reading years reading mysteries and thrillers and my attempt to read more "entertaining" Not sure what is going on. I spent a lot of my younger adult reading years reading mysteries and thrillers and my attempt to read more "entertaining" books vs. the more serious literary fiction reads that dominate my reading these days, has not really worked out that well.
I thought this would be fun as I am a fan of the Royals, though they certainly test my patience every now and then and while my expectations weren't super high on this one, I still thought it would be charming mystery (can't quite get on board with the "cozy mystery" nomenclature). And it was, at least when Queen Elizabeth was involved, but oddly enough (debatable?) she is almost more of supporting character here - not what one would expect in a proposed series dubbed "Her Majesty the Queen Investigates." Also, questionable is how much she actually is involved in solving the mystery -- tho I have to admit after having so many red-herring characters and theories thrown at me I lost the thread of what the "mystery" was and disappointedly after awhile did not find myself caring about it all that much when it was resolved. Well, at least I think it was resolved?
Again, very much enjoyed the Queen and Prince Philip (RIP) and even Rozie, the Queen's Assistant Private Secretary, who does most of the leg work here - but otherwise felt this one was a lot of missed potential. ...more
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
Exquisite! Maggie O'Farrell's HAMNET ("A Novel of the Plague") had been on my radar since its publication, but I just couldn't get myself around to re Exquisite! Maggie O'Farrell's HAMNET ("A Novel of the Plague") had been on my radar since its publication, but I just couldn't get myself around to reading it even weeks after I purchased a copy of it. In this age of COVID-19, did I really need to torture myself, devote my escape/"leisure" time to this topic? But I dived in, little knowing at the time I started it, that my region (southern NM and bordering El Paso, TX) would plunge into are darkest days yet. But oddly enough it worked - proving to be the perfect novel at the perfect time, linking the Shakespearean world of the 1580s to this very contemporary tragedy. O'Farrell's Black Death/Bubonic Plague never fully takes center stage (with the exception of one masterful chapter), but sinisterly lurks to surprise and shock its characters. But not the reader, who ,thanks to O'Farrrell's crafting, allows the reader to know what lies ahead, which only serves heighten the tension.
Backtracking a bit, so yes this is a fictional and highly reimagined account of the death of Shakespeare's young son Hamnet. It's hard to not want to know what's truth and what is fiction in this book -- and given how much in the past this is and what little can be truly known about the playwright's family -- O'Farrrell takes plenty of creative license here, including the educated guess of the cause of death actual Hamnet Shakespeare. But it hardly matters. In a bold move, O'Farrell puts Mr. Shakespeare primarily on the sidelines as supporting character -- in fact, so boldly never even once mentioning his name! Much like the musical "Hamilton," it is Shakespeare's wife Agnes who takes over the narrative and gets her story told (again, quite fictionally!) from a sad childhood to a lovely courtship to ultimately this tale of a mother's grief.
Have I mentioned how beautifully written this is? It is! The final passage of this book is simply breathtaking in both prose and emotion. While I wouldn't say I am an emotion-less reader, it does seem to take a special and rare book to make me 'feel' it and that was certainly the case here.
So I read this one as I'm trying to read all the Tournament of Books (ToB) winners for the Tournament of Champions competition (recently announced to So I read this one as I'm trying to read all the Tournament of Books (ToB) winners for the Tournament of Champions competition (recently announced to take place in October 2020). This is my 4th Ali Smith novel, having read her 3 "Seasonal" quartet books (the fourth/final due out this summer -- and called, wait for it... "Summer") - and while I recognize her talent, overall I have found my reading experiences with her more "miss" than "hit." I find myself quite engaged in parts, but then fall into chunks (and chunks!) of pages where I transformed into a reading zombie, eyes-glazed-0ver as they simply read the words but really did. not. know. what. the. heck. was. going. on.
That sums up most of my experience with 'The Accidental' -- I got the gist of what was kinda sorta going on. Was it good? Sometimes, not often. Did I understand it? Sometimes, not often. Did I care? Less and less so as I soldiered on.
This was shortlisted for the Booker and Orange Prize as well as winning ToB in 2005 - so I am obviously missing something - tho there are enough peer reviews here on Goodreads that made me feel not so along, so maybe not?!
It feels like every "review" I write these days should have the caveat that it was read during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. My guess is that if a novel requires any iota of an attention span or ability to focus, this may have not been the best time to read it. That said, as I mentioned above, I've also read enough Smith to know that she and I often do not operate on the same level (and will happily and willingly acquiesce that Smith is on the higher plane).
So here we are - only my 4th 1-star book in 521 books rated here on Goodreads -- and the 2nd in about a month's time and both of those related to Tournament of Books. As I have said in previous reviews, I am starting to question my commitment to ToB and likely will abandon trying to get through all or most of the list in the future - just reading books that interest or intrigue me. Tho I now only have David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas" to be a "completist" for the Tournament of Champions.
Likewise, this one has also (re?)-raised the flag on whether I will read the final book in Smith's Seasonal Quartet series. I have enjoyed those books much more and found them much more accessible (but still oddly random) than 'Accidental' -- so we shall see. But right now, doubtful....more
My 14th read for the 2020 Tournament of Books (ToB)! If you follow my reviews, one of the things that comes up time and time again is my appreciation My 14th read for the 2020 Tournament of Books (ToB)! If you follow my reviews, one of the things that comes up time and time again is my appreciation for something I feel like I've never read before - and this book definitely fit that bill as I have not read a book taken place in 18th century England about a woman claiming to give birth to rabbits. And based on true-life events no less!
It was certainly an interesting book and a bit surprising that the titular Mary Toft is really quite a peripheral character in this novel. It centers mostly around a rural doctor and his new assistant and then when happens when Mary's story goes viral. Of course, "going viral" in those days meant a horse & carriage delivering this odd news to King of England and other interested parties who soon invade the Toft's small hometown. But there are certainly many parallels to today's world where folks are increasingly doing odd and dangerous and even degrading things in the hopes of gaining fame and fortune... attention and infamy. And Toft -- again, perhaps the equivalent of say our modern day "Octo-Mom" -- is ironically, still achieving this centuries later with this novel!
So A+/5 stars for the subject matter, and it got off gangbusters and I quite liked the ending - but, as you can see by my rating, I found the middle portion to be a slog/poorly paced. Palmer just seemed to go off on too many (unnecessary?) tangents, capped off by truly one of the most gruesome passages I can recall in all my many years of reading. I kinda sorta get the inclusion of this graphic sequence, but it still seemed unnecessary/gratuitous. The good news is that sequence marked the end of that muddy middle and lead again to what I thought was a satisfying conclusion.
Unofficial 3.5 stars. Should be a Goodreads round-up for quality and originality (no doubts, I'd give Palmer another chance), but alas a round-down to 3 stars for overall (lagging) enjoyment.
This is my 13th (!!) book for the 2020 Tournament of Books (ToB) and also checks the box for shortlisted and winning Booker Prize novels, something I This is my 13th (!!) book for the 2020 Tournament of Books (ToB) and also checks the box for shortlisted and winning Booker Prize novels, something I had been pretty enthusiastic about in the past but has waned over more recent years. The good news here is Evaristo's linked-stories novel (yes, yet another one - what's with this trend?!) may restore my flagging faith in both ToB and the Booker as it was a smart, fun, incisive, fascinating multi-generational look at Black British women (and, as the title gives away... girls and others too). The scope is impressive, with Evaristo really capturing the feel/vibe of the millennial generation in one chapter and then deep-diving into some historical fictional territory in other chapters, in a vibrant and fresh voice.
It was also fun to try and figure out how everyone is connected and while I can't say that I was 100% sure 100% of the time, I think I got most of it. Evartiso posted on her Twitter feed (@BernardineEvari) on 12/21/2019 a cartography of the character connection done my Mona Chalabi that was wonderful -- tho there are spoilers, so while it would be tempting and helpful to look at it along the way, probably best to hold off until the end. But again, impressive how Evaristo created this web of characters without it feeling overly gimmicky.
Also, for those sensitive about punctuation and capitalization a fair warning that I think there is only one period in the book. Now this is NOT 'Ducks, Newburyport' with it's 1000-page long sentence or even 'Lost Children Archive' with it's 20+-page long sentence - but I guess this is done more in verse (??) - but, unlike those others, I wouldn't put much (if any) of a caveat on it as it totally reads like a traditional novel despite the untraditional approach to the prose.
Overall, a little messy at times and maybe trying to check too many boxes when it comes to race and sexuality (thus not 5 stars), but a really interesting and ambitious work. ...more
What an odd book, a true monster-mash of narratives that (debate-ably) pulls together in this unique, and never boring, novel. First up is a 19th cent What an odd book, a true monster-mash of narratives that (debate-ably) pulls together in this unique, and never boring, novel. First up is a 19th century historical fiction-take of the genesis of Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein" as well as her later life filled with many a tragedy which is then paired up with a contemporary (or near-future? post=Brexit) plot-line of a trans male doctor named Ry meeting up with a Dr. Victor Stein whose interests lie in the field of artificial intelligence and cryogenics. Take those two main ingredients and mix in a highly meta-fictionalized Shelley subplot, sexbots, Jesus freaks (well, just one), and even a World War II twist of lemon -- and this is Winterson's wild creation (and I am sure I am forgetting a thing or two... or three).
I likely did not "get" everything Winterson was going for here and while I felt some of the satire of the contemporary storyline was a bit too on the nose for me and would have preferred the Mary Shelley-to-Ry/Victor pages ratio be flipped this was one of those novels where I appreciated the author swinging for the proverbial fences, even if it resulted in some whiffs. But it did motivate me to purchase a copy of Shelley's 'Frankenstein' - a classic I've never read as well as getting me back to my abandoned side-reading challenge of reading books selected from last year's PBS' Great American Read. Unofficial 3.5 stars, but a Goodreads round-up to 4 stars for boldly creative fun read. ...more
I almost didn't read this one. I liked Smith's start to this seasonal quartet 'Autumn' well enough, but wasn't a big fan of its follow-up 'Winter' - bI almost didn't read this one. I liked Smith's start to this seasonal quartet 'Autumn' well enough, but wasn't a big fan of its follow-up 'Winter' - but I found myself needing a new read and given that I read the first two installations 'Spring' was added to my cyber-TBR pile... so here we are. And I am glad I did (well, sorta) - this one was definitely an improvement for me over 'Winter' - but as with 'Autumn' I found myself liking it but never loving it. Smith sets these books in the Brexit (and Trump) eras, so again that may be one of the reasons that I just can't get over the like-to-love hump with them, tho maybe not as it took me awhile to give Smith a shot after hearing she's one of those authors you either "get" or don't (I find myself falling somewhere squarely in the middle).
This book is split into three sections, with the 2nd section turning into a whole new book/story. It took me awhile to warm-up to this switch - and I'd definitely recommend non-UK readers to google some of the acronyms of what/where this new plot-line is all about. I found myself floundering and did that and re-started the section and it made a big difference. I still prefer the initial Richard storyline vs. what follows, but still holding onto my belief that Smith is an interesting enough author even if you are not necessarily loving the book(s)...
...which is probably a good thing, as I can't see myself NOT reading the last seasonal installment... and also as a Tournament of Books aficionado, one of the Smith's earlier works - 'The Accidental' - is just one of a couple of past champions I need to read to be a complete-ist for the anticipated Tournament of Champions next year (?)....more
My 8th read for the 2019 Tournament of Books and one that had long been simmering on my TBR pile since its publication and certainly as it made many yMy 8th read for the 2019 Tournament of Books and one that had long been simmering on my TBR pile since its publication and certainly as it made many year-end best-of lists. This is an entertaining story of the often fantastical life of George Washington Black who starts life out as a slave on a Barbados sugar plantation and we follow through many unique landscapes and serendipitous scenarios - definitely not your typical escaped slave novel.
Edugyan is a fine writer with a lively imagination. That said, I was expecting more gravitas/heft and found myself wondering what the point of all of this was after awhile which each new (melo)dramatic turn in Wash's life - though there is certainly enough to stew over: the white man "savior," a Les Miz-ish Valjean/Javert on-the-hunt subplot, and a what it means to be "free."
Overall, for me, it suffered a bit under the high expectations/hype and my misguided suspicions of what it was going to be (for some reason, while fantastical as mentioned above I thought it would tip into magical realism a la Colson Whitehead's 'Underground Railroad') - but still a book that I always looked forward to picking up and seeing where it would go next. Unofficial 3.5 stars with a Goodreads round-up to 4 stars. ...more
My 7th read for the 2019 Tournament of Books and one that certainly hit my literary sweet spot. Granted not enough to give it 5 stars and also one tha My 7th read for the 2019 Tournament of Books and one that certainly hit my literary sweet spot. Granted not enough to give it 5 stars and also one that could have very much been "right book/wrong time" as it requires some patience or at least being in the reading mood for Rachman's lush, meandering, globe-trotting slow burn of a novel of the life and loves and ups and downs (mostly downs) of the titular Italian teacher (which btw, also takes its sweet time to reveal itself!)
Rachman's prose is exquisite and he creates some fine characters here, many who are hard to like/love on the surface but eventually found a way to endear themselves to this reader. It is all very "literary fiction" in its breadth and scope, but never crossed the line of being overcooked/overdone -- but again, takes its time to get where its going in both delightful and thought-provoking ways. ...more
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