Surveying the Chaos
2.25.2007
Origin / Diana Abu-Jaber / W.W. Norton / June 2007
If you are going to choose just one of the books I have recommended on this blog thus far, make it this one.
Diana Abu-Jaber ('Crescent,' 'Arabian Jazz') does a great job with a strange story line. This one is weird - the main character believes something unbelievable about her childhood so fully that the reader really buys into it, too. It has compelling characters, with a nice, realistic love story. Throw in the suspense of the 'whodunnit' crime scenes, and you've got a great read.
I would have read this in 1 day if I had nothing else to do. Instead, I ignored everyone, walked around the house with it open while I brushed my teeth, got dressed, etc. Heh.
Diana Abu-Jaber ('Crescent,' 'Arabian Jazz') does a great job with a strange story line. This one is weird - the main character believes something unbelievable about her childhood so fully that the reader really buys into it, too. It has compelling characters, with a nice, realistic love story. Throw in the suspense of the 'whodunnit' crime scenes, and you've got a great read.
I would have read this in 1 day if I had nothing else to do. Instead, I ignored everyone, walked around the house with it open while I brushed my teeth, got dressed, etc. Heh.
Labels: review
¶ 15:27 2 Comments
The Departed
Sometimes I read other people's reviews; rarely do I end up agreeing with the reviewer's assessment of whatever it is (except with art, for some reason). I read a review of The Departed when it came out, and the reviewer managed to convince me that this movie was hardly worth watching.
That person was wrong. This movie was fantastic. It was smart and funny, with a tour de force of acting on display. There were 2 small things I didn't like about it, but they come nowhere close to affecting my overall assessment.
One of the reasons I was sure I wouldn't like this movie much was because Leonardo diCaprio is in it. But I was wrong about that. He has really improved with age. He takes his acting seriously and does an amazing job in this flick. Plus, he's really sexy in this one (the first of his films I can say that about).
Yeps. A must-see.
Sometimes I read other people's reviews; rarely do I end up agreeing with the reviewer's assessment of whatever it is (except with art, for some reason). I read a review of The Departed when it came out, and the reviewer managed to convince me that this movie was hardly worth watching.
That person was wrong. This movie was fantastic. It was smart and funny, with a tour de force of acting on display. There were 2 small things I didn't like about it, but they come nowhere close to affecting my overall assessment.
One of the reasons I was sure I wouldn't like this movie much was because Leonardo diCaprio is in it. But I was wrong about that. He has really improved with age. He takes his acting seriously and does an amazing job in this flick. Plus, he's really sexy in this one (the first of his films I can say that about).
Yeps. A must-see.
Labels: review
¶ 11:19 0 Comments
2.15.2007
House Lights / Leah Hager Cohen / W.W. Norton / July 2007
This was an enjoyable read.
The story is about a girl, Beatrice, going through a coming of age transition. Instead of going to college as her parents, both psychologists, wish her to, she decides to pursue acting. She contacts her grandmother, who has some notoriety in the theater, and who has been estranged from them for some time. This sets her on a journey she didn't really expect, though.
What I like is that, as she finds out about and tries to cope with her family's dirty little secrets, her character deepens proportionately. Beatrice is written in a very real, highly accessible way. She gropes in the dark for a way forward in her life. She makes choices, she regrets choices, she tries to fix but doesn't know how.
I read the book in a few days.
The story is about a girl, Beatrice, going through a coming of age transition. Instead of going to college as her parents, both psychologists, wish her to, she decides to pursue acting. She contacts her grandmother, who has some notoriety in the theater, and who has been estranged from them for some time. This sets her on a journey she didn't really expect, though.
What I like is that, as she finds out about and tries to cope with her family's dirty little secrets, her character deepens proportionately. Beatrice is written in a very real, highly accessible way. She gropes in the dark for a way forward in her life. She makes choices, she regrets choices, she tries to fix but doesn't know how.
I read the book in a few days.
Labels: review
¶ 18:09 0 Comments
2.10.2007
The Sunlight Dialogues / John Gardner / New Directions / 2006 (re-release)
Hmmm... Who is John Galt? Wait, wait, wrong book. "Who is the Sunlight Man?" asks the back cover.
John Gardner is (was?) a fantastic writer in many ways. The characters are well written, the plot is mostly interesting, the philosophy in the book is very interesting.
The main characters are fascinating. There's a sheriff driven to get this so-called Sunlight Man at any cost, his blind wife (very well written), a family (not theirs) tearing itself to pieces. The Sunlight Man is insane, but the book tries to make you quetion whether he is really the insane one, of if mainstream society is the more insane.
However, I found this book to be a chore to actually get through. That's because it is SO philosophically driven. If you really loved Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, you may really love this book, too. For both of these works, the philosophy is the driving force of the book. It is, it seems, WHY the plot exists - to put forward the philosophy. My problem is that, even if I like and agree with the philosophy, I feel like I'm being bludgeoned to death with it in these books. It isn't an interesting part of the book so much as a constant presence that actually stalls the plot. Holy Endless Monologues, Batman! I like The Sunlight Dialogues far better than Atlas Shrugged, but I still had to fight my way through the middle. :0/
Honestly, I hate to say all that. This is a good book. If you love philosophy above all, you'll love this book. The writing is very, very good. It's just like the author couldn't quite let go of his philosophy when he should - he tries overly hard to make sure you get it. I get it already - quit bludgeoning me! Heh.
-issa.
John Gardner is (was?) a fantastic writer in many ways. The characters are well written, the plot is mostly interesting, the philosophy in the book is very interesting.
The main characters are fascinating. There's a sheriff driven to get this so-called Sunlight Man at any cost, his blind wife (very well written), a family (not theirs) tearing itself to pieces. The Sunlight Man is insane, but the book tries to make you quetion whether he is really the insane one, of if mainstream society is the more insane.
However, I found this book to be a chore to actually get through. That's because it is SO philosophically driven. If you really loved Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, you may really love this book, too. For both of these works, the philosophy is the driving force of the book. It is, it seems, WHY the plot exists - to put forward the philosophy. My problem is that, even if I like and agree with the philosophy, I feel like I'm being bludgeoned to death with it in these books. It isn't an interesting part of the book so much as a constant presence that actually stalls the plot. Holy Endless Monologues, Batman! I like The Sunlight Dialogues far better than Atlas Shrugged, but I still had to fight my way through the middle. :0/
Honestly, I hate to say all that. This is a good book. If you love philosophy above all, you'll love this book. The writing is very, very good. It's just like the author couldn't quite let go of his philosophy when he should - he tries overly hard to make sure you get it. I get it already - quit bludgeoning me! Heh.
-issa.
Labels: review
¶ 08:41 0 Comments
