by Margaret Atwood
Introduction and Acquisition: Well, it's Margaret Atwood, isn't it? - First read her when I was an early teen, The Handmaid's Tale, which left quite an impression - When Oryx and Crake came out I had kept it in the back of my mind to read - borrowed from library September 2007
What's cool: hard to put down because - whether this was a clever or cheap gimmick - I was lured into wanting to know what exactly happened to lead to this apocalypse. Interesting story, the dangers, the creative imagination, the eventual unlikely savior that snowman/jimmy became
What sucks: It is one of the problems of using some ever developing techology in a story, for it really dates it. Already, only a few years later, the sinister internet as portrayed in O&C is no longer, and the implications of the evil of mankind in using such technology is sort of ludicrous. But hey, what would I have thought if I read it three or four years ago? And I just don't vibe with the utter evil that human kind is portrayed as possessing. Maybe I am too optimistic, maybe I just like technology too much, maybe I was a little too involved in the industries she uses, but I didn't buy the premise.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
The Thirteenth Tale
by Diane Setterfield
Introduction and Acquisition: been hearing about the book all year, maybe it was the colorfully dark dust jacket - borrowed from Queens library, September 2007
The Good: good twisty plot, intriguing enough to keep me interested, keep me reading, enough to spend a whole day on it just to find out what happened. Good fluff novel in the realm of Dan Brown books.
The Bad: [*reactions in mid-read:] Not even through the first chapter, I am already disappointed with the sameness in voice between the first person narrative and the letter that is supposed to have been written by the mysterious Vida Winter. The first person narrative is already distinct in her choppy sentence fragments. Is this a clue, or bad writing? to be determined.
So far, the action is slow. For every present moment described, there follows a paragraph of unwieldy explanation. It's trying my patience. It is not a book that allows the imagination a chance to soar, for it tells you everything you need to know, like a certain ex-classmate of mine who insisted on telling you things you really did not care to know, information forced upon you in a most unpleasant way. Personal space is requested, please, in reading a book. We are offered none here.
[Reaction post-read:] too many repetition of the same gimmicks, e.g., reiteration of the same "favorite" novels seemed to contrite - the key to the whole mystery was not introduced until much later, sort of taking the fun out of reading a mystery novel hoping to be given the clue to figure it all out - flimsy explanation of Margaret's weightless mother - the twin thing seemed to be forced on Margaret's side, as I did not believe her anguish over her own lost twin - as somewhat mentioned above, the book was too tightly caged for the reader, no personal space to tickle one's intellectual imagination - do women really swoon over and over again when faced with a profound realization or thought? I thought not, and found it kind of silly. Was it three times that Margaret contracts vertigo at the realization of some profound thing? I thought she was an intellect, thus her mind must be stronger than that - Too much repetition kept the book from being believable in the most desired sense of the word. Rather than becoming one with the story, I remained a reader reading a book, words on a white paper sheet.
Introduction and Acquisition: been hearing about the book all year, maybe it was the colorfully dark dust jacket - borrowed from Queens library, September 2007
The Good: good twisty plot, intriguing enough to keep me interested, keep me reading, enough to spend a whole day on it just to find out what happened. Good fluff novel in the realm of Dan Brown books.
The Bad: [*reactions in mid-read:] Not even through the first chapter, I am already disappointed with the sameness in voice between the first person narrative and the letter that is supposed to have been written by the mysterious Vida Winter. The first person narrative is already distinct in her choppy sentence fragments. Is this a clue, or bad writing? to be determined.
So far, the action is slow. For every present moment described, there follows a paragraph of unwieldy explanation. It's trying my patience. It is not a book that allows the imagination a chance to soar, for it tells you everything you need to know, like a certain ex-classmate of mine who insisted on telling you things you really did not care to know, information forced upon you in a most unpleasant way. Personal space is requested, please, in reading a book. We are offered none here.
[Reaction post-read:] too many repetition of the same gimmicks, e.g., reiteration of the same "favorite" novels seemed to contrite - the key to the whole mystery was not introduced until much later, sort of taking the fun out of reading a mystery novel hoping to be given the clue to figure it all out - flimsy explanation of Margaret's weightless mother - the twin thing seemed to be forced on Margaret's side, as I did not believe her anguish over her own lost twin - as somewhat mentioned above, the book was too tightly caged for the reader, no personal space to tickle one's intellectual imagination - do women really swoon over and over again when faced with a profound realization or thought? I thought not, and found it kind of silly. Was it three times that Margaret contracts vertigo at the realization of some profound thing? I thought she was an intellect, thus her mind must be stronger than that - Too much repetition kept the book from being believable in the most desired sense of the word. Rather than becoming one with the story, I remained a reader reading a book, words on a white paper sheet.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Everyman
by Philip Roth
Introduction and Acquisition: recognized the author from various books, saw this small book on the New Releases shelf of the Queens Library, decided to pick it up - borrowed September 2007
The Good: it was short, succinct, everything relevant - began with the end of the man's life, then all the pages afterwards explained what was introduced in the first pages. it was neat, as in tidy.
The Bad: I must admit to not having much interest in the life of a middle-aged man from New Jersey; I'm more of an adventure story person. But the author has won many accolades, and this should be for my education after all. It's not a story that will stick with me, that's all. It's about a life, after the death, and how the life led up to the death. But I don't get inspired or turned on by the moral ambiguities of one's life which sound more to me like excuses, but maybe that's just too close to reality for me?
Note: interesting that I picked up this book at the same time I picked up Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach, as I later read a few reviews that hold these two as comparable.
Introduction and Acquisition: recognized the author from various books, saw this small book on the New Releases shelf of the Queens Library, decided to pick it up - borrowed September 2007
The Good: it was short, succinct, everything relevant - began with the end of the man's life, then all the pages afterwards explained what was introduced in the first pages. it was neat, as in tidy.
The Bad: I must admit to not having much interest in the life of a middle-aged man from New Jersey; I'm more of an adventure story person. But the author has won many accolades, and this should be for my education after all. It's not a story that will stick with me, that's all. It's about a life, after the death, and how the life led up to the death. But I don't get inspired or turned on by the moral ambiguities of one's life which sound more to me like excuses, but maybe that's just too close to reality for me?
Note: interesting that I picked up this book at the same time I picked up Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach, as I later read a few reviews that hold these two as comparable.
On Chesil Beach
by Ian McEwan
Introduction and Acquisition: saw it was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize, then a few hours later saw it in the shelf of New Books at the library, decided to pick it up. borrowed from Queens Library, September 2007. read on a train to and from Montauk, NY.
The Good: Nicely tied ending, like a final tug on a smart bow. Liked the painstakingly detailed description of a "forbidden" event, step by step, and the two participants' states of mind during such event - the process of consummation of their wedding night. The characters were fully developed, enough for the reader to take some care about what happens to them afterwards. Good mood setting. The climax (literally) was hilarious, a good peak.
The Bad: I did not find the woman's character, or state of mind about the issue, entirely believable. For such an intelligent woman, I should expect some curiosity about her undeveloped sexuality, rather than a blatant frigidity. But sure, okay, so this was a different era and society, but still. And until the final sentence, I was disappointed in the denouement, their life post-honeymoon, but see above about the tidy ending. The pacing was a bit slow for my preferred speed of action and consumption, but maybe that's not a bad thing, to be forced to read at a different pace. For what it gave me, I found it interesting. As a novel, it felt more like a study in psychology.
Introduction and Acquisition: saw it was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize, then a few hours later saw it in the shelf of New Books at the library, decided to pick it up. borrowed from Queens Library, September 2007. read on a train to and from Montauk, NY.
The Good: Nicely tied ending, like a final tug on a smart bow. Liked the painstakingly detailed description of a "forbidden" event, step by step, and the two participants' states of mind during such event - the process of consummation of their wedding night. The characters were fully developed, enough for the reader to take some care about what happens to them afterwards. Good mood setting. The climax (literally) was hilarious, a good peak.
The Bad: I did not find the woman's character, or state of mind about the issue, entirely believable. For such an intelligent woman, I should expect some curiosity about her undeveloped sexuality, rather than a blatant frigidity. But sure, okay, so this was a different era and society, but still. And until the final sentence, I was disappointed in the denouement, their life post-honeymoon, but see above about the tidy ending. The pacing was a bit slow for my preferred speed of action and consumption, but maybe that's not a bad thing, to be forced to read at a different pace. For what it gave me, I found it interesting. As a novel, it felt more like a study in psychology.
Faith of a Writer
by Joyce Carol Oates, subtitle: Life, Craft, Art
Introduction and Acquisition: part of our writing group's guiding books, reintroduced when we saw Joyce Carol Oates do a reading a few days ago - borrowed from Queens Library, September 2007
The Good: she references a lot of other writers, their writing and thoughts about their own writing, and parallels between their lives and what they write about, when it's autobiographical and not. some cute advice for beginning writers, granting the permission to read whatever one finds delight in and not what someone else suggests is wise for reading.
The Bad: In criticizing this book I run the risk of looking foolish, for I as the beginning writer am criticizing the advice and thoughts on writing by a writer who writes not only prolifically but successfully as well, and does not look to be stopping any time soon. In our day and age, being not only a successful writer but a professor at prestigious university as well teaching of all things her very craft, is a mark of high distinction and respect that is hard to shake. I shall look like a fool with my disagreements. So now, disclaimer aside, I shall procede.
I disagree, quite hardily, with many things she claims about the inspiration and instinct of a writer. I should clarify that I disagree with the nature of her academic analysis of literature and inspiration and autobiography. I find in my own unpublished, unrecognized (and thus unsuccessful) writing that her take and analysis is quite off, or, at best, irrelevant. It's too academic, and for those things that are intangible and thus fall out of the bounds of analysis, they are dismissed as mysterious, unknown. It sounds too like school work to me, having written many a paper on the basic formula of say it, say it again with supporting out of context blurb, then say it again to end it. And such formula works remarkably well in the academic setting for it suggests some sort of thought process, linking this to that, the teasing out of patterns and how it applies to said genres. But... but.... academic is all to well known for being an inaccurate depiction of reality, a false portrait, one done for the sake of the painter and not for the good and well being of the world in which the portrait's subject is living. Sublime at best, irrelevant at worst. I find many of the essays irrelevant.
So says the unsuccessful writer about the musings of the prolific, successful professor/author.
Later Note: I confess I wrote this review before I finished the book, since I had not intended to finish the book, but after reading the last essay on her studio, it's made up for some of the shortcomings, felt a little more humane.
Introduction and Acquisition: part of our writing group's guiding books, reintroduced when we saw Joyce Carol Oates do a reading a few days ago - borrowed from Queens Library, September 2007
The Good: she references a lot of other writers, their writing and thoughts about their own writing, and parallels between their lives and what they write about, when it's autobiographical and not. some cute advice for beginning writers, granting the permission to read whatever one finds delight in and not what someone else suggests is wise for reading.
The Bad: In criticizing this book I run the risk of looking foolish, for I as the beginning writer am criticizing the advice and thoughts on writing by a writer who writes not only prolifically but successfully as well, and does not look to be stopping any time soon. In our day and age, being not only a successful writer but a professor at prestigious university as well teaching of all things her very craft, is a mark of high distinction and respect that is hard to shake. I shall look like a fool with my disagreements. So now, disclaimer aside, I shall procede.
I disagree, quite hardily, with many things she claims about the inspiration and instinct of a writer. I should clarify that I disagree with the nature of her academic analysis of literature and inspiration and autobiography. I find in my own unpublished, unrecognized (and thus unsuccessful) writing that her take and analysis is quite off, or, at best, irrelevant. It's too academic, and for those things that are intangible and thus fall out of the bounds of analysis, they are dismissed as mysterious, unknown. It sounds too like school work to me, having written many a paper on the basic formula of say it, say it again with supporting out of context blurb, then say it again to end it. And such formula works remarkably well in the academic setting for it suggests some sort of thought process, linking this to that, the teasing out of patterns and how it applies to said genres. But... but.... academic is all to well known for being an inaccurate depiction of reality, a false portrait, one done for the sake of the painter and not for the good and well being of the world in which the portrait's subject is living. Sublime at best, irrelevant at worst. I find many of the essays irrelevant.
So says the unsuccessful writer about the musings of the prolific, successful professor/author.
Later Note: I confess I wrote this review before I finished the book, since I had not intended to finish the book, but after reading the last essay on her studio, it's made up for some of the shortcomings, felt a little more humane.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Museum of Dr. Moses
by Joyce Carol Oates
Introduction and Acquisition: found a listing of JCO doing an author reading, and since it was my writing buddy's favorite author, we decided to go. Good reading, interesting woman. early September 2007
The Good: short stories that suck you in, very descriptive writing with a semi-detached tone that makes the horror all that much more visceral. Having heard her talk about the book before reading it, I read it with a little more intellect than I normally would, seeing the deliberate genre prose, the mechanics of the work, rather than just sitting back enjoying it
The Bad: It was all right, the stories.
Introduction and Acquisition: found a listing of JCO doing an author reading, and since it was my writing buddy's favorite author, we decided to go. Good reading, interesting woman. early September 2007
The Good: short stories that suck you in, very descriptive writing with a semi-detached tone that makes the horror all that much more visceral. Having heard her talk about the book before reading it, I read it with a little more intellect than I normally would, seeing the deliberate genre prose, the mechanics of the work, rather than just sitting back enjoying it
The Bad: It was all right, the stories.
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