The Headmaster's Wager: A Novel
by Vincent Lam
Best Seller (7/24/2012)
Vincent Lam, the son of parents and grandparents that lived in an expatriate Chinese community in Vietnam, is especially suited to write “The Headmaster’s Wager”. Lam’s stories of a Chinese’ minority’s existence in Vietnam has bell ringing clarity and concrete believability in “The Headmaster’s Wager”.
Percival Chen is an entrepreneur who chooses to ignore political reality by following whatever political rules exist in the country in which he lives. Percival lives and prospers as a hedonistic owner of an English language company during the American occupation of Vietnam. He teaches in his own school and schemes to become a preferred language school at the time when Americans endeavor to win the hearts and minds of the indigenous population. (How similar that sounds to America’s efforts in Iraq.) Percival is also a problem gambler that risks everything for the thrill of winning. The main character of Lam’s novel makes anyone that has gambled recognize the thrill of wagering all one has--to change one’s luck. Percival copes with Vietnamese discrimination, Vietcong brutality, and American ineptitude to survive and prosper in his adopted county.
“The Headmaster’s Wager” is a journey of imagination, grounded by tales told to the author in his research of the Lam family’s fascinating history. This is a nicely written book that will entertain casual readers, gamblers, male chauvinists, war critics, and Maoist China haters; “The Headmaster’s Wager” should rise to the top of the “New York Times” best seller list.
2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America
by Albert Brooks
HUMANITY'S FUTURE (3/25/2012)
Albert Brooks is a clever and insightful writer. Yes, that Albert Brooks, the actor and director, and now published novelist.
For those over 60 years of age, this is a story that will enlighten and frighten; for others, it forecasts a dystopian or opportunity driven future. Brooks envisions earth in the near future, where science cures cancer but has the consequence of skyrocketing medical costs, increasing the gap between rich and poor, and widening the cultural chasm between young and old.
Brooks describes a 2030 American government that is virtually bankrupt. America's bankruptcy is exposed to the world by a major earthquake in California that decimates Los Angeles. The American government is unable to handle the crises because it does not have enough financial strength to rebuild the City. Southern California residents are thrown into the street with little to no prospect of financial recovery. Insurance companies cannot cover individual losses. The government is overwhelmed by the size of the catastrophe; this major crisis magnifies America’s societal ills.
Longer lives are accompanied by falling birth rates so fewer people are born to support a growing and aging population. AARP becomes the strongest political organization in the United States. Medical costs escalate because of technological advances. When a parent becomes hospitalized, costs are passed on to children of parents that die at increasing older ages. Surreptitious euthanasia is practiced when the "olds" fail to sign "do not resuscitate" agreements. A subculture of young terrorists develops to revolt against the burden of an aging population. The die seems cast for a stultified society that pits young against old.
Brooks is not seeing far into the future. The future of today’s children is burdened by America’s growing debt. Medical costs continue to rise with medical discoveries extending lives through extraordinary medical intervention; cost escalation is inherent in a world-wide movement toward universal medical coverage.
There may be a way out of this dystopian vision. A possible escape is a growing affinity between disparate cultures symbolized by Brooks’ story of Chinese and American cooperation. Brooks suggests that earth is one nation, one culture that is interdependent, borderless, and capable of resolving world problems.
Brooks is cleverly extrapolating from science and societal evidence of 2012 to send a message to the world about the potential consequence of ignorance. Science will continue to advance and its consequence needs to be understood in light of the immutability of human nature. Human greed, avarice, and covetousness are not expected to magically disappear but nature’s drive for self-preservation will sustain humanity. That is Brook’s story.
2030 is an entertaining read; i.e. structured in short paragraphs and chapters that appeal to today’s Iphone’, Ipad’, and Ipod’ distracted society.
The Sense of an Ending: A Novel
by Julian Barnes
MEMORY AND REALITY (3/23/2012)
Julian Barnes writes about life in “The Sense of an Ending”. Barnes reveals the loss of truth in memory’s recollection of the past. This is a memoir of a man’s life; after retirement, after marriage and divorce, and after children’s growth to adulthood. It is an indictment of all who write about the past from memory. It is a mystery with unexpected twists.
The cognitive dissonance that exists when recalling what one thinks they know about what they did in the past is sharply defined by Julian Barnes’ story of reflection.
Remembering best friends, family, and loves is a natural habit as you grow older but memory of one’s past is distorted by contrived and prejudiced interpretation. Barnes observes that it is impossible to understand one’s past from memories without concrete documentation. Memory is not enough; i.e. it is unlikely that one accurately remembers their past.
“The Sense of Ending” is more of a novelette than a novel but it is an entertaining audio book and a cautionary tale about how one should live their life and how human actions have unintended consequences. ”The Sense of Ending” shows how memory and history are often misrepresentations of truth when not independently documented.
The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great
by Eva Stachniak
Before Catherine Became "The Great" (1/4/2012)
Ms. Strachniak writes of the early years of Catherine the Great before ascension to the position of Empress of Russia.
Without knowing much about Russian history in the early to mid-1700s, a reader is compelled to rely on Stachniak's historical research for a believable fictional account of pre-"Catherine the Great" Russia. The author cleverly uses the invention of a female spy in the court of Empress Elizabeth as the historian for Catherine the Great's evolution from Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst to Empress Catherine II of Russia. Starchniak characterizes Catherine's entry into Russia through betrothal to Peter III, the Grand Duke, Empress Elizabeth's nephew and heir of Peter the Great.
Peter III is characterized by Strachniak as an effete leader that contracted small pox as a child and consequently suffered facial disfigurement. With little physical attraction and a possible medical inhibition, Peter III may have delayed conjugal consummation of marriage to Catherine. Empress Elizabeth expected Catherine to bare a male heir to the throne. When it appears that Peter III is not able to meet that expectation, Empress Elizabeth creates a circumstance for Catherine to take a lover.
Interest in "The Winter Palace" is kindled by a fictional character that becomes a spy for the Chancellor as Catherine is welcomed to Russia. Another spark is created with the characterization of Empress Elizabeth as a serial lover.
However, the kindled fire never comes to a blaze. Some sparks of believability and fire are in the relationship of the spy to her daughter; a few more sparks are revealed in the evolution of Catherine the Great from Princess to Empress but no flames burst forth to show the real hardness of Catherine the Great that must have been required for her to become whom she did.
Stachniak shows the reality of evolving mentorships and their eventual collapse that make the demise of the Chancellor believable but more could have been made of his decline.
“The Winter Palace” has the basis for a great story but it is not there in its current form.
[this review was edited to remove plot spoilers]
The Orphan Master's Son: A Novel
by Adam Johnson
Captain Korea (11/6/2011)
Adam Johnson's book, "The Orphan Master's Son", tells a tale about the dismal condition of life in North Korea. His fiction is consistent with Barbara Demick's "Nothing to Envy" that is based on interviews of refugees from Kim Jong-Il's totalitarian regime; i.e. Johnson's fictional picture fits descriptions given in the North Korean' interviews.
Johnson tells a story of Pak Jun Do, his survival and advancement in Kim Jon-Il's "Alice in Wonderland" world where cards can be soldiers because the "Mad Hatter" (North Korea's Dear Leader) says it is so. Pak Jun Do's life begins in an orphanage; he becomes a kidnapper of Japanese citizens for the Dear Leader, and later assumes the identity of a general in the Korean army. Pak Jun Do's surrealistic adventure exposes bizarre methods of intimidation, torture, and propaganda that sustain North Korea's existence.
The pace of Johnson's narrative, the clever exposure of North Korea's propagandist methodology, and his references to reported real life incidents (like the kidnapping of Japanese citizens) keep one's interest long enough to complete the book. However, Johnson's story is disjointed with jarring segues in the history of its hero. Johnson packs many bizarre incidents in his story but character development is weak. The love of Pak Jun Do for North Korea's most famous actress and how that love develops is too contrived and unbelievable.
Johnson's book reads like a comic book episode of Captain America or, more aptly, Captain Korea. The hero's tortuous flight to freedom is unconvincing.
North Korea is a dark totalitarian country that needs real heroes. Adam Johnson appears to have enough understanding of the country to create a more believable North Korean character than Pak Jun Do.
Room: A Novel
by Emma Donoghue
Survive (5/28/2011)
Listen and savor a fictional story that is as real as the sun.
Jack and Ma, the main characters of “Room”, are wonderfully created by Emma Donogheu. Her skillful direction of the narrators and their audio presentation enrich the power of Donogheu’s writing.
The beginning of the book is a puzzle because the listener sees the world through the eyes of a five year old and his mother. Part of the story’s appeal is seeing life through these eyes but also wanting to know why the world seems off center, almost surreal.
As early chapters unfold, the listener is drawn into a dark labyrinth of a mother’s fear and loathing. The mother’s fear and loathing is contrasted with the joy and wonder of her young son. The listener is puzzled by how and why that contrast exists. As the cause of the difference in perception becomes clear, the listener begins to admire the strength and wisdom of Ma and the precociousness of Jack.
Mentor: A Memoir
by Tom Grimes
Mentor (5/27/2011)
This is a story about a writer’s life but it is really a story about the meaning and value of mentorship to personal growth for any cog in the working world. The complexity of a mentor’s role in one’s life is perfectly revealed in Tom Grimes’ memoir. Every person should have at least one mentor in life because it is like having an “easy” button for many of life’s conflictions.
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
by Barbara Demick
Delusion & Deception (5/27/2011)
Everything to hide, everything to lose, and “Nothing to Envy” summarizes Barbara Demick’s book about North Korea. Demick peels back the edge of a curtain that hides North Korea from the rest of the world. Mrs. Song, Oak-hee, Mi-ran, and Jun-sang paint a picture of a gray country (because of little electricity) wracked by hunger and controlled by a dictator (Kim Jong-Il) and his army. Demick reveals a country that faces a grim future. “Nothing to Envy” makes a listener believe North Korea’s government is destined to fail. Time and incident will cause its collapse.
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet: A Novel
by David Mitchell
Historical Fiction (5/27/2011)
This book misses the mark of great story telling because David Mitchell fails to develop characters or a theme that sparks enduring interest and memory. Mitchell breaks no new ground in this historical fiction. The story of Japan’s isolation and singular culture is better told by Clavell in “Shogun”. Clavell’s hero, though equally formulaic, successfully cracks the harsh Japanese culture in a more emotive and entertaining story.
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
by Michael Lewis
Greed (5/27/2011)
Michael Lewis details the collapse of the real estate industry. He identifies the seers that recognized “Quants” were packaging worthless pieces of paper into re-saleable financial instruments called derivatives. Victims care little about who the seer heroes were but they were ringing warning bells long before the real estate collapse occurred. Some seers by chance and some with foresight created “The Big Short” because they anticipated the coming real estate collapse. The seers became rich as the victims became poor. Regulation is not a perfect solution for control of bad actors in a free society. However, no regulation is worse.
Adam & Eve: A Novel
by Sena Jeter Naslund
Belief (5/27/2011)
Sena Naslund’s writing skill is beautifully displayed in “Adam & Eve” but the story stretches suspended belief to a breaking point that makes the novel less than it could be.
Naslund re-invents arguments about the creation of man and the inherent conflict between science and religion. Character actions seem too hap hazard, bizarre and unbelievable to carry the weight of their meaning.
Arguments for religious and profane, sectarian beliefs are sometimes too obscure for a reader to clearly understand the author’s intent.
Even with these harsh criticisms, Naslund’s writing is a pleasure to read. There is enough suspense in “Adam & Eve” to compel a reader to complete the story.
Turn of Mind
by Alice LaPlante
DEMENTIA (5/1/2011)
"Turn of Mind" scares the pants off aging parents and their children.
Alice LaPlante expertly puts a reader into a dementia burdened mind. The main character, Jennifer White, is a doctor spiraling down a darkening rabbit hole. The reader searches for truth between imagination and remembrance. A murder has occurred and the prime suspect is the 61 year old doctor.
The scare of the story is not the murder; it is the terror of forgetting and the burden of living. Doctor White tries to remember faces and names. She raises hell with her family and nursing staff. Her two children are reluctantly compelled to commit her to a complete care facility because Dr. White's dementia exceeds a care giver's ability to manage her at home.
LaPlante's story is a fairly good mystery but it is most interesting because it reminds a reader of the tragic and scary consequence of dementia. The poor, at least today, have Medicaid for this long life disease. The rich have insurance. The middle class have bankruptcy. "Turn of Mind" is a primer on what dementia means to a sufferer and his or her family.
The Philosophical Breakfast Club: Four Remarkable Friends Who Transformed Science and Changed the World
by Laura J. Snyder
Who are these guys? (1/12/2011)
"The Philosophical Breakfast Club" memorialises how young "science" is in the history of humankind.
Ms. Snyder's scholarly research colloquially recounts the broad expansion of science in the early 19th century with a personal history of 4 men, Whewell, Herschal, Babbage, and Jones and their refinement and redirection of science. These 4 men literally and figuratively defined the word "scientist"; i.e., a pursuer of accurate facts that can be synthesized into a theory that is reproducible when the same facts are in evidence.
A good read for anyone interested in the history of science.
Murderers in Mausoleums: Riding the Back Roads of Empire Between Moscow and Beijing
by Jeffrey Tayler
Perception & Reality (9/7/2008)
Jeffrey Tayler is a brave social demographer. A recent headline in the NYT noted that "2 More Journalists Are Attacked in Caucasus", Tayler's area of travel.
This is an enjoyable light read with anecdotal stories of ethnic middle easterner's perception of the past and present.
Paul Thoreaux allegedly said that the most interesting travel stories are "...the stories about a trip that make a drama--an ordeal--out of something pretty banal...". Tayler gives the reader some of that drama in his adventures in the Caucasus. He gives his stories some credibility by being an American living in Russia and speaking or understanding a number of middle eastern languages.
"Murderers in Mausoleums" is a striking commentary on the damage that President Bush has done to America's international reputation at a country citizen's level of understanding.
It is also a topical explanation of how ethnic diversity is a critical factor in influencing history's course and people's memories and perceptions of famous and infamous leaders.
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