Hunters in the Dark
by Lawrence Osborne
This book seriously blew me away (11/10/2015)
From the "beautifully ignorant" main character of this novel to the country of Cambodia where ghosts, spirits, omens and signs are as much part of the landscape as are the ruins at Angkor Wat, Hunters in the Dark just frankly blew me away. It is dark, beautiful and haunting but even that doesn't begin to describe how very taken I am with this novel. I won't go over plot here, but I loved being taken to a place where where people believe that "karma swirled around all things, lending them destinies over which mere desire had no control.
It made one's little calculations irrelevant" - a statement that says so very much about what is happening in this book. I could so easily go on and talk about other things, for example, the "devastating spectacle" of the dominance of "Western ideas and moods" in Cambodia and the horrific impact they had on Cambodia's future, but I really think I've said enough at this juncture.
Getting into the story does take some time, but my advice is to relax. There is a great payoff awaiting patient readers -- not so much in terms of plot, but more so it's all about what's happening around the action. I suppose you could read it just for plot but that would be such a waste -- this is an incredibly beautiful, haunting book, and now I am eager to hunt down others by this author.
This book would be great for book groups -- there is so much going on in it to talk about -- the restlessness and drifting tendencies of young adults who aren't very satisfied with their lives; the devastating impact of European ideas on cultures such as Cambodia's, and much more. I have to say that I was quite impressed and I hope others will enjoy it as much as I did.
The War Reporter
by Martin Fletcher
The War Reporter (8/17/2015)
Obviously people reading this book are loving it, but sadly, that just wasn't the case with me. Overall, I'd give it a rating of okay, but I would recommend it to readers of political thrillers.
There are a number of things I did like about this book, but heading the list is Nina's reflections about the journalists covering the war. As she notes, while her life, and those of her friends, in Bosnia were falling apart, "collapsing around us," for the reporters it was just "one great story after another." Now there's food for thought. In fact, the best parts of this novel were the scenes in Bosnia in part one. Imagine how frightening it must be to take a drive to a nearby village and wonder if you're going to be attacked, and by whom on the road. Another eye-opening part of this book was the level of international politics involved in making sure that a war criminal stays hidden, while the people who've suffered because of him never get justice.
However, sometimes I felt that reading this book was like reading the work of two different authors. While in reporting mode and while uncovering the politics behind the continued concealment of the war criminal, Fletcher is absolutely brilliant. Then there are those personal scenes between Tom and Nina, sometimes going on page after page, which in my opinion, could have been cut quite a bit. So balancing the two ends of the spectrum, I'll give it a rating of okay.
The Book of Strange New Things: A Novel
by Michel Faber
definitely recommended (9/2/2014)
Once I started this book, I was really annoyed when I had to leave it to attend to the real world -- it's that good. What really stuck out for me in this novel is the idea of distance - and whether or not distance can become so great that it can still be conquered. Getting to Oasis, for example, Peter literally leaps into the void with the use of technology, and once there, technology provides for most needs at the station. Peter and his wife Bea are not only separated by time and space, but as Peter becomes deeply immersed in his mission and works hard to bridge the gaps between himself and the indigenous people on Oasis, the emotional distance between himself and Bea as a couple starts to grow. There are many, many more examples that illustrate this idea, (one of the most intriguing of these is how he gradually becomes disconnected even from the people at the station ( USIC) - ) but I'll leave those to the reader.
I love the framing for this book, setting it on another planet entirely, since it puts the idea of distance into sharp perspective. The writing is engaging, the story beyond compelling. This is definitely a book I'd encourage a group to read (I'll be adding it to the list for my book group) -- there is so much here -- the dystopian element, the breakdown of civility at a time when people should be pulling together, contact between cultures and bridging the distance between them, the bonds that keep people together, and more. It's a successful book and works on a number of levels.
I will say that unlike others who've read this novel though, I didn't think that this novel reflected either a pro-Christian or anti-Christian stance -- I realize people will see what they want to see, but from my pov, I didn't pick up a vibe either way.
I'll definitely and highly recommend this book -- it's good for readers of dystopia, for those who are interested in human nature when it is tested beyond its limits, and for those who just appreciate good writing, a very good story and the leaps of faith people must take in their life journeys.
The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry That Built America's First Subway
by Doug Most
I love history written like this! (12/17/2013)
With The Race Underground, the author has taken a subject that most people would simply take for granted and set it within the cultural, economic, scientific and social framework surrounding various historical periods in America's history. I really enjoy "accessible" history, and I liked this book. Not only is it informative, but it also weaves in the story of regular people aside from those whose financial backing and engineering talents made the subways possible. It's also easy enough to understand that it should be accessible to high school students, people who may be interested in the topic but are not really history buffs, and people who have an interest in urban history. Recommended.
Lost Luggage
by Jordi Punti
a short review is impossible! (9/3/2013)
I absolutely love the very original premise in this novel, in which 4 men discover quite through accident that they have the same father, who it seems, has disappeared. This intriguing story takes the reader through a whirlwind tour of European history, cities and cultures in this story which is funny and poignant, dark in spots, and intriguing. It does so without ever disconnecting the reader from the themes of loss and of being lost that come shining through in this novel, as well as the concepts of home, family and freedom. While I may have found it to be tangential and meandering in spots, I had no trouble at all NOT putting this book down -- although I think that for more casual readers, the tangents in the narrative complete with flashbacks might be a little challenging. I liked this one and would certainly recommend it, especially to readers like myself who enjoy translated fiction.
The Daughters of Mars
by Thomas Keneally
Couldn't put this one down (5/22/2013)
There's so much to this book that it will probably require a second reading (no problem there -- I've already ordered a "real" copy) but in the meantime, once I started it I was having trouble putting it down to do real-world things. I don't say that about a book too often, but this one drew me in and kept me there, largely due to a) its emphasis on the nurses and how they coped with the horrors of war all around them, b) the stories of the wounded soldiers whose lives were in some cases forever altered, and c) the number of interesting dilemmas posed by the author throughout the book. I was also caught up in Keneally's powerful writing -- although the book may have been a bit overlong, I was really taken by his ability to write in such a way that his descriptions became real, especially in the scenes of the attack on the ship and the depictions of the suffering of the wounded. As an FYI, the author does not use quotation marks around dialogue, but I didn't have a problem with it at all. Also, the dual endings might be confusing (or for some, annoying), but I found them to be in keeping with one of the overall themes of this book -- the randomness of life which at any time may offer a host of unexpected outcomes.
People who are interested in WWI might find this book of interest, since obviously an incredible amount of research went into this novel; readers of well-written historical fiction or anti-war fiction will also find it worth their while. It's also certainly a book club candidate for the number of issues raised throughout the story.
Super book, one I highly recommend.
The Devil in Silver: A Novel
by Victor LaValle
Simply superb. It's hard to find books that are better than this one. (8/2/2012)
There has been a veritable bumper crop of excellent novels this year, and I've just added The Devil in Silver to my favorites list. Set inside a New York hospital's psychiatric unit, this novel is anything but the book of "literary horror" it's being touted as. While there is a "Devil" involved, and there are other real-life horrors to be found, the focus is more on the newest inmate, a man named Pepper -- whose only familiarity with mental institutions before his admission is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest -- and a lively cast of characters who also populate the unit. It's also a novel about the importance of being able to understand other people's points of view, appreciating others for who they really are, and so much more.
I absolutely loved this book. It's a mix of dark humor that made me laugh (including some pop-culture refs that fit in perfectly) and satire that is spot on the money. At the same time, there are some incredible discoveries made by the characters in this book that made me step back and take a look at myself as well. The writing, as with all of Victor LaValle's novels, is excellent and to use that old cliche, it's a novel that will haunt you long after you've put it down. But what truly stands out here are the people in this book, "bonkers and beautiful" all at the same time. I really can't do justice to this novel here, but I can recommend it without any reservations. It is simply stunning, for a multitude of reasons I'd need pages to express; it's also one you have to experience for yourself.
The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con
by Amy Reading
a timely read (6/11/2012)
Amy Reading's account of con victim J. Frank Norfleet would make a good movie. Everything's there -- the big con, the quest for revenge, and the moments of payback. It's an interesting story, one that captured my attention throughout the book, although I have to say that it gets a bit bogged down in detail when she moves away from Norfleet and his long quest to see justice done. (And I had no idea Daytona Beach used to have cliffs!) One of the best things about the narrative was her attention to Norfleet's own version of events, as she discovers that in putting together the account of his search for the men that fleeced him, he may have been just as much of a con artist in his own right.
With people still reeling from events like the Bernie Madoff fraud case, and opening their emails daily to a number of potential con scams, the book is a timely read. It is a bit more detail oriented with a lot of historical interest; it's not really a book club kind of read or something that might attract the attention of the casual nonfiction reader. I liked it, and would say that if anyone is at all interested in the history of fraud and con artistry in the US, Reading's book offers its readers an interesting perspective on the topic.
Three Weeks in December
by Audrey Schulman
A good compelling read (12/27/2011)
Audrey Schulman is very good at storytelling -- with Three Weeks in December she offers a very realistic and complete sense of place, two very intriguing narratives that compel continued reading and good character development, especially with her main characters. Side characters have their moments, but they're not as fleshed out as maybe they should be. It's very obvious she's done a lot of research in putting this book together, and it pays off. My issue with this book is that sometimes she goes a bit over the top -- there's a bit about Max's attempts at sex that lead her to organic cucumbers with condoms to avoid pesticides that is really kind of unnecessary here (she even talks to it about her day). Jeremy's angst just never lets up, either -- okay, I get it, the guy wrestles with his inner demons, but it's unrelenting at times, leading me to skim those parts after a while because there's just way too much and it becomes distracting after a while. One more thing ... I had the "aha" moment figured out very early on, so the surprise just wasn't as powerful as it could have been.
Three Weeks in December is a powerful read that breaks away from the mainstream zone and has some very interesting things to say beneath the main stories. It's a very approachable novel, and I'd recommend it to readers looking for something a bit different. This book would be a good book-club read because of the underlying issues on progress and its effects on indigenous populations and the environment as well as the challenges that sooner or later everyone must face in their lives.
That Deadman Dance: A Novel
by Kim Scott
A new and different take on a tragic story (11/11/2011)
There are several novels about the relationship between the indigenous peoples of Australia and the newly-arriving settlers (Tim Winton or Kate Grenville are authors that come to mind in this area), but That Deadman Dance offers a slightly different take on this topic. For that reason, plus the author's obvious love for his subject and his delightful prose, I couldn't put this book down once I'd started it. Readers familiar with this topic already know the tragic outcome of the overall situation, but I was particularly struck by the initial promise of a harmonious co-existence when settlers first arrive. From that viewpoint, the tragedy that ensues for the Noongar people becomes more distressing as the novel progresses, allowing the reader to become more deeply involved in the story. Anyone who enjoys Australian fiction, or who is interested in novels about the effects of colonization would enjoy this story; Scott's novel would also be an outstanding choice for a book group, because it raises so many interesting questions. Overall, a very good read, one I'd recommend.
The Trinity Six
by Charles Cumming
An interesting new take on an old spy scandal (2/5/2011)
Trinity Six has much to offer, and it will definitely keep spy-novel aficionados interested up to the very last page. The Cambridge Spy ring is a topic of great personal interest, and although the author makes a couple of minor errors, he does a good job in explaining the history of this group to make it easily approachable for readers who may not be aware of the history of the Cambridge spies. The author has clearly done a lot of research and knows what he's talking about. My only problem with this book is that a lot of characterization is sacrificed to plot, so there's not a whole lot of time for the reader to become intimately involved with the players. It starts out somewhat slowly, but the pace quickens and the action doesn't stop. I'd recommend it to people who enjoy a good fictional romp through the world of espionage, both past and present. It's a very easy read, highly approachable and once it gets going, fast paced enough to satisfy any reader of spy thrillers.
Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer
by Wesley Stace
Very twisted but good. (11/23/2010)
Once I started this book I could not stop reading. I liked it and was intrigued by the story, enough so that I finished the book in one sitting. I have to say that I did not see the twist in the story coming at all, so in that sense, it was surprisingly refreshing -- it had a storyline quite different than anything I've read recently. My only problem with this book is that the music speak was a bit tedious at times, and I found myself skimming to get back to the story once in a while, which I can overlook because of the strange and twisted story the author has laid out here. Otherwise, there was a clear sense of time and place, which is important in a good novel, and the characters were so pathetic that the author did his job well in creating them. I'd recommend it to people interested in historical fiction, or to people who enjoy a good twisty plot. Fans of Stace's other books will also like this one.
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