Bev’s Choices
When last we met, Bev was in the middle of reading Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog, by John Grogan. After finishing it, she warns that it encompasses the entire life of Marley, a yellow lab – implying (but without directly stating) how it ends (thanks, Bev.). This book made her laugh and cry, and laugh and cry, and laugh and cry, over and over again. After giving her summary, Bev then initiated a lively discussion on:
The Prophet of Yonwood, by Jeanne DuPrau
For those of you that were at the first book club meeting, you may recall Bev and Colleen’s recommendation for two of Jeanne DuPrau’s previous books, The City of Ember, and People of Sparks. Although these are children’s (9-12 y.o.) books, they presented a unique take of what a society might look like should the world suffer a disaster that threatens the majority of its population. Along the way, the books present some pretty straightforward life-lessons and some interesting parallels to the development of any society. So it was with great joy and anticipation when we discovered that the third Book of Ember, The Prophet of Yonwood, was released a few weeks ago. The Prophet of Yonwood tells you on the book jacket that it’s a prequel to The City of Ember, taking place 50 years before the founding of Ember. So immediately, I thought that I would discover what the disaster was that led people to Ember. Boy was I wrong. But this is Bev’s story – heavily contributed to by Colleen and I, who both read it (as well as Lee, who wasn’t present at the book club, but would probably concur). There are some very interesting threads throughout Yonwood… it’s set in a seemingly idyllic town with the threat of what you anticipate will be the disaster looming – enough so that I forgot while reading it that there is still another 50 years until Ember is founded. As with Ember and Sparks, the main protagonist is a young teenage girl, with a young teenage boy introduced part way through the story. But neither one of these are anywhere near as fun as the protagonists of Ember and Sparks. Bev (and this was echoed by Colleen and I, as well as Lee) liked the story, and was excited about learning what led people to Ember… however, as the book draws to a close, there are still so many unresolved things, that it first appears as if the author has left room for another book. Well… she hasn’t. 50 years are summarized in about a paragraph and a half, and so many things that were brought up in the story are just ignored. As Bev says, the author was probably happily writing, and then realized that she had an editor’s guideline. The City of Ember and People of Sparks are both fantastic, enjoyable books, for anyone from the age of 9 to 90… if you read them and like them, you have to read The Prophet of Yonwood… but as Wesley (or the Dread Pirate Roberts) says: ‘Get used to disappointment.’ (He also says, ‘Life is pain, your highness – anyone who tells you differently is selling something’, but that has almost nothing to do with the review). Here is an excerpt from the review at commonsense.org (http://www.commonsensemedia.org/reviews/review.php?id=5328&type=Book):
Fans of the Ember series may be in for a disappointment. Despite saying “The
Third Book of Ember” on the cover, this book has absolutely nothing to do with
Ember until the very last, tacked-on chapter connects some of the characters
with Ember some 50 years after the conclusion of the story.
Colleen’s Turn
As Bev did, Colleen provided a ‘finally finished, but really enjoyed’ update to On Celtic Tides by Chris Duff, the travelogue of a former Navy SEAL who circumnavigated Ireland in a sea kayak. In addition to a description of his journey, the author (it amazes Colleen that he’s a former SEAL) discusses not only Irish history, but current events - and his own introspective journey.
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, by Richard Bach
It’s hard for me to write about this book without tossing my own perspective into it as it’s one of my all-time favorites, so my apologies to Colleen if I do – but I’ll try to limit it to her impressions of the book. Illusions is by the same author as Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and The Bridge Across Forever, and One… so it’s easy to think of it as being a touchy-feely new-agey book. And in a way, it is – it is filled with aphorisms taken from the previously fictional (and now tangible) The Messiah’s Handbook, Reminders for the Advanced Soul. But it’s also a very fun (most of the time) story. It follows the story of a barnstorming protagonist as he meets up with another barnstormer who seems to have life a little more figured out. As Colleen pointed out, this Messiah’s Handbook was a book that the protagonist could just open and discover what it was they needed to hear, and there are a lot of things that you’ll take away from it. Illusions is a very quick, fun and fulfilling read, and if Colleen hadn’t have liked it, I might never have spoken to her again. ;-) From amazon.com:
In the cloud-washed airspace between the cornfields of Illinois and blue
infinity, a man puts his faith in the propeller of his biplane. For
disillusioned writer and itinerant barnstormer Richard Bach, belief is as real
as a full tank of gas and sparks firing in the cylinders...until he meets Donald
Shimoda--former mechanic and self-described messiah who can make wrenches fly
and Richard's imagination soar....
In the Company of a Courtesan, by Sarah Dunant
Colleen also had listened to In the Company of a Courtesan after hearing an interview with the author on IT Conversations (http://www.itconversations.com/shows/detail1019.html) The book is set in 16th century Venice, and the focus of the interview was more in what technology or industry existed at that time, but it piqued her interest enough to check out the book. In the Company of the Courtesan is told from the perspective of the Courtesan’s dwarf and business partner, and is interesting in its depiction of Venetian society. Colleen enjoyed the audio-book – said it was good, if not great (compared to some of the later selections). From The New Yorker (by way of Amazon):
Dunant’s latest historical romp follows the fortunes of a beautiful,
flame-haired courtesan, Fiammetta Bianchini, who, after escaping from the 1527
pillage of Rome, sets up shop in Venice. The novel, narrated by Fiammetta’s
servant, a dwarf, chronicles the pair’s horrific scrapes and their dizzying
triumphs, which include Fiammetta’s becoming Titian’s model for his "Venus of
Urbino." Along the way, Dunant presents a lively and detailed acccount of the
glimmering palaces and murky alleys of Renaissance Venice, and examines the way
the city’s clerics and prostitutes alike are bound by its peculiar dynamic of
opulence and restraint.
Martin’s Selections
Lamb: the Gospel according to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore
So first we had the adventures of a reluctant messiah, and now we have the Gospel according to Biff. Do we sense a theme here? The first book Martin discussed was Lamb by Christopher Moore. In Lamb, the author provides a irreverent, although very humorous account of Jesus’ missing years. Martin has read a number of Moore’s books, and thinks this is by far his best (I’d have to agree). This book will keep you laughing, and wanting more. Booklist (again, via amazon.com) says:
If Jesus was fully human, then of course he must have farted, but never has
messianic flatulence been used to greater comic effect. Jesus' best pal, Biff,
has been reincarnated by the Angel Raziel to write a true gospel--the real
story, in which Jesus and Biff set out to find the three magi after the
betrothal of Mary Magdalene (Maggie) to Jakan the jerk. Jesus (or Josh, as Biff
calls him) and Biff head east, meeting immortality-obsessed Balthasar and then
brothers Gaspar and Melchior, from whom they learn of Buddhism, Hinduism, and
Yoga, which Josh teaches to his pet elephant. Absurd? Of course, and as in
Moore's other books, the jokes, ranging from the sublime to the sophisticated to
the utterly sophomoric, make the book. What Lamb lacks in theological
sophistication it more than compensates with mirth. Although many will find
something offensive in this novel, which pokes fun at every major religious
tradition that existed in the first century, they will find it simply impossible
not to laugh. John Green
Don’t Stop the Carnival, by Herman Wouk
Martin then introduced another theme – the traditional ex-pat, fish out of water. The first book he brought was written several years ago by Herman Wouk (yes, the same author who wrote The Caine Mutiny and The Winds of War… what a great movie and a lousy mini-series, respectively – oops… sorry… Dave’s editorial). Don’t Stop the Carnival chronicles a man who wishes to get away from it all and buys a hotel in the Caribbean. Naturally, he’s not prepared for the cultural change, and the trials that ensue. This is one of Martin’s favorite books –go figure that Jimmy Buffet made it into a musical. Amazon offers the following synopsis:
Don’t Stop the Carnival is Herman Wouk's comedy about living out your fantasies
on an exotic Caribbean island. Norman Paperman, a successful Broadway publicity
agent, has long dreamed of escaping his high-pressure Manhattan life. In a fit
of bravado, he chucks it all and buys an old hotel on tiny, primitive, lush
Amerigo island.
Hotel Patsis, by Peter Mayle
In keeping with the fish out of water theme, Martin also recommended this book, a work of fiction by the author of A Year in Provence. Rather than an Englishman in New York (apologies to Sting, and whomever he stole that from), it’s a Englishman in France… This book is also set in Provence, and like Martin’s previous selection, deals with an ex-pat running a hotel (any guesses on what Martin aspires to do?). Publisher’s Weekly (by way of amazon.com – are we sensing another trend here?) has this to say:
As fans of A Year in Provence and Toujours Provence may have suspected, Mayle's
skills as a writer translate well into fiction. His first novel is as adroit,
funny and charming as his previous works, and again it is set in his favorite
region of France. Newly divorced, disenchanted and bored with his job as a
director of a prestigious British ad agency, Simon Shaw is delighted when
beautiful Frenchwoman Nicole Bouvier suggests that he rescue from bankruptcy a
half-finished hotel in the drolly named town of Brassiere-les-Deux-Eglises.
Taking a huge risk, Simon resigns from his agency and becomes patron of the new
establishment in the picturesque Luberon region. In counterpoint, Mayle
crosscuts to the escapades of a lovable band of criminals who are conspiring to
break into the vault of a bank in the neighboring village of Isle-sur-Sorges. As
the threads of the plot begin to converge, Mayle displays his satiric eye for
social foibles by skewering advertising execs in England and the U.S.; he is
equally adept at evoking typical Provencal villagers. Wickedly sharp and
sympathetic at the same time, his characterizations are accurate down to nuances
of class differences, voice, accent and vocabulary. The novel is as smooth as a
sip of pastis, and one hopes that Mayle will find his segue into fiction equally
addictive.
Dave’s Sharings
The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
Just so it’s clear, I loved this book. While listening to it (and before even finishing it), I recommended it to my sister, my brother-in-law, several friends, two co-workers, and the cashier at my dry cleaners (ok… just kidding about that last one)... I loved it that much. I had a recent driving trip to Illinois, and was looking for a good audio book. Colleen recommended this, and it accompanied me all the way to Illinois and back, and the to and from work (and anywhere else I could think of to drive to) while I finished it. The Time Traveler’s Wife is the story of Henry and Clare, who first meet when Henry is 36 and Clare is 6. When they get married 14 years later, Clare is 20 and Henry is 28. Don’t even try it – the math doesn’t work (I know – I did try it). The central premise of the story (time travel), although completely outlandish, is set up in such a way that you accept and embrace it. And the author does more to address the ramifications and consequences than the explanation – but you don’t need it. The Time Traveler’s Wife is one of those books that you wrap yourself up in, and don’t ever want to leave. Here’s an excerpt from the Publisher’s Weekly review (http://reviews.publishersweekly.com/bd.aspx?isbn=193156146X&pub=pw):
Niffenegger has written a soaring love story illuminated by dozens of finely
observed details and scenes, and one that skates nimbly around a huge conundrum
at the heart of the book: Henry De Tamble, a rather dashing librarian at the
famous Newberry Library in Chicago, finds himself unavoidably whisked around in
time. He disappears from a scene in, say, 1998 to find himself suddenly, usually
without his clothes, which mysteriously disappear in transit, at an entirely
different place 10 years earlier-or later. During one of these migrations, he
drops in on beautiful teenage Clare Abshire, an heiress in a large house on the
nearby Michigan peninsula, and a lifelong passion is born.
The Stolen Child, by Keith Donohue
It’s hard to talk about another book after reading (or listening to) a book as good as The Time Traveler’s Wife. But when I wasn’t able to find excuses to drive around listening to the previous book, I was reading The Stolen Child. One evening, I was telling Joanne about the book, when she mentioned that was the title of a Yeats poem. I was completely unaware of this, not having read much Yeats. Joanne later sent me the poem, and it’s easy to see how it inspired the author. And then, on Saturday night, I happened to read the liner – and the first words were ‘Inspired by the classic poem by W.B. Yeats’… so obviously, I’m not very observant. This was one of those recommendations that Amazon gives you (and, interestingly, one of the books Amazon recommends to those who enjoy this is The Time Traveler’s Wife… there… I managed to work it in TWICE when discussing another book… did I mention that I loved it?). The premise sounds like a kid’s tale, but it really isn’t. A 7 year old boy goes missing in the woods, and is found, but actually, it’s an imposter… one of a troupe of changelings who live in the forest, never age, and have near-magical powers. Yeah, yeah, yeah – sounds awful, right? It’s actually really good – the narrator alternates between the imposter changeling trying to fit into a life with the 7 year old’s former family, and the 7 year old adapting to his new environment, life and friends. This book was hard to put down, because it often illustrated the same events from the two different perspectives – but was a very satisfying read. Some random amazon.com customer posted the following:
The Stolen Child is an incredible deep character driven fantasy that focuses on
the nature vs. nurture concept. The paranormal elements serve as support
components to a strong story line that rotates what is happening with the Henrys
over time; thus the audience observes two "identical twins" separated at seven
growing up feeling apart from their families and friends leading to discontent
in their respective lives. Keith Donohue writes a great novel that will have
readers debating the impact of nurturing and naturing as both Henrys adapt and
adjust, but never feel whole. This is a fantastic fantasy that readers will
enjoy immensely.
Joanne’s Finale
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
Joanne presented this book that she read last summer, but still thinks about. Life of Pi is about a 16 year old boy (Pi) from India, whose father, a zookeeper, decides to move them and their animals to Canada. En route, because of a shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in a lifeboat with a hyena, a wounded zebra, a seasick orangutan and a tiger. The group forms an uneasy alliance, but quickly dwindles to just Pi and the tiger. Joanne noted that the character not only faces survival, but also his concept of self and god. It’s funny, heartbreaking and hard to put down. Those of us who read it agreed that if all of us did, we would each come up with our own individual perceptions of what occurred. The New Yorker (by way of amazon.com, of course) has this to say:
An impassioned defense of zoos, a death-defying trans-Pacific sea adventure à la
"Kon-Tiki," and a hilarious shaggy-dog story starring a
four-hundred-and-fifty-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker: this audacious
novel manages to be all of these as it tells the improbable survivor's tale of
Pi Patel, a young Indian fellow named for a swimming pool (his full first name
is Piscine) who endures seven months in a lifeboat with only a hungry, outsized
feline for company. This breezily aphoristic, unapologetically twee saga of man
and cat is a convincing hands-on, how-to guide for dealing with what Pi calls,
with typically understated brio, "major lifeboat pests."
The Jane Austen Book Club, by Karen Joy Fowler
Joanne then discussed this book… and I think her reaction to it could best be summed up by ‘WTF?’ (my acronym, not Joanne’s… oh and ‘Sorry, Maureen’*) Someone recommended this book to her, so Joanne gave it a shot. According to her it has very little to do with book clubs, even less to do with Jane Austen, and is filled with characters that aren’t even likable. She was perfectly willing to accept that she might have missed the point of the book (if there was one), but as none of us had read it, we could not help her. I can say that when she offered it up for someone to borrow, everyone mysteriously disappeared. Can any of you out there in radioland who weren’t there Saturday provide any further illumination? Booklist, via amazon.com presented a much more glowing review of this than Joanne did – but I’m still not gonna read it:
Fowler, a captivating and good-hearted satirist, exuberantly pays homage to and
matches wits with Jane Austen in her most pleasurable novel to date by
portraying six irresistible Californians who meet once a month to discuss
Austen's six novels. Coyly shifting points of view, Fowler subtly uses her
characters' responses to Austen as entree into their poignant and often
hilarious life stories. The book club is Jocelyn's idea, a fiftysomething gal
who seems to prefer the company of her show dogs to men. She has known Sylvia
since grade school, and even used to date Sylvia's husband, who has abruptly
moved out, inspiring their beautiful, accident-prone, lesbian artist daughter,
Allegra, to move back in and join the book club along with her mother. Also on
board are disheveled and loquacious Bernadette; Prudie, a high-school French
teacher; and Grigg, the only man. Fowler shares Austen's fascination with the
power of stories, and explores the same timeless aspects of human behavior that
Austen so masterfully dramatizes, while capturing with anthropological acuity
and electrifying humor the oddities of our harried world. Fellow Austenites will
love Fowler's fluency in the great novelist's work; every reader will relish
Fowler's own ebullient comedy of manners, and who knows how many book clubs will be inspired by this charming paean to books and readers.
That and about 3000 calories apiece wrapped up our wonderful evening discussing books on Joanne’s porch. For those of you who were not able to attend, we hope that you can attend the next one. I’ve gotten lots of great recommendations, and have enjoyed discussing books (even Yonwood) with everyone. We’re probably looking at sometime in August – I’ll be sending out an eVite with a poll so we can see what the best time for everyone is. If anyone wants to volunteer to host, that would be great - I think our overall experience was greatly enhanced by being in Joanne’s home… and hey, if Martin can drive down from Walkersville, MD, then no place is too far. One other thing that we’re considering is having a loose theme of books to present, and I’ll include that in the poll, too. What several of us have discussed as a potential theme is Historical Fiction – yeah – I did say ‘loose’. Happy reading!
Dave
* My obscure reference to A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby that I just finished… you see, there’s this character named Maureen… oh, never mind – you’d have to read it. Great book, I’m willing to loan to anyone interested.
Book Tracker
This list is by no means comprehensive, and since it is based largely on my memory, has no guarantees of percentage of accuracy… An actuary would probably put it at 87%, but then they would be foolish, as they would not be accounting for the excessive amounts of caffeine I’ve been consuming and it’s impact on my memory. Oh – and this is only if the actual transaction occurred at the book club meeting (but that doesn’t mean that I’ll forget who has my Seven Types of Ambiguity, Joanne. ;-) )
Name Books Borrowed from
Bev On Celtic Tides Colleen
Colleen Lamb Martin
The Time Traveler’s
Wife (audio) Dave
Martin The Stolen Child Dave
Life of Pi Joanne
Dave Where Is my Father? Joanne
In the Company of
The Couresan (audio) Colleen
Joanne Don’t Stop the
Carnival Martin
Hotel Patsis Martin
