Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami

Title: Kafka on the Shore
Author: Haruki Murakami
Date Finished: Jan 22, 2009 #3
Published: 2005 Pages: 467
Rating: 4.5/5

When I first decided to read Kafka on the Shore for Bellezza's Japanese Literature Challenge, I didn't know anything about Murakami or the book itself. All I knew was that I had seen it around a lot and that I was intimidated by it. Funny how those prejudices form for no apparent reason. Even though I had a few fears or concerns about how the reading was going to go for the book, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this book is to read. Understanding it might be a different thing all together, but I was swept away by the writing.

In Kafka on the Shore, Murakami weaves together the story of Kafka and Nakata. Kafka is a young boy of fifteen who suddenly runs away from home and finds refuge and new friends at a library. He is fighting to prevent his father's prophesy from coming true--a Oedipal prophesy that Kafka will kill his father and sleep with his mother and sister who abandoned him when he was four. Nataka, an elderly gentleman who lost many of his intellectual capacity during a WWII incident, has the ability to speak with cats and works to find lost cats. One lost cat in particular leads him on a whirlwind scavenger hunt for something, but even Nakata doesn't know what that something is. Each chapter alternates between Kafka's and Nakata's story, and it isn't clear until well into the story how the two are connected with one another. But unbeknownst to each other, they are both searching for the answers and meaning to the same secret--a secret that will free them both.

What a book! There is so much packed into these 467 pages that I'm sitting here in front of the computer screen drawing a blank one what to write about. Where to start? It is safe to say that all my expectations of this book were fully met and every intimidation I was feeling was a waste of time. True, it took me about two weeks to complete this one (stopping for a shorter read in the middle), but Kafka is at once a poetically written book but it is also incredibly accessible:

"Not just beautiful, though--the stars are like the trees in the forest, alive and breathing. And they're watching me. What I've done up till now, what I'm going to do--they know it all. Nothing gets past their watchful eyes. As I sit there under the shining night sky, again a violent fear takes hold of me. My heart's pounding a mile a minute, and I can barely breathe. All these millions of stars looking down on me, and I've never given them more than a passing thought before. Not just stars--how many other things haven't I noticed in the world, things I know nothing about? I suddenly feel helpless, completely powerless. And I know I'll never outrun that awful feeling" (Kafka narrating, 135).

Murakami gives us so much to think about in this book, and after finishing I still felt like there were so many pieces of the puzzle that needed to be fit together. But despite the philosophy and theory and deep thinking, this book is also a thriller. I found myself holding my breath at some passages, not knowing what was going to happen, having to keep turning the pages to discover the outcome of the latest conflict. Another element I wasn't expecting in the least, was the magical element. I just found out that this book won the World Fantasy Award a few years back, and I had no idea that I would be encountering magical rocks, strange "concepts" that disguise themselves as pop culture icons, a man who can talk to cats and cats that talk back, fish that rain from the sky--and really that's just the beginning.

So again, Wow, what a book! I would recommend this book, especially if you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary and something that will make you think [a lot]. There is some sexual content in the book--and Kafka is fifteen so his hormones are raging, but I didn't find it overwhelming or tastelessly done. All in all, this is a book that will stick with me a for a while as I continue to mull everything over to try and fit those pieces together. And I'll definitely be pursuing more Murakami in the future. Maybe Wind-Up Bird Chronicles?

Others who've also read it (let me know if I missed yours!):
Tanabata; Gautami; C.B. James; Charley; Bellezza; Nymeth; Terri B.

The book concludes my 1% Well-Read Challenge and Japanese Literature Challenge. I hope to eventually do a 2008 Challenge wrap-up posts and cheat to include these. It's just one book, right?? :)

Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov and Classics Challenge Completed!

Title: Lolita
Author: Vladimir Nabokov
Date Finished: Dec 23, 2008 #71
Published: 1955 Pages: 309
Rating: 4/5

What to say about a book that so many people have talked about or have predisposed notions about? I went into this book with partial trepidation and partial anticipation and ended up being both amazed and revolted--first by the writing and second by the subject matter. Pretty much just as I expected.

Lolita is the story of Humbert Humbert, as told from his perspective, and his passionate love affair with the twelve-year-old Lolita. Humbert, always trying to recreate a childhood relationship, is obsessed with nymphets, and when he first meets Lolita, he falls immediately in love with her. The first sentences has been repeated and repeated, but I'll repeat it again here: "Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tape, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta." There are so many derogatory things that can be said about Humbert--and it is true that he is a pedophile, rapist, conniving and manipulative man, but there is also something so sad and heartbreaking about his delusions.

This is the type of book that I wish I had read in grad school so that I would have secondary sources and discussion in order to grasp a better understanding of all the intricacies. There is so much social commentary that Nabokov presents to his reader that I can only graze the surface. Not only is the relationship between Humbert and Lolita perverted (both because of the monster that Humbert is and because of the way that Lolita reacts to him), but society itself is heavily criticized. The hotels Humbert and Lolita stay at, the activities and schools that Lolita is involved in, the people they know, the towns they visit--everything is grotesque. Even though Nabokov's words and descriptions are beautiful, I had the feeling that nothing he discusssed was beautiful.

Since I've been reading this book for two weeks on and off, Laura asked me a few times how I was liking the book and I never knew quite how to answer. It wasn't easy reading, partly because of the richness in language, but also because at times I was reading the types of descriptions that would turn my stomach. I often wondered how this book would have been received if a less crafty author had written this story. Would it be discarded as pornography? (hopefully this post doesn't send my keyword searches to the gutter!). But the writing. The writing is the type of writing that keeps me in search of the next book that I can drown in. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I note that every single word is so carefully thought out and well placed. Although it is heavy, it is some of the most delicious writing I have encountered (this whole experience is a big paradox...beautiful/delicious writing about such a dark and horrid subject).

This book is bigger than I am. There are so many things to talk about, and I can't do this book justice. I can see this book as being the type where you can look past the subject matter and get to the meat or not be able to get past the subject. Or get tied up in all of the erudite language and get lost or bored or become entranced with the writing. I don't believe this book is for everyone, and I'm not even sure it was for me, but I do know that is one that I could see myself revisiting years down the road or even seeking out other works of Nabokov. I think this is just one of those anomalies.

They read it too:
Melody; Bellezza; Nymeth; Book Chronicle; Rhinoa; Chris; Ramya
(If I missed yours--as my google reader went crazy when I typed in "Lolita" let me know. But please be patient if I don't get it linked right away as I'll be away from the computer for a few days).

******************************************************************************

On to another and lighter topic--this was my last pick for the Classics Challenge, so I am finished!! Yay!!

Lolita
Emma (favorite)
My Antonia
Death of a Salesman
The Swiss Family Robinson (least favorite)
Bonus: Neverwhere

******************************************************************************
FINALLY: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!! I've been absent, I know. And I have over 300 posts in my reader...most of which will be marked "read." :(

I'm leaving town for the rest of the week to spend the holidays with my husband's family, and I won't have access to a computer. I know things will slow down again after the new year, and I can't wait!!! Best wishes to you all!

Emma - Jane Austen

Title: Emma
Author: Jane Austen
Date Finished: November 19, 2008 #66
Published: 1816 Pages: 386
Rating: 4.25/5

So, I've kind of noticed that my 4.25 rating is kind of a go-to rating when I really like a book but it just doesn't have that edge (which I can't define). If you do ratings, do you have a difficult time rating books--stacking them all up against one another, rating for the writing as well as entertainment? It's sticky for me and I've thought about just doing away with the ratings, but on the other hand I like having them. Maybe I just need to sit down and define what my ratings mean? Maybe this is a conversation for another post.

Emma. That's what I'm talking about, right? :) Emma is the story of a young woman who has no desire to get married herself, but she loves to play matchmaker to her friends and acquaintances, especially after a particularly successful "match" between her close friend Miss Taylor and Mr. Weston. When her matchmaking endeavors fail between her friend Harriet and Mr. Elton, and she receives criticism from the respected Mr. Knightley, and she becomes tangled up with the strange and elusive Frank Churchill, Emma reevaluates the way that she interacts with others and what she must do to amend the messes and offenses she has created. (Um, really difficult to shortly summarize an Austen novel!)

I really enjoyed Emma. I was kind of dreading it and have put it off for years. Actually, I started it right before grad school, but never picked it back up after the school workload forced me to put it down. Once I did pick it back up, I vowed to take it slowly, and I'm glad I did because this book was really a treat. Austen isn't one of my favorites--I much prefer the darker Bronte sisters (yes, you know I love Wuthering Heights). I was so familiar with the Pride and Prejudice story line, that when I read the book last winter I wasn't very enthralled. I liked it, but it didn't give me the urge to read anything else right away. Now after finishing Emma, I'm excited to visit some of the others that I haven't read. Yes, I'm still intimidated by the language and the fact that it takes me twice as long to read as a regular novel, but overall I did find the reading very easy to swallow (and follow).

I think part of the reason why I liked Emma a little more than I expected was because on some levels I could relate to Emma, the character. There are thing to like about her, but she also definitely has her faults, whereas Elizabeth Bennett is seemingly perfect (other than her pride...and prejudice). Emma sometimes loses sight of what is really important and she is a little bit of a meddler, but I think she has good intentions. She cares about the happiness of people around her, she just doesn't always know how to effectively instill happiness in others--and more importantly that it isn't necessarily her job to make other people happy by "fixing" their lives.

My only complaint, really, with the book is how neatly everything wraps up in the end. Of course I knew what the outcome was going to be (especially having seen the movie Clueless several times in my teenaged years), but to suddenly realize who it is you want to spend the rest of your life with--"duh, I should have known all along!"? I don't think life is really that clean. And certainly the events leading up to Emma's discovery are not necessarily "clean" but really, Jane--can't you write containing the dark sordid details? Why does everything have to fit so well? And what the heck happens to these characters after they are happily married? I guess that's what the modern day sequels are for. :P

I searched and searched for other reviews of Emma--this is what I came up with. Of course, let me know if I've missed yours.
Amanda, Literary Feline, Book Chronicle

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

Title: In Cold Blood
Author: Truman Capote
Date Finished: August 17, 2008 # 47
Pages: 343
Rating: 4.25/5

It was difficult for me to read this book without my impressions on the movie Capote coloring my reaction. I was so fascinated by the movie and Capote's obsession with the crime and the killers that I had hoped some of that would leak into his writing, but I saw only one or two places where it could be argued Capote might have written himself into the book. Neither here nor there as this book was just as intriguing as the movie--only in a different way.

In Cold Blood is an in depth look at the horrific slaying of the Clutters, a prosperous and well-loved family, in the small Kansas town of Holcomb in November 1959. Four members of the family, the mother and father and their two teenage children, were tied up and shot with a shotgun after what appeared to be a failed robbery (as Mr. Clutter did not keep any money at the house). The family was found the next day by close friends.

Most of the novel moves back and forth between the two killers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, as they travel around the nation after the killing and the slow-moving investigation for a crime that seemed to have no motive and absolutely no evidence. I am guessing that when Truman Capote visited Smith and Hickock several times over their years in prison he was able to get very detailed accounts of their lives because most of the book contains narratives from the killers themselves--how they planned the robbery/murder, what they did after the crime was committed, and how they saw the crime in relation to their own belief systems and who they were.

I don't read a lot of crime fiction or even true crime books, but this book was absolutely captivating--once I got into the meat of the story I couldn't put the book down. First and foremost In Cold Blood is a heartbreaking account of how a family with so much promise was senselessly and brutally murdered for what basically amounted to forty bucks. Second, in the book we get an intimate glimpse at the lives of the killers and their motives. In the end, though, I still don't see any justification for what they did--why or how someone could commit such a heinous crime.

From what I understand, Capote revolutionized the concept of the nonfiction novel. I was talking to my college roommate, who received her masters in criminal justice and who read this book a few years ago, and she mentioned that the book was interesting but only really contained the cold hard facts. I guess that is where I see differently--while the book did contain the grisly facts of what happened, it was also written as a literary work. Capote takes special care in his writing to bring the characters alive but to also create a fitting ambiance for the story. While a lot of the book is contained in quotes from interviews and other documents, Capote's writing aptly captures the setting and attitudes surrounding the story. While this book isn't going to be for everyone (and no--it isn't too gory, considering), I think that the writing and what Capote is seeking to do with this work can be appreciated by many.

Did you read it? What did you think? Here are some other reviews:
Nymeth from Things Mean a Lot
Raidergirl3 from An Adventure in Reading

The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy

Title: The God of Small Things
Author: Arundhati Roy
Date Finished: August 8, 2008 #45
Pages: 321
Rating: 4.5/5

Let's start off being honest. It took me a good 80 pages (the first two chapters) to get into this book. I can certainly see why people are turned off from this book and my potential enjoyment of the book was incredibly questionable. But after that first 80 pages (yes, a quarter of the book!) I fell in love with the writing, the characters, and couldn't put this book down. For me, this is the type of book that comes along a few times a year and keeps me reading in search of the next one. (Yes, I am incredibly stingy with those 5/5 ratings!).

The God of Small Things is the story of how everything can change within the course of a day. Whole lives can be uprooted, fates can be changed, innocence and childhood can be lost, and death can find anyone. The story, oscillating between past and present, centers around twins (separate egg twins), Estha and Rahel, and the events that lead up to and follow the death of their English visiting cousin, Sophie Mol. Roy focuses on how so many intricate but separate details slowly come to fit together and how the ripple of all of these small things combined can still be felt years after.

Because part of the pleasure for me was slowly piecing together the timeline of the book and how everything fit together, I don't really want to give any more plot details than that. Roy gives the basic facts of the story in the beginning chapter, but the frequent jumps between past and present and the movement between so many character descriptions make it difficult to grasp anything solid in the book until later (hence my initial frustration). I'm not sure if after the second chapter I simply got used to the writing style and was able to discern whether I was reading about Estha and Rahel as children or adults or if the writing became more fluent, but I soon found myself absorbed in the story, devouring every word and being consumed by Roy's language.

I simply can't do this book justice with my thoughts--they are too many and I could write about this book forever. Some of my favorite aspects were Roy's descriptions--sometimes funny and more often heartbreaking. Her descriptions are often repetitive, taking ideas and playing with them throughout the novel, and because of that I felt I really knew and understood Estha and Rahel in all of their misunderstood childhood innocence. This repetition also helped me to remember events that were previously mentioned but soon forgotten because of the lack of development at the time. She describes everything in such detail that I could almost feel what the characters were feeling or see what the characters were seeing. And even though only little snippets of the plot were allowed at a time (teasers, really), I found myself wanting more, needing to know what happens despite the fact that I already [mostly] knew at the beginning the outcome of the novel.

In addition the the rich writing style, there was so much food for thought in this book. Roy combines a number of difficult themes that are crucial to the outcome of the story. Most important, for me, was the "Love Laws"--who deserves to be loved and how much and why. Set mostly in India during the late 1960s, untouchability was still prevalent for so many (I don't really know the history of the caste system and from what I understand this has been outlawed now??), and one of the key characters, Velutha is an untouchable. Estha and Rahel love him despite this, mostly not understanding what makes him so different, but the treatment of this special character was at times incredibly difficult for me to read. Other important themes seem to center around Western and Eastern ideals and the incongruities that exist between them. Sophie Mol's half whiteness and the ability for the grownups to immediately love her because she is white (a lot of these incongruities are seen through the children's eyes), Christianity versus Hinduism (and even Western Catholicism versus Eastern Orthodox), democracy versus communism, etc. Plot aside the book had me thinking about so many different ideals and why certain things are the way that they are.

This is a difficult book and has gotten mixed reviews from others, but this book captured my heart and will stick with me for a long time. I was incredibly affected by the book--something that hasn't happened for me since the beginning of the year (particularly with Atonement and The Book Thief) and I am glad that I finally experienced its magic. I hope to re-read this book again one day and could easily do so this weekend and discover so much that I missed. If you haven't read this book and plan to--stick through the first couple of chapters and don't forget to savor every word.

They also read it:
Joy - Thoughts of Joy
Nymeth - Things mean A Lot
Rhinoa's Ramblings
Wendy - Caribousmom
Raidergirl3 - An Adventure in Reading
Fyrefly - Fyrefly's Book Blog
(this book comes up so many times because of the 1001 list, so forgive me if I've missed you and let me know in your comments--but please leave more than just your link for some reason I find it really annoying when all I get is a link with no other commentary--eeks!)

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Author: Oscar Wilde
Date Finished: July 31, 2008 #44
Pages: 165
Rating: 3/5

Why why why do I let things get so behind? I've been neglecting my reader this week because most of my spare time has gone into house hunting (which is proving to be futile). I'll be around, I promise--slowly but surely, but I really don't want to write up my thoughts on this book. Really really don't want to. I'd say I'd keep it short, but I've come to learn that I have a tough time taking the red pen to my own writing to cut out the crap that I write. Hopefully this will not be as long as my thoughts on Tess, which frankly turned into a kind of novel. Bleh!!

The Picture of Dorian Gray is about a beautiful young man who sits for his portrait to be painted by a man who idolizes Gray. While Basil has painted a masterpiece, the painting in actuality turns out to be anything but. Upon seeing his portrait, Dorian exclaims:

"How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June....If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that--for that--I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!" (19).

First, glad Mr. Wilde's loves his use of exclamation marks as much as I do!! Um...see what I mean? :) Second, thus is the premise of the book. Be careful what you wish for Dorian!! Grrr...there I go again. Mostly at the persuasion of his friend Sir Henry, Dorian begins to enter into a seedier type of lifestyle and as he does so he remains pure and beautiful but his portrait begins to become marred and haunting. The picture becomes a mirror of Dorian's soul to show the horrid darkness it contains.

I half liked/half disliked this book. First the good--I was surprised at how suspenseful this book was! There were several unexpected twist and turns that kept me interested in the book despite some heavier and more boring elements. It contained wonderful character development, and gave fascinating insight into the turn of the century thought. I read parts of this book for an undergrad course years ago and through it first learned the words ennui and dandy. It was an opulent culture that was in for a great big awakening--especially with the onset of WWI.

But, not a fan of the writing style--thank goodness for Modernism!! The writing is incredibly rich and decadent and I found myself skimming through whole pages of descriptions. Sir Henry, Dorian's cohort, is a misogynist and incredibly full of himself (I think that was the point), but I couldn't stand his character and even most of the time Dorian's. I had to roll my eyes at some of their dinner conversations and the topics they discussed. The only other Wilde I've read is The Importance of Being Earnest, which I loved and will read again, but the wit contained in this book was lost to me among the heavy language. Ladi-da. :) Good story, any way.

Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

Title: Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Author: Thomas Hardy
Date Finished: July 24, 2008 #42
Pages: 369
Rating: 4.25/5

I started this book a little over a month ago, had to put it down for a few weeks, read bits and pieces here and there, and finally read the last 2/3s of it this week. Yesterday I couldn't put the book down, but when I got to the ending I wanted to say every curse word that I could think of (actually not want--I did). WHAT?!?!?!?! I'm going to have to vent about the ending for at least a little bit, but I'll try to avoid too many big spoilers until then.

Tess is the eldest child of a country family, the Durbeyfields, who has recently found out that they are decedents of a noble family line that is otherwise extinct (the D'Urbervilles). The patriarch of the family is wayward and can't fully support the family as he prefers his drink, so Tess is sent to apply to their only other D'Urberville relatives--who incidentally have purchased the name and are not truly related to the Durbeyfields.

Upon meeting Alec D'Urberville, Tess is in a way swept off her feet and makes an ill-informed decision that changes her life. In the aftermath of the consequences, Tess leaves her home to work as a dairymaid where she meets Angel with whom she falls in love. Angel proposes to Tess but she refuses because of her "secret" past, but Angel tries unrelentlessly to convince Tess to marry him. But can Angel handle Tess's secret? Will he be able to forgive her for what she has done in her past? Will poor Tess pay forever for a mistake she made during her otherwise innocent childhood?

I immediately fell in love with Hardy's beautiful descriptions in this book. His sense of place and the way he is able to bring everything alive reminded me a lot of Emily Bronte's use imagery in Wuthering Heights--part of the reason why I love her little novel so much. Even though it took some a lot of time to get into the rhythm of the book, the passages and narrative became easy for me to devour and get lost in. These are things that so far I have not been able to find in Austen's books (although maybe I haven't read enough of them), and I really cherished the richness of this book. This is one that I could read again and pick up a lot--I'm sure I really only skimmed the surface of this one and could learn so much more about the characters as well as some of the social situations in the country during this time period.

Another thing that I really loved about this book is that I could never guess what was going to happen. It would seem that everything was falling into place for Tess and what could Hardy possible write for the next 300, 200, 100 pages, but this book was a continual roller coaster of drama. I'm not sure that I really like Tess--I wish she was stronger than she is. And I never really trusted either of the male characters, Alec and Angel, although at times I really wanted to like one or the other. But even though I wish I could have slapped Tess out of some of her decisions, her despair and heartache were palpable, which made this story real to me.

****SPOILER****
While I thought really highly of the first 350/369 pages (give or take a few sections), when I got to the ending when Tess is with Alec and Angel comes back I couldn't believe what happened! The ending to me didn't fit with the rest of the novel and seemed to me to fit more in a crime novel than a beautiful sweeping tragedy. I was shocked at first when Tess stabbed Alec but then she runs away with Angel as if he had not just abandoned her for over a year (foggy on the time line)? And then the ending at Stonehenge? Really? Honestly, I felt that I was duped and betrayed and taken for a cheap ride. Seriously. Seriously? Basically, I truly loathed the ending of this book. :) Please someone help me understand!!
****************

Despite the crackpot ending I really enjoyed reading this book. I would recommend it, but I can see how some might be turned off by the long descriptions of the landscape and surroundings and menial daily tasks, etc. But apart from all of that it was a book that drew me in from the beginning and kept my interest all the way until the last page (my taking over a month to read the book has more to do with life than the book--it was too heavy for the busyness that was my July). I don't think I'll be picking up another Hardy book for a while, but this one will certainly stay with me for a long time.

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

Title: Never Let Me Go
Author: Kazuo Ishiguro
Date Finished: July 20, 2008 #41
Pages: 288
Rating: 3.75/5

I read this book for the 1% Well-Read Challenge (yay, I can mark off the FIRST book on the 1001 books spreadsheet!! um, not MY first book) as well as the End of the World Challenge. After reading it, I'm not convinced that it entirely fits into the category of End of the World or even necessarily as a dystopian novel as I thought I had read somewhere, but some of my apprehension could be because of the mysterious way in which the novel was written (which also makes it difficult for me to write my thoughts without giving away plot).

In Never Let Me Go, the narrator, Kathy H. takes a retrospective look at her adolescent years at Hailsham, a type of home or boarding school for children who will one day be carers and donors. Kathy reminisces about the teachers, the sales where the students could find unusual items, the different groups of friends, cliques, and clubs, and especially Kathy remembers her relationship to Ruth and Tommy--other students at Hailsham. After the students leave Hailsham, she also talks about how their relationships continued to developed when they lived together at The Cottages in the few years before they met their destinies as carers and donors.

It doesn't sound like much, and to be honest it isn't. When I read The Remains of the Day a few months ago the word "quiet" kept popping up when I wanted to describe the book. I would describe this book in much the same way--very quiet. Throughout the novel--really until the last couple of chapters--the reader doesn't get a very clear picture of what it means to be a donor or a carer and what it is these children will grow up to become. Even when Kathy, Tommy and Ruth are adults it isn't clear what their roles in society are. Ishiguro, however, through all of his subtlety keeps the pages turning almost in a way that is gripping. I clung on to each little piece of information that was divulged and each conversation between the characters that shed a little bit of light on who/what they were.

One thing that bothered me a little bit about the book (and maybe just because I'm impatient--especially this week) is that reading Kathy's narrative was a little like sitting with an old lady who wants to tell you everything about her life but does so in a roundabout tangential way. Kathy was continually saying she wanted to talk about something specifically but would take pages to actually get to her point because she would find herself discussing something else in order to get there. Very circular, but this disappeared near the middle of the book.

Ishiguro is a crafty author of character development, but for some reason I can't figure out what exactly it is that makes his books so compelling--the language is simple, the plots are incredibly mundane, but somehow he finds a way to dissect humanity without being pushy or showy. I would recommend this book, but I did like The Remains of the Day better. Part of this could be because I am exhausted mentally and physically from several weeks of GoGoGo and so it was easy with this book for me to read but not really read (which meant I had to do some re-reading).

Also reviewed by: (Let me know if I've missed your review)
Raidergirl3 at An Adventure in Reading
Joy at Thoughts of Joy
Mrs. S at 50 Book Challenge
Jeane at Dog Ear Diary
Verbivore from Incurable Logophilia
Ramya at Ramya's Bookshelf
Mee
Shootingstarr7

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

Title: Brave New World
Author: Aldous Huxley
Date Finished: June 21, 2008 #34
Pages: 259
Rating: 3.5/5

When I read A Handmaid's Tale about five years ago, I realized that I really like dystopian literature and have since been steadily trying to read through the canon. I didn't love Brave New World, but it definitely provides some interesting food for thought.

In the year 632 AF (After Ford), the social structure of civilization looks a little different than how it does now. In the first chapter, the reader, with a number of students, is taken on a tour of the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre. This is where the new babies are born--not from a mother's womb, but essentially from test tubes. It is here that the infants are born into their pre-determined social sphere (Alpha being the highest, Epsilon the lowest) and then conditioned through sleep hypnosis so they will fit in with their given social status. Only the Alpha and Beta babies are born of one egg and one sperm; the rest bud off from the same fertilized egg so that thousands of babies can be produced at the same time.

In this society, there is no religion, there is no family, there is no commitment to anyone else, and if life begins to get a little difficult there is always a tab of soma that can be taken for a little mental holiday. When two characters, Lenina and Bernard, decide to go on vacation together to visit the Savages in New Mexico, their lives turn topsy-turvy when they decide to bring a Savage, John, back to civilization with them. The Savage cannot reconcile the decisions and actions of those in the civilized world and begins to question the basis of their beliefs.

There is too much in this book for me to discuss here--and this is another one of those books where everyone can take away something different. What struck me as one of the most curious aspects of this civilization is that the citizens are sheltered from any type of pain or hurt. They don't have literature because they can't understand the elements of feeling, they can't have only one partner because of the attachment (no marriage at all!), there is no God or religion. In a discussion between John, the Savage, and the Controller, the merits of an easy life versus a difficult life are explained and John exclaims:

"But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin."

The Controller answers:

"Not to mention the right to grow old and ugly and impotent; the right to have syphilis and cancer; the right to have too little to eat; the right to be lousy; the right to live in constant apprehension of what may happen tomorrow; the right to catch typhoid; the right to be tortured by unspeakable pains of every kind" (240).

Yes, John says. What is a life without a little pain to balance--to make the good that much sweeter? But, this is only a small part of the book. Even though I had to laugh at the fact that this is a commonly assigned high school book despite the discussion of god and especially the blatant promiscuity, there are so many themes to be discussed: technology, family relations, education, class system, etc etc. I would recommend this book to those who are interested in these themes--aren't we all??--but don't be frightened by the first few chapters. I had to re-read several passages until I became more familiar with this foreign world. After those first chapters, the book was very engaging and even at times gripping. I got lost in a little bit of religious discussion near the end, but overall it was a fascinating little book.

Also read and reviewed by:

Rhinoa from Rhinoa's Ramblings
Raidergirl from An Adventure in Reading

The Shipping News - Annie Proulx

Title: The Shipping News
Author: Annie Proulx
Date Finished: May 26, 2008
Yearly Count: 27
Pages: 337
Rating: 2/5

I'm trying, for the life of me, to figure out what makes this book as great as "they" say it is. Unfortunately I'm drawing a blank on this one. Grrr! I watched the movie years ago and remember enjoying it, but I was really let down by the book.

The Shipping News is the story of Quoyle, a quiet and misunderstood man who doesn't seem to have anything right going for him. When his life hits rock bottom, he moves with his aunt and two young children from the states to Newfoundland--the province where his ancestors are from.

In Newfoundland, Quoyle learns to adapt to the foreign lifestyle with the help of a motley cast of characters. He learns about survival and what it means to love and live fully and freely. Sounds good, right? Could have/should have been? I had a tough time with Proulx's stark and choppy language--often wandering points and sentences that are missing main components (nouns, verbs, etc). I think my difficulty with the writing might partially be because I am coming off of the rich and deliberate language from All the King's Men, but I never really felt comfortable with the rhythm of Proulx's writing.

In addition, the characters seemed flat--well, Quoyle had a little bit of character. Even at the end of the novel, I had a difficult time distinguishing between the different characters because they all seemed interchangeable. I do think that Quoyle grows throughout the novel--that he makes some important discoveries about himself, but the rest of the book didn't really seem to go anywhere. With all of the subplots, I kept thinking--so what? Where is all of this going? Oh well! I think it was just a bad reading week with a book that I must have missed out on the larger picture. It happens, right??

They also reviewed it:
Booklogged
3M

***************************************************************************
BOOK AWARDS READING CHALLENGE FINISHED!

The Shipping News

Middlesex

All the Pretty Horses

The World According to Garp

The Remains of the Day

The Book Thief

All the King's Men

Atonement

The Left Hand of Darkness

The Age of Innocence

As I Lay Dying

Snow

The Giver

The Robber Bride

*Favorite: The Book Thief
*Least Favorite: The Left Hand of Darkness

FINE!!!!!

MAGGIE the cat--she likes to sit right in front of my mouse I think just to drive me crazy. Not sure where she is this morning--usually she's either meowing at my feet or sitting on my desk.

Anyway:

I took a sort of week off of blogging (mostly due to a weekend at the in-laws without Internet and then a very busy week with little free time in the evenings), but I think I'm finally caught up with my blogging for the most part (Man you guys post a lot! and I can't keep up, but I tried to do my best). So, I thought what better way to celebrate than join to more freakin' challenges! Am I out of my mind? I think it is because I'm going a little stir-crazy with All the King's Men and would just like to dream about other books.

Since I've already got two Southern books on my TBR list, I thought why not add one more. Plus, Maggie is giving away pecans. Yummmm! Click the here to take you to the site.

1. All the King's Men

2. Mother of Pearl

3. Welcome to the World Baby Girl

**********************************************************

I have been waiting to do my list for this challenge until I figure out what I'm reading for my classics challenge, but since this starts in May and mine not till July, I figured I could just swap out if needed. You can read all of 3M's rules here.


1. The Shipping News
2. In Cold Blood
3. Cry, the Beloved Country
4. Tess of the D'Ubervilles
5. Emma
6. The Portrait of Dorian Gray
7-10. TBR :)