Cost describes the misshapen, painful family dynamics of the Lamberts: Julia, her mother and father, her two young adult sons (Stephen and Jack), and her ex-husband as they come to deal with Jack's heroin addiction.
For such compelling material, the novel dragged. Jack and his addiction aren't even brought into the story until around page one hundred eighty (!!). Most of the book up until that point is spent belaboring the mental (and sometimes, physical) state, internal dialogue, and familial perspective of each of the characters. While interesting, these insights could have been made much, much, much shorter and still been effective. As the book progresses, certain characters seem to fall by the wayside, such as Stephen, whose thoughts I would have been more interested in hearing than the continual keening of Julia, who in the end all but completely abandons Stephen in order to focus on Jack.
The characters did progress throughout the novel, particularly Julia's father, who realizes that he is at the threshold of losing his wife to Alzheimer's just at the moment when he has finally come to appreciate her. That is an underlying theme in this novel; the characters only appreciate what they no longer have, be it marriage, parents, health, or love.
Once Jack is fully integrated into the story, the pace quickens, and becomes more interesting until the last chapter or so, when for some reason it entirely shifts gears, seeming disjointed and awkward. (SPOILER ALERT: I also didn't understand why Julia still lost her house, even though Jack didn't appear in court because he was dead. Seems to me death should excuse one from court.)
Rating: three stars out of five - the main part of the story was very good, once it finally got going: get this one from a library
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The Book for January Is....
The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski! Kudos to Kristi for picking this month's book!!!
As usual, discussion questions will be posted on or around January 15th.
If you haven't finished reading Serena, don't despair!!! Questions never go away, and you can post anytime! Even if you don't read a book at all that month, you can always go back and join in on the discussion later!
As usual, discussion questions will be posted on or around January 15th.
If you haven't finished reading Serena, don't despair!!! Questions never go away, and you can post anytime! Even if you don't read a book at all that month, you can always go back and join in on the discussion later!
Patient by Patient: Lessons in Love, Loss, Hope and Healing from a Doctor's Practice, by Emily Transue
I really, really liked Patient by Patient... . Emily Transue has managed to write a book about her practice that is both human and absorbing. Her conversational style of writing makes it clear that she honestly cares about her patients, and she made me care about them as well. I held my breath waiting to read outcomes of tests, and cried with her when she lost patients. Her words had made me feel as though I knew these people, too.
There were necessarily several stories of loss encompassed in this memoir, both practical and personal. Transue's father, who suffers from and finally succumbs to brain damange caused by a cancer treatment years before, as well as his parents, who are in their nineties, are the main focus of Transue's family life, and their various conditions and outcomes weave in and out through her writing and her care for her patients, reminding readers that doctors are, in fact, people. Her explaination of the billing nightmare that doctors experience, as well as the hours they work, made me understand my some of my own experiences in doctor's offices a little bit better, but she also made me see what kind of care is really out there, if we can find it. She is obviously an amazing person, and has definitely inherited the 'wonderful storyteller' gene from her grandmother.
Rating: five out of five stars - wonderful
There were necessarily several stories of loss encompassed in this memoir, both practical and personal. Transue's father, who suffers from and finally succumbs to brain damange caused by a cancer treatment years before, as well as his parents, who are in their nineties, are the main focus of Transue's family life, and their various conditions and outcomes weave in and out through her writing and her care for her patients, reminding readers that doctors are, in fact, people. Her explaination of the billing nightmare that doctors experience, as well as the hours they work, made me understand my some of my own experiences in doctor's offices a little bit better, but she also made me see what kind of care is really out there, if we can find it. She is obviously an amazing person, and has definitely inherited the 'wonderful storyteller' gene from her grandmother.
Rating: five out of five stars - wonderful
An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination, by tElizabeth McCracken
Exact Replica... is a quick read, but not one I'm likely to forget.
McCracken begins the book, a memoir of maternity, by telling the end of the story; she is holding one baby while writing about the one she lost to stillbirth the year before. The rest of the novel explains the road that took them to the birth, what transpired the day her first child died, and how she has dealt with that loss and the resulting life turmoil.
The writing was plain and simple, just as it should have been. She told the story in an honest way, not pulling punches but not creating additional drama, either. I think her minimalist style was a huge plus, because it allowed the drama to speak for itself.
Rating: four stars out of five - compelling, honest and well-written
McCracken begins the book, a memoir of maternity, by telling the end of the story; she is holding one baby while writing about the one she lost to stillbirth the year before. The rest of the novel explains the road that took them to the birth, what transpired the day her first child died, and how she has dealt with that loss and the resulting life turmoil.
The writing was plain and simple, just as it should have been. She told the story in an honest way, not pulling punches but not creating additional drama, either. I think her minimalist style was a huge plus, because it allowed the drama to speak for itself.
Rating: four stars out of five - compelling, honest and well-written
Bitter is the New Black, by Jen Lancaster
BitNB is a 'layoff memoir' written by now-blogger, Jen Lancaster. It is an account of her being laid off by a giant corporation during a merger/after 9/11, and struggling for the next few years to get back on her feet.
I am not familiar with her blog. Maybe if I were, it would have helped. As it stands, I could not read straight through the book because I *hated* her so much during the first quarter of the book that it made it difficult for me to root for her at all. Her label-obsessed, superiority-complexed, money-fixated personality turned me completely off, so much so that I couldn't really get past it to enjoy the humor in the book. I skimmed through to the end, was glad for her that things turned out well, and put it down.
I am not saying that this book is not for anyone, or that I find her to be a bad person. It was simply not for me. I am a very bare-bones, no-label, generally financially-restrained kind of girl, and I could not relate to her as she portrayed herself at all. I hope she is actually nicer and more deep than she appears even at the end of the book. I'm sure she probably is. I also think that there are many, many people who could look beyond the things that I got hung up on and enjoy the book. However, if one of your favorite books is 'Long Walk Home', I would guess probably not.
Rating: one star out of five, because it was well written, even if it made me slightly ill to read it
I am not familiar with her blog. Maybe if I were, it would have helped. As it stands, I could not read straight through the book because I *hated* her so much during the first quarter of the book that it made it difficult for me to root for her at all. Her label-obsessed, superiority-complexed, money-fixated personality turned me completely off, so much so that I couldn't really get past it to enjoy the humor in the book. I skimmed through to the end, was glad for her that things turned out well, and put it down.
I am not saying that this book is not for anyone, or that I find her to be a bad person. It was simply not for me. I am a very bare-bones, no-label, generally financially-restrained kind of girl, and I could not relate to her as she portrayed herself at all. I hope she is actually nicer and more deep than she appears even at the end of the book. I'm sure she probably is. I also think that there are many, many people who could look beyond the things that I got hung up on and enjoy the book. However, if one of your favorite books is 'Long Walk Home', I would guess probably not.
Rating: one star out of five, because it was well written, even if it made me slightly ill to read it
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Hilda and Pearl: A Novel, by Alice Mattison
This was an interesting, quick read, so this will be a quick review. Hilda and Pearl hooked me from about the third chapter, where it turned into a grown-up novel of forgiveness, love, loss, and family.
The story begins with Frances watching her parents, aunt, uncle, and cousin interact at their beach house one summer during the McCarthy era. While this was vaguely interesting, thing really get interesting when, after this point, the book switches gears and works from the point where her aunt, Pearl, meets her uncle, Mike, and works forward, explaining all that Frances sees and hears. There is a lot more going on than Frances knows about, even with her intuitive observance, and as an adult, it really reminded me that the memories that we all have of childhood are all colored with the innocence we had then, rather than with the knowledge of what was going on underneath. It is hard to imagine that a family could go through so much, and yet still be together, and even more so that there are millions of families out there, with similar histories, that we unknowingly see every day.
The one part of the novel that I didn't enjoy or really see the point of was the interaction between Frances and her friend. It was either extraneous or not developed enough, and Marrison should have either worked it more or left it out; I would have voted for more, so there would have been a clearer parallel with the rest of the story. Thankfully, it was only a small part of the novel. Also, one of the two plot twists was clearly predictable from a mile away, which took some of the fun out of the first half of the book.
Mattison has written several other books, and I think I will probably check them out at the library as well.
Rating: three out of five stars - enjoyable, but somewhat predictable; one particular moment between Nathan and Hilda as they reconstruct their marriage almost makes the novel worthwhile on its own
The story begins with Frances watching her parents, aunt, uncle, and cousin interact at their beach house one summer during the McCarthy era. While this was vaguely interesting, thing really get interesting when, after this point, the book switches gears and works from the point where her aunt, Pearl, meets her uncle, Mike, and works forward, explaining all that Frances sees and hears. There is a lot more going on than Frances knows about, even with her intuitive observance, and as an adult, it really reminded me that the memories that we all have of childhood are all colored with the innocence we had then, rather than with the knowledge of what was going on underneath. It is hard to imagine that a family could go through so much, and yet still be together, and even more so that there are millions of families out there, with similar histories, that we unknowingly see every day.
The one part of the novel that I didn't enjoy or really see the point of was the interaction between Frances and her friend. It was either extraneous or not developed enough, and Marrison should have either worked it more or left it out; I would have voted for more, so there would have been a clearer parallel with the rest of the story. Thankfully, it was only a small part of the novel. Also, one of the two plot twists was clearly predictable from a mile away, which took some of the fun out of the first half of the book.
Mattison has written several other books, and I think I will probably check them out at the library as well.
Rating: three out of five stars - enjoyable, but somewhat predictable; one particular moment between Nathan and Hilda as they reconstruct their marriage almost makes the novel worthwhile on its own
Monday, December 8, 2008
Note
I'm posting the questions for Serena today, but only because I'm running early. Discussion can begin whenever you all are ready! Also, if you haven't finished the book, don't look at the questions yet unless you want spoilers!!
Serena: A Novel Question #6
Did you like this novel? What was your favorite part? Do you plan to read anything else by Rash?
Serena: A Novel Question #3
After Pemberton pays for Campbell to take Jacob's photo, he has a dream where he hears crying in the field where they had gone bear hunting earlier in the day. Serena tells him it is a baby, and when Pemberton asks if they should go and get it, she smiles and says no, that it is Galloway's baby, not theirs. What do you think she meant?
Serena: A Novel Question #1
What do you think that Serena meant when she said, after her miscarriage, that it was 'like my body knew all along'?
Serena: A Novel by Ron Rash
I have been trying to wait to post the review for this book until closer to the discussion date, but I can't wait any longer. This book swept me away, and I'm bursting to talk about it!
The novel opens with the two main characters, George and Serena Pemberton, arriving in North Carolina at the train station near the couple's logging camp in the Appalachian mountains. Within pages, the first killing of the novel occurs, and from there on what can only be called a thirst for blood becomes the siren song for Serena. The man who was killed was the father of Rachel, the girl who has born a child as a result of Pemberton's attentions and third main character of the novel. For daring to challenge Pemberton on behalf of his daughter, he is neatly dispensed of with Pemberton's knife, and as his blood spills on the platform, Serena calmy steps over the body and hands the father's knife to Rachel, saying that she should keep it for its monetary value and that though she may have had a child, but it would be her last with Pemberton.
While at first Serena seems a beguiling, strong female character, she becomes increasingly powerful, her evil feeding off of the blood that begins to spill all around her as those who oppose Pemberton's and, increasingly, Serena's will. Using the henchman whose life she saves, she has her opponents mowed down on a road of bribes and threats, and soon turns her laser eyes to Rachel and her son, who has caught the attention of Pemberton and is, therefore, a seen as a threat to Serena, who is barren as a result of miscarriage.
This novel has many, many ties to previous literary works, Macbeth being the most obvious, and I enjoyed mapping the similarities in my mind as I read. Also of interest is the historical backround of logging in Appalachia, and of the government's quest to acquire the lands for a national parks project through threats and bribes of its own. I believe the novel is best summed up by a photo taken of Serena by the local photographer; it is of Serena, astride her massive horse with her hunting eagle on her arm, Pemberton at her side, and behind them 'a wasteland of stumps and downed limbs whose limits the frame could not encompass'. This is both connotative of the actual scene and the uncountable number of limbs and lives lost in the swath of the Pemberton's success. Interestingly, Serena's face is blurred in the photo, as if in motion, but also almost as if she was the devil itself, unable to be caught in still photography much as a vampire cannot be seen in a mirror.
One minor problem with the novel was that the killing spree went on almost too long; it grew slightly stagnant for a few chapters during the scene-setting for the final act. Also, some of the social event scenes seemd a bit forced, and the chapters about Rachel were pale compared to the blaze of the rest of the story. However, the climax, while not entirely unexpected, was well worth the wait, and the coda following the novel was perfect.
Rating: Five out of five stars. Absorbing, menacing, and unrepentant, Serena is overwhelming.
The novel opens with the two main characters, George and Serena Pemberton, arriving in North Carolina at the train station near the couple's logging camp in the Appalachian mountains. Within pages, the first killing of the novel occurs, and from there on what can only be called a thirst for blood becomes the siren song for Serena. The man who was killed was the father of Rachel, the girl who has born a child as a result of Pemberton's attentions and third main character of the novel. For daring to challenge Pemberton on behalf of his daughter, he is neatly dispensed of with Pemberton's knife, and as his blood spills on the platform, Serena calmy steps over the body and hands the father's knife to Rachel, saying that she should keep it for its monetary value and that though she may have had a child, but it would be her last with Pemberton.
While at first Serena seems a beguiling, strong female character, she becomes increasingly powerful, her evil feeding off of the blood that begins to spill all around her as those who oppose Pemberton's and, increasingly, Serena's will. Using the henchman whose life she saves, she has her opponents mowed down on a road of bribes and threats, and soon turns her laser eyes to Rachel and her son, who has caught the attention of Pemberton and is, therefore, a seen as a threat to Serena, who is barren as a result of miscarriage.
This novel has many, many ties to previous literary works, Macbeth being the most obvious, and I enjoyed mapping the similarities in my mind as I read. Also of interest is the historical backround of logging in Appalachia, and of the government's quest to acquire the lands for a national parks project through threats and bribes of its own. I believe the novel is best summed up by a photo taken of Serena by the local photographer; it is of Serena, astride her massive horse with her hunting eagle on her arm, Pemberton at her side, and behind them 'a wasteland of stumps and downed limbs whose limits the frame could not encompass'. This is both connotative of the actual scene and the uncountable number of limbs and lives lost in the swath of the Pemberton's success. Interestingly, Serena's face is blurred in the photo, as if in motion, but also almost as if she was the devil itself, unable to be caught in still photography much as a vampire cannot be seen in a mirror.
One minor problem with the novel was that the killing spree went on almost too long; it grew slightly stagnant for a few chapters during the scene-setting for the final act. Also, some of the social event scenes seemd a bit forced, and the chapters about Rachel were pale compared to the blaze of the rest of the story. However, the climax, while not entirely unexpected, was well worth the wait, and the coda following the novel was perfect.
Rating: Five out of five stars. Absorbing, menacing, and unrepentant, Serena is overwhelming.
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