blackdogbooks 2009 Chapter 3

Welcome to Chapter 3 of my 2009 reading.

Blackdogbooks' Chapter 1 thread is here. And.......

Blackdogbooks' Chapter 2 thread appears here.

Thanks for sniffin' around.



Hello there from blackdogbooks, aka 'BDB', aka 'Mac'.

My reading goal this year is to finish at least one of the 100 best lists I have been nibbling at for awhile. Prop2gether, knowing of my obssession with lists and books, turned me onto the 1001 books list which is closer to 1300 books. Sadly, I must finish what I start before I begin again. Along the way, there will be King and Steinbeck and Hemingway.

I plan to be much more organized this year, keeping a running list at the top of my thread here for ease. And I am also going to be better about making note of books suggested by you 75'ers this year. Y'all post too much and I am constantly having to search back to figure out who made a recommendation.

Good reading!!!

2009 list:

1. Joker One by Donovan Campbell
2. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
3. The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
4. Animal Farm by George Orwell
5. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
6. An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
7. The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler
8. Appointment in Samarra by John O'Hara
9. The Ambassadors by Henry James
9. A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
10. Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow
11. Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
12. American Rust by Philipp Meyer
13. Internal Affairs by Connie Dial
14. The Hot Zone by Richard Preston
15. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
16. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
17. Peasant Wars of the Twentieth Century by Eric R. Wolf
18. You Learn by Living by Eleanor Roosevelt
19. Favorite Dog Stories by James Herriot
20. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
21. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
22. The Night Battles by M.F. Bloxam
23. Shimmer by Eric Barnes
24. The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
25. Joy Writing by Kenn Amdahl
26. The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir
27. The Dirty Secrets Club by Meg Gardiner
28. The Drowning Tree by Carol Goodman
29. The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom
30. Amagansett by Mark Mills
31. Out by Natsuo Kirino
32. Primitive People by Francine Prose
33. The 6th Lamentation by William Brodrick
34. The Absence of Nectar by Kathy Hepinstahl
35. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audry Niffenegger
36. Hiddenby Paul Jaskunas
37. The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty
38. Sweeping Up Glass by Carolyn Wall
39. Caught Stealing by Charlie Huston
40. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
41. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
42. USA by John Dos Passos (Only finished the first book in the trilogy)
43. Wings of the Dove by Henry James
43. I, Claudius by Robert Graves
44. Howard's End by E.M. Forster
45. This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley
46. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
47. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
48. Water Witch by Deborah LeBlanc
49. Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
50. This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley
51. On Writing by Stephen King
52. Homer and Langley by E.E. Doctorow
53. City of Refuge by Tom Piazza
54. the Rainbow by D.H. Lawrence
55. Dracula by Bram Stoker
56. Beg, Borrow, Steal: The Life of a Writer by Michael Greenberg
57. The Wood Wife by Terri Windling
58. The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells
59. The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
60. A Better Angel by Chris Adrian
61. Woman from Shanghai by Xiahui Yang
62. Dirty Little Angels by Christopher Tusa
63. The Information Officer by Mark Mills
64. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
65. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
66. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
67. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
68. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
69. Fear by L. Ron Hubbard
70. Ghost by Alan Lightman
71. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
72. The Face by Dean Koontz
73. Creepers by David Morrell
74. The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
75. Reading and Writing by Robertson Davies

Hey, Mac! You have read a lot of great books! Keep it up! Thanks for stopping by my challenge, I posted my short review on The Coroner's Lunch!

Book #46, Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

My Review on the book's home page:

We break ourselves against one another; shattering our spirits against the unyielding hardness, the unforgiving and jagged defenses which protect our loved ones’ spirits. It is a necessary and all too familiar part of life. Sometimes the collision chokes a relationship, killing it before it can grow, and other times, it nurtures a bond until it flowers and sustains life.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s life was filled with such collisions, most notably his marriage to Zelda. Zelda’s fragile and oft broken psyche and the strained love between her and Fitzgerald clearly inspired him to write Tender is the Night. The novel follows the Divers, Dick and Nicole. Dick, a psychiatrist, falls in love with a patient, Nicole and begins a life altering obsession to cure her. During one of Nicole’s interludes of sanity, the couple meets Rosemary, a self-obsessed, narcissistic teenage actress. She tempts Dick and they have a brief love affair. Dick’s betrayal forever alters his love of Nicole, as she becomes increasingly paranoid and distrustful and he wallows in guilt and weakness.

The book’s story is not particularly engaging, as these spoiled and selfish people seem to randomly careen around, bumping into each other. But on several occasions, Fitzgerald’s pain and anguish over his wife’s malady and their tenuous bond to each other bleed through the rest of the story and characters, quickening the novel. I can’t say I enjoyed reading Tender is the Night, though it certainly seized me in the occasional moment of raw emotion and pain. Fitzgerald wasn’t always telling a good story but often transposed powerful feelings, ones which must have afflicted him, into the book. And most every page offers graceful, harmonic language. Often, I turned off the processes in my mind with sort through story and plot and character to simply absorb the rich, powerful prose.

!!!!Bottom Line: A classic for two reasons: the way Fitzgerald can string words together and the glimpse it offers into lives cursed by madness.

4 bones!!!!

I still owe a review on a quickie I squeezed in about writing. And, I am onto another book about writing......Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.

Looking forward to hearing from girlunderglass about Tender is the Night. I agree with her that the book is not flatly enjoyable but I was able to find a couple of things about it which made it well worth my time.

Gotha starred again so I can continue to lurk!

As I recall, Bird by Bird was a real treat to read -- even for a nonwriter like me.

I agree with Donna in #6 - Bird by Bird is a treat to read. I hope you enjoy it, Mac.

I've read other books by Ann Lamontt and thus will now get a copy of Bird by Bird.

You won't be sorry, Linda. :)

Just posting so I don't lose you.......I really should just star instead of clogging up people's threads, but I read 'your posts' far more than I do 'your starred'.

Spasm of laughter over Henry James' name being firmly crossed out. Love Ella F. too (continuation of last thread chat).

Keep reading, BD. I'm shamelessly stealing ideas from you.

Love Ella so much she's a password on one my accounts somewhere--now if I could just remember which account...oh well, I'll just put on the CDs.

Glad to see I still have a few regular readers following me to the new thread! I owe at least two reviews and have started two new books. So many words, so few hours.

I'm reading along--just haven't commented lately.

I'm here too, so start posting those reviews, Mac!

I'm always here, too, Mac. I get too many different ideas from you to not try and keep up with your threads!

I see I am coming to this party late, but just want to say I love your list. saw your comment about these two- Hemingway is my favorite author, and I always like to read several King novels a year (right now, I'm reading his "On Writing"). Also, thanks for reviewing each book, I'd thought about it, but now I'll definitely pick up "To the Lighthouse." Happy reading!

The following 'review's is more of an essay with a review embedded. Hope it isn't too long for y'all but, after reading the book, I had a lot to say; usually a sign of a good book!!

Book #47, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Non-Fiction
Books and Writing
269 pages

My Review on the book's home page:
I have a secret. It haunts me every waking minute of every day and sometimes steals my sleep. It invades my thoughts, filling my mind with promise and fear and anxiety and doubt. Mostly the doubt overtakes the other feelings, so I end up feeling unsure about myself more than anything else.

Last week, in support of this thing I am hiding from everyone, I went into the local Barnes and Noble. That’s not an uncommon event in my life by any means. But on this day, instead of perusing the remainders and bargains or the local author display, I clandestinely ventured up the escalator to the second floor, searching for a section of books I’d never dared look at before. I glanced over my shoulder furtively several times as I snaked through the shelves, worried someone might be following me. When I spied the titles I was looking for, I looked both ways, ever wary, just like a kid about to pull his first shoplifting caper. My first steps towards the target were quickly retraced as a friendly employee asked if I was finding everything alright. Nervously, with wringing hands locked behind my back, I assured the helpful clerk that I was fine and moved quickly away. Once the coast was clear again, I darted between two shelves and gazed up at the subject of my secret: writing.

I have a secret. I want to write. No, if I’m honest with myself, it’s more. I need to write and, what’s even more, I think I can write. The vanity that fuels such a notion in me is staggering. The idea that anything I produced, any story I told, would be interesting to anyone, that it would be readable, is ludicrous. There’s a healthy dose of that doubt I mentioned earlier.

Nourishing my conceit, I ran my hands over the spines of several studies on writing. There were the familiar ‘Dummies’ guides, offering everything you need to know on writing your first novel, having it published in under a year, and selling the screen rights in under two. There were short, cryptic monographs, offering the least amount of information and support necessary to achieve publication. These little diatribes were published, it seemed, by authors interested only maintaining the mysteries of the profession, authors intent on protecting their own status as big fish in a little pond. There was even a picture book, offering ten or twelve witty quips, with comic book illustrations. Then, my hand came to rest on Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, a title which seemed out of place until you notice the full title on the front cover includes the phrase, Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Securing the book under my arm to hide the title from anyone who might figure me for one of those people who dreamed up talent and wit wildly beyond their true capabilities, one of those people who are constantly imagining that they are only a few words from being discovered as the next great American novelist or poet, I scurried downstairs and checked out, hoping the cashier wouldn’t roll her eyes at me.

Lamott’s book is one part writing class, one part therapeutic treatment, one part theological essay, and one part George Carlin stand-up routine. Such a mix demands attention. And, if that combination wasn’t enough, Lamott’s sardonic personality penetrates throughout, displaying a truly unique and funny voice.

It turns out that Lamott offers as much thought on life as she does on the practice of writing. She sees the act as more of a tool of self-realization and self-expansion than a profession; sees it as more of an extension of our basic human need to be understood. Not everyone is drawn to this frightening outlet in their search for visibility and understanding but anyone who harbors the secret desire of writing or who is a constant and dedicated reader will recognize themselves immediately in this book. For Lamott, writing is ultimately an exercise in opening yourself up and paying attention to the world around you and then allowing yourself to translate those personal experiences to the page, offering them back to the world as a gift.

Don’t despair; the book is not all so ethereal and touchy-feely. Lamott also gives practical, everyday advice on sitting at the desk or in front of a computer and getting words onto paper. She breaks down the daunting act of writing into simple, reachable goals, what she calls, ‘short assignments.’ She provides tips on plot and character and story building. But Lamott never abandons her message of writing simply for the sake of writing, for the growth and perspective it offers. And, though Lamott touches briefly on the publishing world, publication is decidedly not her goal in writing. Sure, Lamott admits, she harbored fantasies about publishing her work to a chorus of praise and a shower of money; she longed to stroke her own ego in reaching millions of readers with her personal thoughts. But Lamott eventually realized that the true reward of writing is in how it affects your own life, not in how it affects others.

All of the authors I love, the best authors, always seem to be working through something for themselves, something personal, in creating their stories and characters. When a book pierces my heart, calls to some part of me, it is usually because the author has hit on some unrequited feeling or unfulfilled need, or, perhaps, because the author has captured a person or a part of life so artfully, so adroitly, that it bears the absolute and terrible ring of truth. In A Moveable Feast, Hemingway described a recurring conversation he had with himself in jumpstarting his writing. He repeatedly told himself, “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” Lamott puts it this way, “If something inside you is real, we will probably find it interesting, and it will probably be universal. … Tell the truth as you understand it. If you’re a writer, you have a moral obligation to do this. And it is a revolutionary act – truth is always subversive.” That search for universal truth in life and the sincere desire to translate it for fellow travelers makes for great writing. Tapping into your own soul, your own inner most thoughts and feelings, is both the goal and its own reward.

I have a secret. And it’s a secret that I may never share with many folks. But books like Bird by Bird and Joy Writing by Ken Amdahl have helped define the secret and invest me in its reality. So, I will write, however conceited it makes me feel, however doubtful I may be of myself. But, in the process, I hope to discover myself, discover the world around me, and, maybe, the truth that reside in both.

Bottom Line: A favorite! If you are a reader or a writer to be or just a thinker, read this book.

5 bones!!!!!

Very well said, BDB. I've already read and loved the book, but if I hadn't, you would have convinced me to put my tired body in the car and drive to the nearest bookstore to buy a copy of Bird by Bird. Since I don't have to do that, I can muster up the energy to find your review and give it a hearty "Thumbs Up."

Wow! That is a great review (and, in my opinion, evidence that you are already a great writer).

I agree, this is an impressive review. I've already got Joy Writing on my tbr list from your earlier review and now I'm adding this.

Thanks Donna828, porch_reader, and avatiakh. I appreciate that from such dedicated readers as y'all.

Great review and I agree with Linda, it is evident that you are already a writer. I often just skim long reviews but yours really grabbed me and I enjoyed all of it. Thumbs up from me.

No secret here, Mac. You ARE a writer. Accept my admiration for a fabulous essay, worthy of publication, IMO. This is why I keep your thread starred!

Congratulations on your well deserved Hot review listed on today's home page.

What incredible writing!

great review bdb!

Mac- You out did yourself this time! Intelligent and heartfelt! Excellent job!

Great, awesome, wonderful review and definitely deserving of the Hot Review you received. Congratulations!~! If you are not a writer now, you were in an earlier lifetime BDB.
Very well done!~!
belva

You are all too kind. Thanks a bunch. I can't recommend the book highly enough.

Let me jump on the bandwagon with praise for your review of Bird by Bird. I love Lamott's writing - you captured this book in an intruguingly beautiful way and I am adding it to my list post haste.

Great review - and now you have us all eagerly awaiting whatever type of writing you decide to undertake!

Your review/essay is wonderful. You write very well, and deserve to be successful whereever you choose to go with your talent. I hope you will keep us advised of your writing endeavors--fiction/nonfiction? Short stories/novels? Inquiring minds want to know!

Really, really good review, bdb. Much food for thought here. I'm adding the book to my wishlist and gave you a very solid green thumb.

I am a little overwhelmed. You guys have all been so nice about the review for Bird by Bird. It is very encouraging. Part of the deal, obviously, is that I really, really loved the book. Just like Joy Writing by Ken Amdahl which I reviewed earlier this year, the book resonated with me.

And, yes arubabookwoman, I ahve started writing a little. But, as I said in the review, I don't know if I will ever share it with anyone. My goal is more to just write for the sake of doing it. Amdahl and Lamott both encourage writing for more simple goals, like being able to say that you've done it. Amdahl suggests that one goal is to write a book just to be able to say that you've written a book, even if no one ever sees it. Lamott suggests that writing makes you a better reader. That's kinda where I am now. We'll see. Maybe, when I'm done, I'll see if it's good enough to show to anyone.

Great review, BDB. I agree that you are defo a writer. I wonder if you write poetry, which seems to be a common thread amongst many writers. The Lamott book sounds too good to miss.

Fantastic review of Bird by Bird - thank you!

334. You do of course realize that reviews are writing, so you're already sharing it with everyone. Good review.

Your review was amazing and I agree with your opinion of Bird By Bird. I also have a 'secret' ambition to be a writer - and yet I don't know if I will ever share what I've written with the public either. Except for reviews of course...;)
It's my favorite Anne Lamott book, hands down.

Ditto what everyone else has said about your review of Bird by Bird, Mac. Another great review of a very good book.

Thanks again everyone.

Went to one of my favorite used shops this weekend and picked up the following:

Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol
Travels with Charley by Steinbeck (got a hardback second printing from 1962)
Alias Grace by Atwood
America At Last by T.H. White (a journal of his trip to America for a tour of speaking engagements; he died on the boat trip home)
Reading and Writing by Robertson Davies (An essay on these subjects for a great writer)

I owe reviews!!!!! Hopefully I can get to them these weekend. I am now reading Go Tell it on the Mountain

Go Tell it on the Mountain is one of the books I hope to get to soon, so I am looking forward to your review, Mac.

Nice haul at the bookstore, too!

Good haul of books, all of them, black dog.

I really want to read more T.H. White after reading his The Goshawk recently.

I know I'm very late to the topic (just can't seem to keep current with reading these threads!), but I think that your review of Bird by Bird was tremendously good. I usually avoid books about writing as they depress the hell out of me (I'd much rather be writing than reading about it), but your review made me think I might want to try this one. Onto the wishlist it goes!

I'm coming late to the party--I was number 41 giving a "thumbs up" on your review of Bird by Bird--but it was a fantastic review--even considering the high standards all your reviews have. I will definitely be getting that book--I love reading about writing although I would never attempt to write.

ETA Dead Souls and Travels with Charley are two of my all-time favorite books! I'm anxious to read your review Go Tell It on the Mountain--I read it many years ago and I remember I was really impressed with it. It was my first foray into African American literature and really gripped me at that time. That was before I spent all those years in Savannah. I should reread it from my more "informed" and adult perspective.

Thanks MM1 and Fourpawz.

I'm behind on reviews and one of them is below for an ARC. I'm way behind on reading posts!!!!

Book #48, Water Witch by Deborah LeBlanc
ARC book
Horror

My Review on the book's home page:

“It was a dark and stormy night.” Now, don’t get me wrong; a dark and stormy night can be pretty frightening. With the crashing of thunder, and lightning strikes flashing through a house darkened by power outages, and candles flickering from the wind penetrating through window seals, well, things can get pretty spooky. And, if there’s a killer on the loose, escaped from an institution for the criminally insane, I might feel downright panicky. But all of these clichés don’t necessarily make for a well written novel or horror story.

The signs are usually there in the first few pages of a book; one you feel like you need to put down in favor of the Hemingway or Steinbeck that’s been waiting for you on your night-table, gathering dust. But, like that third piece of pecan pie you force down at Thanksgiving, the one you know will end in heartburn and that odd belt-loosening ritual, you go right ahead. You push past the nameless and vaguely described villain, clear only in the barely believable details identifying him as the killer, knowing that his veiled identity is necessary for the twist surely lurking in the final pages. You skim over the loosely constructed, if fatal, plight of the overly pure victim, knowing that some unseen, beneficent power will save the innocent from certain death, delivering her to a new life, even better than her old one. You ignore the self doubts and early missteps of the hero, waiting for his superhuman strength or otherworldly power to kick in. In the end, just like that extra piece of pecan pie leads inevitably to antacid, the book leads undeniably to all of these trite conclusions; and then you wonder why you bothered, why you wasted your time.

Deborah LeBlanc’s Water Witch hits each of these high notes, introducing her psycho-killer, Olm, in the first pages of the book as he begins a descent into madness and ritual sacrifice and murder. His thinking and actions are clearly those of a madman, one who is quickly decompensating into ever more disorganized and violent behavior. What’s truly amazing about Olm is that he is able to shut this crazy spigot off, turning back to such normal and pedestrian behavior that he is unidentifiable in a small town with only a few hundred inhabitants. True to the formula, LeBlanc reveals Olm’s identity only in the last few pages. There are few clues about the true identity of the villain and absolutely no attempts to foreshadow his identity until he slices through the last pages, accompanied by blood and tears and dead bodies.

As the book begins, Olm has captured two young children for a patched together, ancient Indian ritual sacrifice, one which will bestow upon him untold dark power. The two children face their certain death with wisdom and courage far beyond their years. Enter our hero, Dunny, a six fingered freak, eking out a desolate life in West Texas, a result of her extra digit’s paranormal power. Her sixth finger, you see, can locate lost or valuable things, literally pointing the way like a divining rod. Dunny travels to backwater Louisiana, a place where both her circus appendage and its power seem to fit right in, hoping to locate the two children before they meet their doom in Olm’s twisted vision quest. In the end, though typically reluctant and doubtful about herself, Dunny saves the day, just like I knew she would. And, from the survivors and other sideshow characters, she forms a new, eccentric nuclear family, and lives happily ever after.

Should you beware of this ‘dark and stormy night’ book? Well, it all depends on what you’re after. I know it sounds like I didn’t care much for Water Witch, and I suppose I didn’t really care all that much for it. The thing is, I have read worse books; I have seen weaker stories made into movies and aired on the Lifetime or SciFi Channel. So, for some folks, this will be a comfortable and safe read; it will fit like an old pair of jeans. The familiar formula, the expected twists and turns, the cutout characters, introduced with enough detail to be interesting but not too interesting, all combine for an undemanding read. Sure, there are better horror novels, better thrillers, and I can recommend a few authors who go beyond the formula to create complex, challenging characters and stories. But, if you’re looking for ‘a dark and stormy night,’ Water Witch fits the bill.

Bottom Line: Make sure this is what you want to spend your time reading.....no judgements if you're looking for a guilty pleasure.

2 bones!!

*cough* Well. Pass the Tums.

Not touching it with a 20 foot pole! Horror is not my thing at all.

Nice review!

Thanks, Doc. I appreciate that. It's hard on the books you don't like as much to still put together a fun review.

And, tiffin and alcottacre - probably not missing too much. But, as I said, some folks may dig this one.

Book #49 Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
Fiction
Classic

My Review on the book's home page:

I am the son of a preacher, so, forgive me if I tend to view books and stories in the context of man’s struggle for salvation. Part of my concept of salvation includes the battle to recognize one’s true self, both our darker and better natures, and the fight to repel the former while giving rein to the latter. This seems to be one of life’s universal truths, a common experience shared by all in the human journey. Hundreds of world religions and denominations share this concept and thousands of secular writers have penned books on it.

In one of my favorites on the subject, Steinbeck’s East of Eden, the principal characters discuss the story of Cain and Abel from the fourth chapter of Genesis. After Cain slays Abel, God tells him that sin is at his door and that he must deal with it. But how the passage is translated from the Hebrew, whether God commands Cain to master sin or whether he presents Cain with a choice, can change the meaning drastically. From East of Eden:

“Now, there are many millions in their sects and churches who feel the order, ‘Do thou,’ and throw their weight into obedience. And there are millions more who feel predestination in ‘Thou shalt.’ Nothing they may do can interfere with what will be. But ‘Thou mayest’! Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose his course and fight it through and win.”

James Baldwin’s Go Tell It on the Mountain takes up this same discussion. John Grimes, an adolescent at the crossroads of manhood, opens the book examining his life. His very family name, Grimes, suggests the mark of sin and, as he shares his mind, we see the turmoil in his spirit, tempted by the base things of the world while struggling for the pure. His father, Gabriel, a preacher and a deacon harboring a murky pas, rules the household with fear and violence. His terminally tired mother, Elizabeth, appears to have even forgotten John’s birthday, marching through her oppressive daily routine. The battle for John’s life and soul plays out over the course of one day and one gathering at their church. As the assembly worships, Gabriel and Elizabeth and John’s Aunt Florence, a woman whose lost her faith, all offer prayers to God, examining the course of their lives. Each of them agonize over the choices they’ve made, the opportunities they faced to either act with their better nature or give in to their selfish side.

Too often people saddle religion and faith with unfair sentiments, ones which leave the blame at God’s door rather than ours. Oh, for a dime for all the folks who’ve told me they can’t truck with organized religion. Who do you think ‘organized’ religion, anyway? We don’t seem to have the same problem with any other activity organized by humans. I mean, most of us go to jobs and join clubs and participate in political organizations on some level. But we rarely hear complaints about organized employment or organized politics. No, the trouble is always us, the fallible human. Baldwin, along with Steinbeck, correctly identifies the human element of faith, showing it to be a conscious and deliberate choice, one which we don’t always live up to. But the idea of “Thou mayest,” that we may make better choices and live better lives, that’s where hope lives.

Bottom Line: A beautiful morality tale examining the lives of one family and the struggle against one’s darker nature.

4 bones!!!!

Really great review, Mac! I read Go Tell many years ago and found it very powerful, but definitely not an easy read. (However, I was pretty young when I read it--and newly married.) I just recently purchased East of Eden to read soon. I think I'll find a copy of the Baldwin novel to do a reread-it sounds like it would make a good pair to compare and contrast.

Thanks, MM!

The correlation didn't dawn on me until I started thinking about the review. They are very distinctive styles but carry very similar messages, I think. Steinbeck won't disappoint.

Go Tell it on the Mountain has been on Planet TBR for a long time now. It is past time to get to it! Thanks for another wonderful review.

Thanks, Miss Acre!! I am sure you will like this one!

Book #50, This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley
Non-Fiction
Reading and Writing

My Review on the book's home page:

Bottom Line: Passable instruction on the basics of writing a novel but light on reading and writing as life.

When I look for books about reading and writing, I tend to pick up titles by authors who have published their own work, authors who have been tested by the publication process. Not that there aren’t plenty of struggling writers out there who have so far failed to unlock the mysteries of the publishing world but who could offer sound and inspirational advice. But I’ve found, so far, that writing is about battling inner demons, ones with eight heads and razor-sharp teeth and fire for breath. Self-doubt and anxiety killed far more writers than alcohol and opium ever did. So, I tend to try and find the writing help from folks who’ve already faced those demons and won a few rounds.

Walter Mosley is, by all accounts, an accomplished writer. Writing in the mystery genre, he has published over twenty-five novels. I recognized his name immediately, even though I’ve never read any of his books. The only story of his I was familiar with was the movie version of Devil in a Blue Dress. But whether or not I’ve read the author’s fiction isn’t as important to me as knowing that the author has some miles on him in the world of creative writing.

Mosley’s thin treatise is direct and pithy. He doesn’t talk about his life or his thoughts or his beliefs. He refers to his own writing, the process of his art, only rarely and usually to make a very particular point. He organizes his advice around the idea that you can write, though not necessarily sell or publish, a novel in one year, completing a passable first draft in about three months. He opines about narrative voice, character development, plot, and all of the other things that make up a book, each topic covering little more than a page or two. At the conclusion, Mosley offers a short congratulatory paragraph, noting that writing your first novel will transform you and give you a deeper understanding of yourself.

I’d put this short book more in the category of a writing check-list. I’ll admit that the Mosley’s effort pales in comparison to a few other books on writing that I’ve read recently, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, Joy Writing by Kenn Amdahl, and On Writing by Stephen King. But it doesn’t appear that Mosley really set out with the same purpose in mind as these authors. Lamott, Amdahl, and King all seem to be more interested in detailing how the creative writing process is a thread that runs through their lives rather than a point by point list to be followed in producing a novel. They write much about their lives and their thoughts and their values and how all are informed by and, in turn, inform their writing. Believe me, you could do worse than This Year You Write Your Novel. I know, I have sampled these shelves at the bookstore. But, if you are truly committed to the idea of writing as a part of your life, don’t look to this twelve-step type of book. Try the authors who seem to be searching for life in their writing and vice-versa, rather than the authors who boil writing down to a list.

2 1/2 bones!!!!

Book #51, On Writing by Stephen King
Non-Fiction
Books and Writing

My Review on the book's home page:

WARNING: Constant Reader ahead!!! ‘Constant Readers’ is the title King knighted his fans with. For me, it’s an apt description, as King’s books and short stories and essays have filled my life for the better part of three decades. When he published On Writing ,shortly after being run down by a reckless driver, it was the first indication that King was not retiring or fatally broken or permanently blocked. Hundreds of thousands of relieved gasps could be heard around the world, mine among them. I went directly to the book store and purchased a new, hardbound copy, ignoring my typical rule about finding one used or on remainder table. I have now read the book twice.

Whether you like King’s fiction or not, On Writing is a wonderful book. Did you really expect me to say anything else? Okay, let me try to defend my opinion. King starts out by recounting childhood memories and events, many of which will evoke a sense of déjà vu in any Constant Reader, as he’s used many of these memories to fuel his fiction. While King insists there’s no common thread running through the stories, it’s clear that the events, good, bad, and in-between, all conspired to make him the writer and the man he is today. The stories are hilarious and sad and bittersweet. From the night young Stephen and his brother darkened a full city block to the two sad, picked-on girls who inspired Carrie to the tireless, brutal, blue collar ethic of his mother, desperate to make their meager funds last through another payday, to King’s alcohol and cocaine addled mid-life, you’ll be hooked.

Then, King turns his eye towards the writer’s toolbox, focusing on vocabulary and grammar, relentlessly championing Strunk and White. There are a few rants, one in particular saved for adverbs and another for passive voice. Like every other author I’ve heard or read, he recommends reading everything you can get your hands on. King hammers on the simple, the basic, the spare style. If you can get by with one or two details about a character, why use seventeen. If you can get by with the first word called to mind, why thumb the Thesaurus for some substitute. After gearing up the tool-box, favoring the simple and basic forms of all of those tools, King begins to explain what writing is. For King, it is the unadulterated story, translated to the page, allowed to go where it will without any planning. Just a “What if….” carried to a conclusion.

In summarizing, King returns to his own life, describing his excruciating recovery after being run over. He didn’t lose the ability or the will to write but he did suffer a healthy round of self-doubt. Coaxed on by a loving wife, King finished this book and several others, many of which have been compared to his earlier, more fundamental books. The message rings clear, writing is who King is; it lingers in every nook and cranny of his life. It’s changed and helped define his life. And he believes that writing is more than just a profession or an art; it is a tool for life, one which can help you work things out, discover and process the world around you and your place in it.

Bottom Line: A great memoir, a helpful writing aid, and a thoughtful rumination on the intersection of life and writing.

4 1/2 bones!!!!

Another great review! Maybe this is the Stephen King book I should read. I do have Blaze on tap for October. (That will be my first--it's the one you recommended because I loved Of Mice and Men)

On Writing is the only Stephen King book I have ever read and I loved it. I'm too scared to try any of his other books. I do not like frightening movies or books - I would not be able to sleep for weeks!!
Great review!

I, too, read On Writing and found it thoroughly enjoyable and informative. Excellent review!

Hi There!

Congratulations on your hot review, listed on today's home page, for On Writing Well

Thanks MM1, amwmsw04, tymfos, and Whisper!!!

Missed my hot review on the home page. It must not have stayed there for long.

You guys must be getting tired of reviews from me for books on writing!

MM1, you'll like Blaze, I'm just sure of it.

Nope...never tired of your well-written reviews...keep them coming!

The Hot Review was listed last night.

Hi again. I went back to the home page and found that your review is still listed. This morning it also reflects a hot review for Ronincats and tututhefirst.

Book #52, Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow
Fiction
ER Book

My Review on the book's home page:

What would it be like to watch a time lapse movie centered on one location over a period of about 70 years? What if you could hear the conversations of people as they crossed in front of the camera; or if you could focus the camera on one man in particular, observing the course of his life and the substance of his relationships; or if you could even crawl inside that one man’s head and listen to his thoughts, attend his commentary on the passing of ages?

EL Doctorow created just such a diorama with Homer and Langley, breathing life into the sculpted characters of the exhibit. The landscape displays Homer and Langley Collyer, brothers and heirs to a fortune that includes an epic Fifth Avenue manse. Homer, the blind brother as he calls himself, serves as the color commentator, offering his thoughts and feelings on the world and its changes as time passes. Covering a generation beginning before the First World War and ending sometime in the cold war era, Homer and Langley encounter corrupt policemen, mob bosses, immigrants from all over the globe, and hippies. The brothers desperately try to shutter themselves from the world, but with each new attempt to hide, the world rushes in on them more.

No intricate story or plot hinders this fictional memoir. Told completely in the first person by Homer, each new character or event is merely a piece of Homer’s life, exposed for the world to view. Tinged with the hues of another time, Doctorow’s prose plays out in long, meandering sentences, mimicking unspoken thought. Homer bares all, giving voice to his every desire and fear, all of his joy and love, connecting him inescapably to every reader.

Bottom Line: Captivating first person fictional memoir, as told by an intriguing and unique character.

4 bones!!!!

Mac, you make every book so appealing that I find you dangerous to read. I can't possibly read all your books and mine, too! Great review--I have never read an E.L. Doctorow (so shoot me!)--this one might be the one to try. It sounds like my kind of book.

ditto what Carolyn said in message 66

#65: I already have Homer and Langley on Planet TBR, Mac, or would be adding it again after yet another well-written review.

Thanks guys, and there'll be no shooting MM1, as this was my first Doctorow also. I own Ragtime which is on one of my 100 best lists but I haven't read it.

LOL

I own Ragtime, too, and haven't read it. I'll wait for your review! :-)

Don't do that, it's not even close on the horizon. Miles of books before I sleep! I am trying to at least get close to finishing the Modern Library 100 best and it's not on that one.

I read Ragtime years ago for a college English class. I remember it as a rather "adventuresome" read for someone of my relatively sheltered background at that time.

I remember some of the historical characters and situations Doctorow used in the novel, and the sense that it was intended to convey the "spirit of the age" in which it was set, but my memory is very vague on the specifics of the actual story.

I have no idea what I would think about it if I were to re-read it now.

As you can tell from the review of Homer and Langley above, I really enjoyed his style. So, I look forward to reading more of his titles.

Mac- Good review! I am a fan of Doctorow and have read several of his books, including Ragtime, which was excellent. Actually the film version is also very good. I also loved The March, his Civil War novel!

Hello and congratulations on yet another Hot Review. Your most recent one is listed on today's home page. Your description of Home and Langley means I have added it to the tbr pile.

Thanks!

Good review! I have added Homer and Langley to my wishlist, and also The March (thanks to msf59).

I recently read Ragtime and while I wouldn't rave about it, it was a good read. I'm interested to read his The Book of Daniel.

Thanks all.

I somehow keep missing my 'hot reviews'!

Book #53, City of Refuge by Tom Piazza
Fiction

My Review on the book's home page:

Tom Piazza riffs like a jazz musician in his novel City of Refuge, mixing angry and discordant phrases with smooth and harmonious ones. Underneath the ebb and flow of these melodies, his themes of home and identity pulse like a heartbeat.

The book examines the lives of two New Orleans families in the days before and after Hurricane Katrina. SJ Williams lives in the doomed Lower Ninth Ward with his sister and nephew; Craig Donaldson and his family live in a middle class enclave across town. With the deadly storm bearing down, the Donaldson’s decamp the city while SJ and his relatives hunker down. Everything changes when the levees break and baptize the city in grimy, unholy water. SJ’s family is torn apart, packed and shipped to opposite ends of the country, while Craig’s family escapes to Chicago, together. Emptiness and confusion plague Craig and SJ as they try to patch together a life separate from New Orleans, each worried that their identities will disintegrate like the city they long for.

With stark and brutal language, Piazza filters the tragedy of Katrina through the prism of Craig and SJ’s struggles to define their lives. The characters are so familiar that the reader must ponder the same questions of home and identity. True to the jazz feel of the book, though, Piazza creates a wide range of experiences in his characters. They strike out in every direction like solo improvisations on a theme. In the end, there is room for everyone, refuge for all in this tune.

Bottom Line: Poignant fictional account of Katrina that connects personally on themes of home and identity.

4 bones!!!!

I'm back!!!!

I am pretty sure this one got an unfavorable review from someone here in the 75'ers whose opinion I respect. I am on the other side of the fence here. Read it and decide yourself.

bdb--I think it was me with the unfavorable review. However, I don't disagree with anything in you've said in your excellent review--we just had different reactions. By all means, if someone is interested in the subject, please read the book.

(And I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Homer and Langley).

I couldn't remember if it was you or allthosedarnedbooks. I knew that whoever it was had a name beginning with 'a'. Your review actually intrigued me a bit because I am a jazz fan and I saw the undertones in your comments.

I will have to get a copy of it so I can decide for myself :)

I was beginning to wonder where everyone went?!?!?

Mac
I was able to obtain a copy of City of Refuge for a very reasonable price from bookcloseouts.com. Since attending a conference in New Orleans last year, I have read many books re. Katrina and New Orleans. I'm trying to get a fair/balanced way to look at the situation. Some of the books I've read are filled with anger; some are filled with blame; all accurately portray the gross lack of coordination by many parties, who, working independently could not keep the best interests and safety of the poor in mind. Bottom line, New Orleans was warned, the mayor, the governor and the president dropped the ball..BIG time.

Given the location, and the repeated threat of hurricane disaster, I'm still trying to understand why New Orleans should be rebuilt... But, certainly, that is my thought and perhaps not that of the majority.

I felt unsafe in New Orleans. It felt crime ridden and nasty. I remember preaching to the students to stay together and not do anything stupid that could put them in jeopardy. I'm not convinced it is the best place to take a group of college-age students, who because of their age like to drink. When we returned, I learned about the tremendous high murder and crime rate.

Still, I do understand the city has charm, culture and a rich heritage that cries to survive.

Basically, that is why I'm reading as much as I can.

Your review was incredibly written! As always, thanks!

opps, forgot to add one of the main culprits of failure, our governmental agency -- FEMA -- whose gross negligence should have equated to jail time for the director and those at the top of the ladder. They bungled the rescue so badly that it is beyond belief..

Whisper,

I've seen your long list of reading on Katrina and New Orleans. Can't remember if you read the other book on the subject by this author Why New Orleans Matters. It faces just the questions you are posing apparently. He says he wrote it after hearing a Senator suggest bulldozing the city.

Hi
I haven't read that one! Thanks for recommending it. I'll see if my local library has a copy.

BDB- I loved your review on City of Refuge. It sounds like my kind of book and I wishlisted it!

Thanks msf59.

I am onto D.H. Lawrence's The Rainbow. Hope to finish it in the next couple of days.

Oh dear. I'm afraid I lost you there for a while. I tried to catch up when I came back but it's a haunting task, there are so many threads! I love your reviews and you sort of just popped into my head just now so I hit Ctrl+F on my keyboard, typed blackdogbooks and there you were! I'm so glad I found you again!! *stars*

I really liked your review of City of Refuge (thumbs up from me!) and have placed the book on my Wishlist. How could I resist? I'm interested in reading books (even novels) about disasters, and I love jazz (though when I try to play jazz myself on the piano, it's a disaster!)

:)

I gave your review thumbs up as well! I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of The Rainbow. I haven't read that one!

I'm eager to hear what you think of The Rainbow. Read it yonks ago but remember loving it.

Hey! You've got a "Hot Review" -- that wonderful review you did of City of Refuge. Congratulations!

Thanks for the thumbs of approval y'all.

Should finish the Lawrence this weekend and have something up in a few days.

Mac
You are more than welcome! it was a wonderfully written review!

Book #54, The Rainbow by D. H. Lawrence

My Review on the book's home page:

Passions run high in Lawrence’s introduction of the Brangwen family, a family he later returns to in Women in Love. Beginning with Tom’s marriage to a Polish widow, Mrs. Lensky, the tale follows their bloodline for two more generations. Lawrence focuses the story on the inner turmoil of Tom, his adopted daughter Anna, and Anna’s daughter, Ursula as they come of age and meet their fated loves. Each engages in a battle between feelings of love and commitment on the one hand and the fear of losing oneself in a life of self-immolation. Lawrence frequently and consistently describes the relations between these head-strong characters and those whom they love in the language of war. The Brangwens seem intent on “destroying” or “annihilating” their loves, fearing the same fortune for themselves.

The Rainbow, and Women in Love after it, were praised for Lawrence’s presentation of a new sexual relationship, one that does not involve the merging of personal identity but glorifies the mutual independence of each individual. He presents any other type of relations between people as inherently destructive. While I don’t disagree with Lawrence’s premise that healthy relationships require fully formed and independent personalities, such an ideal is rarely achieved in the messy, conflicted regions of the heart. Personally, I find myself to be a confident, independent soul only about 10% of the time. The rest of the time is filled with endless inner conflict which inevitably spills into my relationships. Sure, I destroy and am, in turn, destroyed in my love for my wife and my family and my friends. But the struggle is where the good stuff is, not the bad.

Lawrence’s book is not unreadable; the language is beautiful, the characters are interesting, and some rabbit trails, like Ursula’s foray in elementary teaching, lifted the story for long sections. But the need to put the idealized romance to death ends up looking a whole lot like just poor judgment in his character’s choices. And the Brangwen’s circular, repetitive thoughts on the matter grow tired after the third time or so.

Don’t get me wrong, I know plenty of folks who have had painful, unfulfilled relationships. And all struggles do not necessarily lead to bliss and enlightenment. I just don’t think Lawrence was preaching a new concept, even for his day. And I certainly don’t agree with the notion, sometimes pondered by his characters, that they’d by better off alone. Humans are communal by nature, even if the mix is sometimes messy, even if we sometimes give rein to our contradictory nature.

Bottom Line: Beautiful, if tiring, book to read. Interesting, if maddening, characters.

Check out our Tales of Mystery and Horror Halloween Thread. I will be reading these titles with a group of other brave souls for Halloween. Don't worry, I'll keep posting the reviews here, with a duplicate there also. Come join us!!!! It's gonna be fun!!!

Great big belly laugh at the "bottom line", bdb. Good review.

Thanks, tiffin. Seems I didn't love it like you did 'yonks ago'. Dig the word 'yonks'!!

Okay--I need a stamp that says "Great Review, BDB!" Thumbs up for The Rainbow.

I'm checking out the Halloween Thread now.

Well, I went on a Lawrence kick in my mid teens, bdb, so was quite susceptible to overwrought literature at the time. I haven't had the urge to go back and reread him as there are too many unread wonders out there. Goodness only knows if I'd still love him today.

Ah, the D H Lawrence thing reminds me of reading his short stories in school - we used to have competitions to see how many rhyming descriptions we could get into a sentence describing them - oppressed, suppressed, repressed, depressed...

Book #55, Dracula by Bram Stoker

My Review on the book's home page (TadAd's and Girlunderglass' reviews are also here.)

Every night, as I settled in with this classic horror tale, I felt as though a dark, heavy drape was closing in around me, blocking out the light and isolating me. Sights and sounds took on a sinister air; shadows moved around me menacingly.

Bram Stoker cast the mold for all vampire stories to come, piecing together myths and folktales to create one of the most disturbing and creepy villains of all time. Count Dracula comes complete with the breath of decomposing flesh, sharpened teeth, red shining eyes, and hairy palms. His hypnotic command over the creatures of the world and people, together with his ability to shape shift, also make him one of the most powerful villains of all time.

Stoker also added a great deal to the mythology of victims in horror tales. The people whom Dracula chooses as his victims are riddled with self-doubt and fear. Jonathon Harker, who introduces the Count to us, is perhaps the best example. He ignores the warnings and pleadings of local villagers, trusting in his own rational mind, and flies directly into the vampire’s web. Once there, he ignores his own growing sense of doom for far too long before attempting to free himself. Harker rubs many folks the wrong way, with his constant inner debate over whether the Count is evil or whether he is just an eccentric old man; a debate that the reader can settle immediately. In defense of Harker, I wonder whether he bothers us because he epitomizes our own self-doubt and fear. Indeed, when Harker is brave, climbing down the wall of the castle, opening the vampire’s coffin, and searching the vile beings pockets for a key to freedom, we cheer him on. But when he falls back into his victim mentality, we want to cast him off. Perhaps, Harker represents the inner struggle we all face to get over ourselves.

Another character who seems to cause a good deal of head shaking is Harker’s betrothed, Mina Harker. This smart young woman often outshines the males in the hunt for Dracula, culling together overlooked clues and evidence. Later in the story, some argue that she is abandoned as just so much feminine dead weight, ignored as too fragile to help, requiring protection rather inclusion. For me, the story carried a heavy moral in the group’s choice to exclude Mina. At the very moment when Van Helsing chooses to cut Mina off, Dracula gains the upper hand. When Mina is again made part of the circle, the group is able to locate and gain ground on the vampire. Stoker seemed to be making a pretty clear point to me that the gifts Mina offered in the search for Dracula were vital to success. And he also seemed to be reiterating that their endeavors were only hindered by separating their once singular mind.

The execution of the Count in the final pages seems to herald the very death of myth itself. Throughout the entire hunt for the vampire, Van Helsing makes much of open-minded thought. But, even in his inclusion of folklore and myth, the Dutch professor relies on logic and reason to process this alternative information, eventually locating the villain through an early form of behavioral profiling. When Dracula is surrounded by men armed with Winchester rifles and then dispatched with steel knives, rather than a wooden stake, Stoker ushers in a new modern era of industry and commerce, killing forever the dark days of myth and folklore.

Stoker’s novel deserves its place hall of the classics. He single-handedly spawned an entire genre of story-telling. So many of the popular vampire tales or our day follow the paths he trail-blazed. Dracula is the standard by which all recent vampire stories should be judged. The original is the best.

Bottom Line: A frightening book. Stoker is a master at mood and tone. His vampire is second to none.

4 1/2 bones!!!!

What a great review! You really captured the essence of the novel and helped me understand why I was so enthralled by a book that I had expected to abhor. No wonder I was spellbound! I'm going to refer back to this review when I do my reread of Dracula.

a thumb-up for your fantastic review! I must say between the three reviews we've had so far, I think we've done a pretty good job at covering the book from different angles...can't wait to see what the next person's perspective will offer! This is great :D

Hi BDB,

I had to break my lurking silence to tell you what as amazing review that was. That was a really excellent discussion of many of the subtler elements of ideology and genre Stoker goes into. I've been following the conversation in the Halloween reads thread and your review really makes me wish I had time to participate some, even though I don't read much horror.

Thumbs up on the review, and I see it's a hot one already. Well deserved!

I say, thumbs up for your great review of Dracula! :)

Thanks guys. I really enjoyed this one. I've started to dabble in the Poe stories a bit already.

GUG, I was glad that y'alls reviews were still up at the top so that everyone could read the different takes we got on the book. You and Tad had very nice reviews also and did come at the book differently.

I bought the annotated version of Dracula last year but have not gotten around to reading it. I must bump it up on the Planet with a review like that!

I am very curious about the annotated version of the book. I'd very much like to have more information about the oddities and experiences that provided Stoker with material. DrNuetron read that version and gave it a great review, as I recall.

Looks like you've had some winners in recent weeks! Good for you! :)

Book #56, Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer's Life by Michael Greenberg

My Review on the book's home page

The language in Michael Greenberg’s new memoir, Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer’s Life, startles with the beauty of verse and the throb of a violent, tempestuous city. Greenberg’s words, though, form the only true unifying thread for this loosely fitted biography.

The book patches together what appear to have been columns about life in New York City. Each chapter introduces eccentric characters from the city, including quite a few members of the author’s family. We meet Greenberg’s father, a middle-class, immigrant scrap-metal tycoon; a fixer with a mail-order law degree; a master chef practicing his art in a soup kitchen; and an ex-patriot Chilean filmmaker.

Greenberg tries to weave his encounters into a common story about his struggles to become and support himself as a writer. But many of the stories and characters fit into the fabric of Greenberg’s life only because he wrote about them, not because they offer any insight into his life or art. In the end, the most compelling stories are the personal ones, as they are more emotionally raw and more relevant to his writing.

A Writer’s Life is an appropriate title for such a personal account, as it signals that this is just one man’s path to the art, and not necessarily a path that should be followed by others. Indeed, Greenberg consistently turns his nose up at any endeavor save writing and regularly lashes out at anyone who would suggest something different. The result is a life spent just above the poverty line, and often alienated from loved ones.

For a writer, the language is the thing. Here, Greenberg is on track. The most consistent and pleasing element of his work is the words he strings together. So, while the book suffers from strained attempts to seam together stories, the language overshadows these shortcomings.

Bottom Line: A sometimes disjointed group of stories told in colorful and lively language.

3 ½ bones

The crickets are really chirping in here!! It's my own fault for creating a 'monster' over on the Halloween Thread!

Nice review of the Greenberg book I'll be keeping an eye out for it. I enjoy memoirs and I love good writing--I can read almost anything if it is well written. Perhaps because I'm so envious of that talent! :-D

That 'monster' you created is giving a lot of us a great deal of pleasure--especially those of us who generally avoid the Horror genre. I thank you for making a fine civic contribution to our LT community! :-)

Yeah, the Greenberg book is definitely one you should read for the writing as opposed to the story telling.

I've seen so many conversations about the Halloween read in so many places. I'm glad everyone is enjoying it so much. I always revel in this time of year and the dark reading. I was worried about the book choices but everyone has seemed pretty happy so far.

Of course, everyone is way out ahead of me on the list! I hope to get a review for The Wood Wife out by tomorrow and finish up, or get close, on The House of Seven Gables this weekend.

"Of course, everyone is way out ahead of me on the list!"

You can always count on me to lag behind! The only reason I'm not behind now is because I had read Dracula and The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe just recently and didn't have to start with them. I finished Wood Wife and am half done with The House of Seven Gables which I hope to finish this weekend, also. I think I will slip in Woman in Black after that because I got it from the library and will have to return it. I reading it in place of Woman in White because I've read that several times including last year. For someone who avoids "spooky" reads I seem to have read quite a few, haven't I? I'm surprised at how many I'm familiar with. I'm looking forward to Dr. Moreau. I've read a lot of H.G. Wells and I enjoy him even if he is a little archaic. This is one I haven't read yet.

I'm having so much fun that I'm already looking forward to next October! :-D

I'm looking forward to you review of Wood Wife. Im so glad I bought it because I know I will read it again--maybe next October!

Ha! I'm still reading Dracula! But reading with a pen in hand takes me about 3x as long as just reading, so I only have my own note-taking to blame.

I actually found Dracula ... so now I might just have to squeeze it in after all :)

Book #57, The Wood Wife by Terri Windling

My Review on the book's home page:

The Wood Wife, by Terri Windling, exposes the often unnoticed beauty of the desert, and, with it, a hidden world of spirits and shape-shifters.

Maggie Black takes up residence in Davis Cooper’s home in the high desert of the Rincon Mountains, which frame the eastern range of Tuscon, Arizona, hoping to use the old poet’s papers to write his biography. As Maggie sifts through Cooper’s things, she begins to see the magic and beauty of the hard land around her. With this newfound openness, Maggie is introduced to a world of creatures that live in a borderland between the seen and the unseen, changing forms to reflect those who gaze on them.

Few people see the beauty of the desert. It is, after all, a hard place, bristling everywhere with spiny cacti and rough stone, all baked by a blazing yellow heat. The needles and rocks and hard earthen crust, though, are only an outer protective layer for a subtle and delicate beauty. Windling expands on that dynamic, creating a whole world of eccentric, colorful creatures, seen only by those who are willing to open their hearts to the magic of the desert. Seeing these creatures and interacting with them, for Windling’s heroine, is only the first step in setting her life on a new path, one open to unseen possibility.

Nearly all of Windling’s characters are driven by creative pursuits; they are either musicians or poets or artists. She is clearly at home in such a world, and the beautiful, haunting prose of the novel only echoes her own wizardry. Windling creates a fantastic world in The Wood Wife that doesn’t read like fantasy because she convinces the reader to walk a path of discovery and openness along with the characters.

Bottom Line: Fantasy that doesn’t read like fantasy; a plea for wild and unnoticed beauty.

5 bones!!!!!

That sounds like a really interesting read, i'm now on the lookout for a copy.

Everyone seems to be really enjoying this one! Great choice!

I can't take too much credit. It was on one of my 100 best lists - a reader's choice list in response to The Modern Library's choices.

Unfortunately, it's one of the chosen reads for Halloween that I did not participate in because I don't own the book :(

(speaking of the group read, can't wait to start Dr. Moreau btw, hope it's good!)

#121: I am glad to see that The Wood Wife has found yet another fan! Nice review too, Mac.

GUG, order The Wood Wife from Amazon or something. I can't let you off the hook. You have to read it. If you hate it, I'll take the blame.

On Dr. Moreau, I may be starting that in the next few days, certainly by the weekend. You ready? I should finish up the Hawthorne either tomorrow or over the next few nights.

Miss Alcott, it is a favorite read for the year!

127: just finished the Master and Margarita so yes, I am ready to start on Moreau - maybe tomorrow or the day after (need a break to process the book). You know I thought at first it wasn't Halloween-related but ...well it's a book about - among others - Satan and one of the main characters is a black cat so I would say it fits in with the theme :P Plus, look at that cover:



Isn't it totally Halloween-ish?

That is an awesome cover. I almost want it for the cover alone.

I will plan to start Dr. Moreau over the weekend. I plan to be finished with Gables no later than Thursday night (more time to read now that my team's baseball season is over!) and hope to slip in Woman in Black Friday (my substitute for Woman in White.

I'm looking for The Master and Margarita in a translation of the "uncensored" novel. So far no luck at the used book stores. I, too, love the cover of that one. Maybe I should save the book for next Halloween!

MM1, At least this year the Giants gave it a run and finished above .500!! I even won a couple of bets on them!

And the last game ended on a high note--not only a win but Panda was able to round off his numbers: HRs at 25 and RBIs at 90 with that winning run. I can hardly wait until April. (Trying not to set my expectations too high!) :-)

For Giants fans "It was a very good year..."

passing by to thank you for including The Island of Dr. Moreau onto the Halloween read list - TadAd, MusicMom and myself all enjoyed it quite a lot and might not have read it otherwise. I still haven't posted a review though both Tad and MM have.

Happy Halloween reading!
Eliza

Stopping by to add my thanks for recommending the Wells novel! I notice you have been "missing" from this thread for a while. I hope it is because you are spending your time reading and not because of too much RL interfering with LT! :-)

Just stopping by to say hello - I had to drop out of the Halloween reading because of my RL interfering, and I really, really wish I hadn't! So far all the books seem amazing, and the discussion has been fantastic. Maybe next year....

Book #59, The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells

My Review on the book's home page:

Wells’ story of an evil scientist and the madman’s unnatural creations can be read on many different levels, including as pure horror. Many of the reviews correctly identify a Jonathon Swift-like satire of blind faith in religion, science, and class. But, if you’re in the mood to switch off critical thought, the novel pounds with fear. From shipwreck to chase to murder, Wells never slows the pace.

Bottom Line: Read it as political and social commentary or as unadulterated fright fare.

4 bones!!!!

Book #58, The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne

My Review on the book's home page:

Hawthorne’s gothic tale is a study in original sin, moral corruption, and redemption. Several generations of the Pyncheon family are cursed by an ancestor’s obsession with wealth and power. Each new generation falls into a common pattern of greed and manipulation, bankrupt of the redeeming qualities of love and humility. Redemption is won when a few simple and pure members of the family overcome the baser urges of their kin, banding together to care for one another.

This is not a book to speed through. There are no quick characterizations. There is no rollercoaster plot. Hawthorne’s prose, while dense and slow, is rich and absorbing. He meticulously designs his characters, sometimes pausing for whole chapters to pore over one person’s thoughts and feelings. The resulting experience is engrossing, with the dark mood of the story folded into every line.

Bottom Line: An absorbing and moody read, rich in meticulous detail and character design.

4 bones!!!!

Yes, I am still here! Real life interfering? Well, not exactly. I am working on another project that means I have less time to read and review and thread-post, though I am posting here and on the Tales of Mystery and Horror thread both.

what is this mysterious project if a curious soul can ask?

No, it's not mysterious. I'm just trying to do a little writing, that's all.

BDB

I definitely agree that Moreau has been the scariest read I've had this month!

Great review of House of Seven Gables-- you really captured the essence and mood of the novel in a few choice words. Thumbs up! I think this may be my favorite read this month--it is so far. (I read Wood Wife last month--and it was my favorite for that month.)

That's great that we've given you such memorable reads with the Halloween list.

I think I'm going to have to break down and read Moreau, even if it has to be read via the computer/internet. It sounds too good to miss!

Since I understand it's rather short, I guess it won't be too bad reading it from the computer screen . . .

tymfos, what I did was I printed it from the computer. It's not that many pages, especially since they're A4 rather than the smaller ones you usually get with books.

I dropped by to thank you for the review of Go Tell It on the Mountain that finally spurred me into reading the book. Thanks, Mac.

Yep, looks like it's finally time to get round to reading The Island of Dr Moreau...

Anyone who's read it recently might find a book I read recently, The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares interesting - it sounds as though it's nothing like as scary, but I do know that it was heavily influenced by The Island of Dr Moreau (and, indeed, the author influenced by H. G. Wells generally)

#144 I may do that. For now, I just started Ghost, so I think I'll finish that first.

Great reviews! I've read both, but now I want to go back and re-read Moreau...

I loved reading Wells as a kid - so it looks like I need to reread him with an adult eye. Thanks for the great reviews, Black Dog.

You're writing - that's fantastic! Hope everything is going well so far :)

Just wanted to stop by and say hi. But I also read your review of Dracula and now I am jealous. I just "read" an audio book of Dracula and it was abridged so I missed many of the vital moments that you mention. For example, in the audio book Harker appears to realize very quickly that the count is evil. There is very little self doubt because the way the story is presented seems to make it impossible to reach any other conclusion. Also Mina's part in the story is greatly diminished and though she comes off as very intelligent and helps put some key pieces together, I did not see her having the same impact as you describe.

I will have to buy the book to get the real meat of this story. Great review by the way.

I'm back here after spending most of my reading time over in the Tales of Horror thread during Halloween. Sadly, I didn't get through everything I choose, but most everyone else did. I am going to take a break from The Woman in White because I have so many ER and ARC books to read and review. I even got a little reminder from the LT folks that I owe them a review. I intend to go back and read The Woman in White because I was really enjoying it. But I may not get to it until after the new year. I will still go back and finish some of the other choices on the Halloween reading list, it's really Halloween for me whenever I want it to be.

I have to confess that I am horribly behind in catching up with other threads, perhaps fatally so. I have reduced my LT time and my reading time of late. I will try to slowly check in with you guys as I can. But I will at least keep you up to date here with my reading and reviews.

Hi Mac- Nice to see you! I miss seeing your postings! Hope your writing is going well!

, it's really Halloween for me whenever I want it to be.

I like that! My kind of reader! :)

And you suggested some great Halloween books for this year, so go ahead and save some for next year! Or find more, whatever makes you happy. But don't find too many more--the further you pull me out of my comfort zone, the more books I'll have to find time to read!

>152 blackdogbooks:: The Woman In White is definitely worth returning to when you have more time. And, speaking of time, I really wanted to partake of your Halloween read, but got overextended with too many other things. I did hear lots of good comments about it. Sounds like a fun time was had by all. Next year I will plan better.

Hi Mac

Like you, I rec'd. a notice about an ARC review due. After writing the review, I think I'm going to skip participation in AR group. It feels like pressure and my job gives me plenty of that so I don't need any more.

I hope all is well with you!

Just curious: what is the time frame for writing the review before they start pestering you to get it done? (My only one up till now was done right away, because the book was so appealing and my available time was unusually plentiful.)

#152 Hey Mac, sorry to hear you will have to leave The Woman in White midway, hopefully you will get back to it soon enough, its a very good book.

I just got in a copy of The Woman in White, but it looks as if it will be next year before I get to it. I hope I enjoy it as much as you have to this point.

Don't worry everybody, I intend to go back for The Woman in White someday soon. But I am going to get these ER books done and reviewed.

I think the length of time they give you before reminding you is about a month or so. I've never gotten the reminder before. I think it's a new thing.

I may get my 75 this year, because I was a ways along already. But next year, I may be down to more like 50.

Mac

I hope you will stay with the 75 challenge group.

Me too!

BDB

Stick with us, please! You don't have to "number them" and who's counting? :-D

Hey Mac, I won't complete 75 this year, but one thing I learnt being a part of this community for more than a year and a half, is that count is the last thing we worry about. So, I hope, you will continue to stay with us and continue to share your amazing reads and reviews.

No worrying, guys. I wouldn't think of another group. I was just sort of thinking out loud, or on line, I guess.

The book I am reading right now is very unusual and interesting. I should get a review together in the next few days. It would have been an interesting one for the Halloween group.

Glad to hear you are sticking with us, Mac!

#158 tymfos - not sure what the ER time-frame on review reminders is (although I suspect a month or two), but I do know that if you continue not to review a book, you now a) probably won't get any more until you do (fair enough) and b) get a reminder once a month just after they've picked who gets what ARC (probably also a good thing). You may be able to tell from this that I've had one ARC stalled for a very long time (the guilt, the guilt!)...

BDB, glad to hear you're going to stick with us - I enjoy your reviews.

I don't think they are as tough as you "a" proposition. I got an ER book this month, even though I have an outstanding review from my September ER book.

Adding books this am; I have a load from a trip to my favorite used bookstore. Found a 1913 "Visitor's Edition" of The House of Seven Gables, with 16 photo plates of the actual house. Very cool little book. Only $6!!!!

Many other cool books as well, but that's probably my favorite find.

Book #60, A Better Angel by Chris Angel

My Review on the book's home page:

Chris Adrian’s stories, collected in A Better Angel, play out in an abnormal and frightening territory. Ghosts and psychopaths and demons haunt every page, interacting with twisted and desperate characters. With each new tale, Adrian focuses on a special brand of suffering or sadness, like a pathologist fleshing out wounds in a corpse.

“High Speeds,” the first story in the collection, couples a sarcastic and bitter adolescent malcontent with a deranged substitute teacher. Drawn to the darkness in one another, they dare into increasingly dangerous high speed car rides. The second story, “The Sum of Our Parts,” is told by the disembodied spirit of a suicidal woman awaiting a liver transplant. As she eavesdrops and spies on the hospital staff, she longs for them to let her body surrender to death. In a final ghostly embrace with an unhappy lab technician, she glimpses the human connection previously missing in her life. “Stab” chronicles the high jinks of a young girl, budding into a psychopath, who befriends the mute, surviving twin from a conjoined pair. She eventually turns her knife on her new found friend, bored with killing neighborhood animals.

Adrian’s shockingly brutal stories are not for the faint of heart. On the other hand, there is a strange hope that pervades the collection. Not every character finds relief from their suffering, but Adrian infuses each lost soul with a rugged and gripping beauty in the way they face it.

In addition to a sharp and creepy imagination, Adrian is blessed with a singular gift for language. Whether writing in first person narrative, as in “High Speeds,” or in omniscient point of view, like “The Sum of Our Parts,” he maintains a solid narrative and always uses vivid and colorful prose.

Not all of the stories reach the same height as the first three, and some are unusual enough to inspire serious head scratching. But even the weakest story is thought provoking.

Bottom Line: Frightening and sad stories worth the reading if you have the stomach for them. You won’t put the book down thinking that this author is recycling already over-used ideas.

4 bones!!!!

The 1913 version of The HOuse of SEven Gables sounds like a wonderful find!

A Better Angel has been on the tbr pile for a long time. I need to read this book sooner rather than later. Thanks for your comments!

I think I will pass on A Better Angel. I do not do 'creepy.'

#169 Yes, I said that, and then received a book through the member review instead, just a day later...! Good to know ;) (I really must read that last one though...)

Book #61, Woman from Shanghai by Xianhui Yang, translated by Wen Huang

My Review on the book's home page:

History is replete with examples of the human capacity for evil. Over the decades, Nazi concentration camps, Soviet gulags, and American internment camps have plumbed the depths of depravity. But in each of these sad places of wickedness and cruelty, there have always been stories of nobility and courage and survival.

Xianhui Yang has collected thirteen such stories, all based on true accounts from survivors of the Chinese forced labor camp at Jiabiangou. Between 1957 and 19060, thousands of Chinese citizens labeled as Rightists were re-educated through forced labor. They were forced to live in one-room shacks or caves in large numbers and little food was available. After three years in the harsh desert, just five hundred survivors were relocated from the camps.

Yang is spare and plain, straightforward to a fault. The style is both an asset and a liability. While the lives of these survivors are described in detail, the stories seem dulled. Yang’s account lacks the raw, volatile emotion of Elie Wiesel’s “Night” or Victor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning,” stories told by holocaust survivors. Though some moments in Yang’s tales carry an inherent shocking affect, the remainder of the story usually remains flat. Whether because of a cultural gap in narrative forms or because the stories are based on interviews with real survivors whose emotions were blunted in the experience, these stories seem to cry out for a more evocative style.

Yang’s stories are important in a historical and anthropological sense. Even if they don’t make an immediate emotional connection, they still deserve attention, as they bear witness to the capacity of the human spirit for both good and evil.

Bottom Line: An important collection of stories for which the emotional content seems somewhat dulled for the subject matter.

4 bones!!!!

Another great review, Mac. I am adding that one to the BlackHole.

Thanks, Ms. Acre. Hope you enjoy it.

I owe three more reviews here. I just finished Twilight and am on to the the second in the series. So, I need to post Dirty Little Angels and The Information Officer also.

Hi Mac- Nice review! Woman from Shanghai sounds very good! Will have to WL it!

THanks Mark, good to hear from you.

Book #62, Dirty Little Angels by Chris Tusa

My Review on the book's home page:

Hailey’s father, a drunk who can’t keep a job, is having an affair with an exotic dancer in between 9-ball games at the local watering hole. Her mama, a born-again nurse, home-bound with a back ailment, whiles the day away with pain medication and television. And her brother, a three time loser with the law, has a temper with a violent streak that he vents with brass knuckles. Given the set up for these characters, the ending of the story requires little imagination.

Tusa just tries too hard with his first novel. There are glimpses of good storytelling throughout the book, but they are hidden in overly descriptive prose dripping with metaphors. Tusa, first published as a poet, brings a poet’s pen to the novel, sometimes overdoing it a bit. For example, in just one paragraph closing the first chapter, the moon is a cataract, the clouds are crying rain, a Nova is growling down the road, and the dripping rainwater is a wristwatch. The mind tires in processing all of the descriptive language.

The storytelling never overcomes the affected prose. Early on in the story, Hailey meets the exotic dancer’s husband, who is in a terminal cancer ward. Hailey’s dad is sleeping with the man’s wife while he wastes away. Hailey is taken by the man and a strange friendship is born. The unusual tension and unlikely relationship made for interesting reading. Sadly, Tusa doesn’t explore this relationship much, and doesn’t create other interesting moments of plot beyond the stereotypical. The events in the book are tossed at the characters and the reader, with little explanation to allow either to catch up.

On balance, Tusa’s book doesn’t do his apparent ability justice. It reads like a first or second draft that needed more plotting and story and a good editor to tone down the descriptive language a bit.

Bottom Line: Either wait for the re-write or for Tusa’s next novel.

2 bones!!

Book #63, The Information Officer by Mark Mills

My Review on the book's home page:

On the island of Malta, in the early days of World War II, a dance hostess is violently murdered, apparently by a British submariner. Max Chadwick, the British Information Officer for the island, investigates the murder, hoping to maintain the fragile solidarity struck between the islanders and their colonial patrons. As the Germans threaten to invade the lonely outpost, unleashing a daily barrage of bombs, finding the murderer is nearly too much for Max.

Told alternately by Max and the unidentified killer, the story focuses on more than just the investigation. Each recounts the men’s lives in rich detail up to the point of the murder. The resulting characters – one, a good man caught between responsibility to his country and loyalty to his principals, and the second, a creative psychopath – propel the story far beyond the regions of the typical police procedural. Mills takes his time with these two men, framing the boundaries of their psyches and describing their lives outside the context of the murder at hand.

My one complaint with the novel was the abrupt ending to the story. About three quarters through the book, Mills replaces the languid and indulgent pace with an urgency that seems born of an editor’s page count. Max receives a thunder bolt revelation and identifies the killer. A quick, and uncharacteristically sparely written, confrontation follows. Then, all of the books loose ends are tied up in an exposition laden conversation.

The ending not withstanding, Mills has penned a unique and singular literary mystery. The book exhibits a rare intelligence and an even rarer understanding of the human elements in storytelling.

Bottom Line: An intelligent literary mystery with a rushed ending.

4 bones!!!!

Hi Mac- I've been seeing this Tusa guy, pushing this book or e-book, for sometime now! Sorry it was a waste of time. The Information Officer looks good though!
I wanted to wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!

I will definitely look for The Information Officer. I enjoyed Mills' The Savage Garden and this looks like another good one. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Mac!

Popping over to say good morning. I don't always respond, but I really enjoy your reviews!

Thanks Luxx.

msf59, Hope you had a good Turkey day also!

Ms. Acre, I haven't read The Savage Garden yet but I am on the lookout. I enjoyed Amagansett earlier this year, you might try that one.

Hey, have you started the new Stephen King yet? I bought it but probably won't get a chance to read it until at least Xmas break; what have you heard?

RE: Under the Dome. No, Ms. Bookworm, I haven't started it.....in fact, I don't even own it yet. I plan on asking Santa for it!!! Meantime, I have his collection of shorts Just After Sunset in the cue for a read. Just picked that one up at one of my used haunts!

Good to hear from you. Hope life in the frozen north is good!

The Information Officer sounds like a good one for my hubbie - who loves well-written mystery books. Are all these last 4 books ARCS, Tad?

Great reviews. Thanks.

Yep, you got the first part right, all ARC books from one place or another (Two from LT ER program).

But you got the last part wrong, I am not Tad. :)

Sorry, you were thinking of TadAd, I think. He's one of the 75'ers I correspond with.

186: I put Amagansett in the BlackHole when you recommended it, Mac, but my local library still does not have it in yet.

Apologies, Blackdog - of course I know who you are - I just don't know where I am half the time.

I couldn't think of a smarter guy to be confused with! No problem.

I owe 4 reviews, as I've finished the Twilight series.

I am on to Shutter Island by Lehane.

as I've finished the Twilight series.

that was fast!

>192 kiwidoc: You should have known it wasn't Tad--poor Tad NEVER gets any ER books!

I'm going to read Twilight this month, Mac, against my better judgment. I am always encouraging my nieces (whose mother is a total non-reader) to read different books, and one of them challenged me to read this one. We shall see...

GUG, yeah they are quick reads.

tloeffler, they aren't horrible but don't go in with high expectations. Remember who they were targeted at. Full reviews to follow sometime soon!

Book #64, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

My Review on the book's home page

Forgive me if I offend any Shakespeare lovers when I say that Bill was the king of churning out banal, romantic pulp. Sure, he can turn a mean rhyme, and he has become wildly popular over the decades, with professors and critics endlessly dissecting his work for moral subtext. But, at heart, the Bard was a pulp writer with an eye for what turned people on.

Bill Shakespeare would be proud of Stephanie Meyer. Twilight is her bid for the Queen of Romantic Pulp. The story, unfulfilled and impossible love with a strong undercurrent of ugly duckling, is the stuff of bodice rippers. Meyer’s twist, girl loves vampire, is little more than a wink and nod at Romeo and Juliet.

The weaknesses of the first book in the series are twofold: First, Meyer seems to just be learning to write, as there isn’t much strong, descriptive writing, even though the premise and setting would lend itself to such. Second, the story is told in the first person by Bella, a teen age girl, riddled with all the same doubts and fears and wild anxieties of that species. But the perspective grows old quickly, especially after about the tenth time Bella comments on how dreamy Edward is and how lame she feels.

The strength of the first book is that Meyer was able to repackage an old story in a way that has captured a lot of imaginations, something Shakespeare was a pro at. Let’s call it a keen eye for marketing. I also enjoyed Meyer’s foray into the vampire mythology, giving it her own personal touch. Constant reworking of vampire and monster lore is the way it maintains longevity.

Bottom Line: Romantic pulp, but not awful in the way of storytelling.
3 ½ bones

Book #65, New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

My Review on the book's home page

Meyer opens the second book of her series with a quote from Shakespeare’s Romero and Juliet as an acknowledgement of the themes shared by both stories. Bella is torn between her obsessive love of Edward, the vampire, and her growing feelings for Jacob, the werewolf, knowing that neither will be capable of any kind of normal human relationship.

Meyer seems to have settled in a little more in this book, as the frequency and skill with which she uses strong, descriptive language has grown. She develops a few other characters with more background and interesting detail. To be fair, though, it may be that these characteristics are present because she sends Edward away for a good half of the book, leaving Bella forced to focus on something besides her obsession.

Frankly, the absence of Edward, and, with it, Bella’s constant mooning, was a relief. It gave me time to discover that I don’t really much like Edward.

One of the things that bothered me about this episode in the series is that neither Edward nor the rest of the Cullen coven ever consider that Edward’s attraction to Bella is her very humanity. Edward is constantly talking about the smell of Bella’s blood, the blush of her skin, and the fragile nature of her human existence, all things well out of Edward’s reach as a vampire.

On balance, Meyer has done a better job with this second installment, more fully developing themes of fate and redemption, more carefully drawing characters, and more carefully writing her prose.

Bottom Line: An improvement on the first book; more readable and interesting.

3 ½ bones


(A side note: The movie seems to have taken away all of the best parts of this book, intent on meaningful and pain-filled yearnings and stares.)

Book #66, Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

My Review on the book's home page

Edward’s back to stay and, so is the endless, “He’s so beautiful. He’s so perfect. I don’t deserve him. I’m so pale and plain.”

The bits of Meyer’s story that were most fun to read in this third episode were the bits which filled us in more on the rest of the Cullen coven and the vampire life, as well as the werewolves. The more Meyer points the focus away from Edward and Bella, the more the story breathed. The other Cullens are really quite interesting, as is most of the wolf clan. And Meyer has imagined some colorful, moving back stories for them.

One glaring weakness is Meyer’s inability to write about what should be the climatic battles. At the acme of this tale, all of the most interesting and action filled events take place in location separate from Bella and Edward. For example, when the Cullen coven and the wolves battle a squadron or blood thirsty vampires, Bella, and the reader, necessarily, are somewhere else. Meyer describes much of the action by having Edward audibly translate what he reads from a wolf’s mind as the wolf reads other wolves’ minds. Meyer compromises by writing a smaller battle, Edward and a wolf facing off two evil vampires, an anti-climatic scene compared to the other one we couldn’t read about.

Many of these weaknesses in Meyer’s books flow from her decision to write the book solely as first person account by Bella. Though Meyer’s books have become a gargantuan success story, it is really against all odds. I mean, really, how many people are really going to connect with a teen age girl, except for other teen age girls?

Bottom Line: Lot’s of bright spots where the other characters and events overcome the “Bella ♥s Edward” stuff.

3 ½ bones

Book #67, Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

My Review on the book's home page

How is it possible that beings over a century old, with the wisdom and experience of several generations of history, never wondered what might happen if Edward, a vampire, and Bella, still a human, consummated their marriage? It’s not a stretch folks, but it seems to have caught everyone by complete surprise, that an unnatural, and quite dangerous, child is conceived. The child upsets not only the balance in the Cullen coven but also the whole vampire world.

My incredulity at Edward and the Cullen’s naiveté aside, Meyer’s choice to have the rest of the vampire culture descend on the story added a good deal of interest. A ton of new characters, mostly vampires, are introduced and carry the story through some very captivating moments. And Bella is forced into the human world to meet and interact with a couple of colorful humans, all the while learning how to wear her new beauty, strength, and thirst. These portions of the story could have carried the book into a dozen new places. Sadly, Meyer doesn’t give enough room to these parts of the story.

Rather, she very abruptly changes narrators, choosing to give Jacob, the wolf, his own first person account in the middle of the last book in the series. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have had more perspectives or narrators. But throwing a new one in at the end seemed a little disjointed. You really should dance with the one who brought ya.

And Meyer’s penultimate clash between the evil vampires and the good vampires at the climax of this last book promises violence and action that never develops. How is it possible that nearly dozens of blood thirsty, power hungry vampires can stare down dozens of righteous, noble vampires, and a pack of super-wolves, with only one vampire dismembered and charred? The final battle is more of a whimper than a bang.

This brings me to the final thought. The final battle never develops into a battle because of the amount of intellectualization between the opposing vampire forces. This is why I’ve always been more of a werewolf fan. A lot of vampire stories cast vampires as superhuman beings, with superior thinking capabilities on top of their superior physical capabilities. But werewolves are almost always more superanimal, superferal, and superinstinctive. A part of me wishes that Jacob or one of the other wolves had just let loose and followed their baser instincts.

Bottom Line: A little disjointed, but some captivating new characters and storylines. An ending that begs for more action and less intellectualizing.

3 ½ bones

Mac- Nice job reviewing all the Twilight books! Whew, now I don't have to read them! I owe you friend!

Good reviews blackdog - I enjoyed your take on Meyer's writing style. I read them earlier this year and while they were an ok read, I found Bella's whinging and needing to be where the action was regardless of putting everyone else at risk almost unbearable. What I don't understand is how the books have such a large adult women fanbase.
Have you read Martin Millar's Lonely werewolf girl?

I am assuming that the reference/comparison to Bill is tongue in cheek, BDB?!?!
If not, then I must rush out and read all Meyer ASAP.

I asked my teenage daughter why she loved reading the Twilight books and her reply was that the male character was just so appealing that she was completely captivated by him.

I personally cannot bring myself to read them, unless your Bard comparison is the truth.

WRT the movie, I managed to watch about half an hour of it before abandoning - but the gorgeous house of the vampires is close to where I live and currently up for sale.

I read the first of Meyer's books when it first came out and decided I never had to read it (or any of the others) ever again and I would not be missing anything.

My daughters, of course, love them :)

One of my favorite graduate professors once said that if Shakespeare was alive today he'd be writing for Quentin Tarantino. I still say the quality of Shakespeare's writing is much higher, but the intentions are certainly the same - both just want to entertain and draw in the largest audience possible for the greatest profit.

Very good reviews of the Twilight saga.

Kiwidoc,

No, not tongue in cheek at all, as regards the Bard. Though, from your commnets, you may be one of those in the crowd that I risked putting off with the comparison. Looks like I might agree with Luxx's graduate professor (see #205 above). While Bill is wildly popular, I have always thought him rated a bit above where he should be. Like I said in the review, Shakespeare is mostly romantic pulp. I know, I know, look at MacB or one of the other historicals. Sorry, didn't mean to pick on Bill, but as I read the Twilight series, I imagined the Bard ghosting around screaming, "Suckers!!!!"

Yes BDB - you found the literary snob in your midst. But I am hard to put off.

I guess the themes and motivations for writing are often mercenary and driven by appealing to 'basic instinct' - lets face it, everyone wants to be read and published. Surely it is the mode of delivery and genius of the writing that give the distinction of genius vs drivel. But I take your point - albeit grudgingly:)

One writer stated in a festival that he wrote his books for his place in posterity rather than immediate general appeal and I actually thought that was rather a stupid and arrogant statement (it was John Banville at a NZ writer's festival and he was dead serious).

Only time will tell if the public is reading Twilight in 500 years and churning it out to long-suffering school children in it's archaic form!!

Fantastic reviews of the Twilight books - thank you so much!! Like Mark, I found myself thinking, "phew, I don't have to read them now".

kiwi, don't see you as a literary snob at all. I am perfectly okay with those who like or love the Bard. I didn't say I didn't like a bit myself. Though, I am not one who would think that he deserves quite the place in literature that he has been given.

As to writing to be read: sure, every writer does it, and most of the good ones admit it, too. But, the great ones seem to have some other things going on, and I am just not sure Bill had that extra little something. Tend to agree with your assessment on the arrogance of the writer who said it was for his posterity. Though, he may be saying what other writers are only thinking.

I think it is somewhat curious what we are reading from 500 years ago, or even from 100 years ago. There are some great books which I have happened on that are almost wholly forgotten now, out of favor.

BDB: I like your take on the Twilight series. I found the writing atrocious but I liked the tension in the story. I absolutely agree with you that the "battle" scene in Breaking Dawn was a total letdown. I was anticipating big fight and I got nothing. A battle scene there would have made reading all four books worth it. Without it, I felt like I was reading a first draft.

I really appreciated your take on Twilight. I agreed with you, especially the comments about the quality of her writing and how tiresome Bella's voice can be after awhile.

I agree with the fact that the intentions of the writers might have been the same, but to me intentions don't matter that much. What matters is the result. And the result in one case is really really bad writing (although yes, it does create tension and manages to take sth done many times before -vampires- and still sell millions). My main objections were bad writing and bad characterization - none of which faults can be found in Shakespeare.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions", as they say. And vice-versa. :)

Message #175. What a great review of Book #61, Woman from Shanghai by Xianhui Yang

Thumbs up from me!

(edited for typos..)

GUG, While I agree with you mostly, I'd say your might feel a little stronger on both accounts than I. For Meyer's part, her writing got better through the four books, and, though the two main characters, Bella and Edward were tiresome and oversimple, some of the other characters were actually pretty good. That was one of my main complaints, nont enough of them. On Shakespeare, I am not as impressed as you. I personally feel he is a bit overrated. I don't find most of his characterizations any more fleshed out or complex than Meyers' Bella or Edward. And while his descriptive language is obviously better, the stories are mostly sorta run-of-the-mill. Obviously, just an opinion.

Ah, but the story isn't the point with Shakespeare, it's all about the language... ;o)

You may be right about that flissp, but I usually require story, characterization, and language to crown a truly great writer.

Book #68, Shutter Island by Dennis LeHane

My Review on the book's home page

The thin veil of sanity sometimes wears thin, unraveling in patches. The breach allows a clear, unfiltered line of sight from both sides. In Shutter Island, US Marshal Teddy Daniels is having a difficult time deciphering which side of the veil he is looking from.

Daniels and his new and colorful partner, Chuck Aule, arrive on Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of an inmate from the Ashcliff Hospital for the Criminally Insane. They are trapped there when a hurricane assaults the rocky island. Every day on the island brings more paranoia and doubt to Daniels' mind. Are the doctors and staff conducting inhuman experiments on the patients? Are they drugging him in an effort to scuttle his investigation? Is there a larger conspiracy targeting Daniels? In the end, the answers to these questions are bundled up with the question of whether or not Daniels is, or ever was, sane.

LeHane is clearly the standard bearer for the hard boiled style in the 21st century. No one currently writing can carry off the sarcastic banter and, at the same time, delve so deeply into the human mind and heart with his characters. Most who attempt such a feat are only ever able to get half of that formula right. Dashiell hammet would be proud.

Much of the criticism I've seen of this particular novel centers on LeHane's ending. To be sure, the climax and resolution of the story will leave you scratching your head. But I, for one, was pleased that LeHane could so effectively pull off such ambiguity in the conclusion. It leaves the reader in exactly the same conundrum that Daniels finds himself.

Bottom Line: 21st century hard boiled. A pleasure to read, and an ending that will send you back to the last few pages for a second read.

4 1/2 bones!!!!

#216 ...and anyway, taste in books/plays is a very personal thing after all :)

Oooh, someone recommended Shutter Island to me at the start of the year. Maybe it's time to bump it up my Wishlist...

Book #69, Fear by L. Ron Hubbard

My Review on the book's home page:

Fear is such a subjective phenomenon. What frightens me is very different than what frightens my wife or some of my friends. Some are chilled by tales of the supernatural yet completely innured to the horrifying thiings happening in the real world around them.

L. Ron Hubbard's novel places the hero of the tale into a predicament where he can't tell whether the terrifying visions he is having are real or imagined. His rational mind dismisses what he sees as malaria produced hallucinations. But he is baffled by the real world evidence of the visions, such as the bruises and marks on his body, his torn clothing, and, most of all, his lost fedora. Hubbard clears things up with his twist ending. Or does he?

Reading this Hubbard was an experience quite distinct from reading Battlefield Earth. But both were surprising. In this horror yarn, Hubbard reads much like Robert Louis Stevenson or H. G. Wells. I may not read many of his other works, but this was worth the time.

Bottom Line: A solid psychological thriller, in the tradition of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
4 bones!!!!

I actually agree that Shakespeare is overrated. But I think he is overrated in terms of stories, plots, theatricality, themes, originality. He has other things to compensate for that though. I completely agree with flissp that he is to be read for the language mostly. If you read Shakespeare in translation for example you miss, IMHO always, at least 70% of what he has to offer you as a writer. He is not a writer I love but I can appreciate him. I disagree with what you said about the characters in Shakespeare: take someone like Shylock in The Merchant of Venice and you'll see how complex his characters can be. However, your astute observation about Meyer (that some of her peripheral characters are better fleshed out than her central ones) holds true with Shakespeare as well. In the Merchant of Venice, Shylock is not - or at least Shakespeare did not intend him to be - the main character though many nowadays regard him as such. The main character in the play, Antonio, is quite one-dimensional and boring, if truth be told. So I think though we hold the same opinion that both writers have some flat, "characterless characters", my main objection is this: though I've only read the first book in the series I don't think that even Meyer's better drawn characters can reach the level of complexity of some of Shakespeare's better drawn ones (see Shylock above). I do want to finish the series because I'm interested in some of the Cullens, their history + look forward to see how some things evolve: e.g. Jasper's difficulty with "vegetarianism".

Oh, and Shakespeare will always have language.

On balance, we agree completely, Shakespeare is definitely the better of the two.

One thing about Shakespeare, is that it is so much better on stage. The plays were not meant to be read. They were written for the lower classes who did not necessarily read. As with many plays the main characters are the boring ones. They are going on with their lives and other people are making it difficult for them. The other people are the interesting ones. You will see this formula a lot in musicals too. The ingenues are the coveted parts because they sing the most and have the most lines, but they are pretty boring and do not take much acting skill and imagination, just a great voice.
This is my reasoning for not thinking that Shakespeare v. Myers is a great comparison.

Mac- Good review of Shutter Island. I love Lehane's writing. Mystic River is one of my favorite novels of the decade and I have The Given Day waiting in my tbr but Shutter Island left me cold and flat. Maybe I should give it another chance, someday!

#217: Shutter Island is one of the books I meant to get to this year and never did. I will definitely be getting to it in 2010 though. Nice review (again), Mac.

Coming in late, I have to agree with those who said "Thanks for the reviews, Mac--now I don't have to read the rest of the books!" I had a great conversation with a friend at a party Saturday night. She had read the books, and I asked her to just tell me what happens. She did, and that was all I really needed to know. I agree, perfect for teenaged girls. Interesting point about Shakespeare. I can really see that in Romeo and Juliet, for sure.

In some ways those Twilight books could have been great movies, as the story itself seemed to lend itself more to that kind of storytelling. But this last movie seemed to focus almost wholly on the scmaltz.

Limping into the holidays with the reading. Finished up Ghost by Alan Lightman. It will be on my favorites for the year. A reveiw may follow soon.

I have two ER/ARC books to read and review. And I want to finish the 75 challenge, at least, with the few left overs from my October picks.

Arggghhh!

Mac

The Alan Lightman book sounds great!

Book #70, Ghost by Alan Lightman

My Review on the book's home page:

Few authors can map the dark regions of the unsure and confused mind like Alan Lightman. His heroes engender distaste for some, pity for others, and solidarity in still others, all for the same reason. In the throes of doubt and paralyzing fear, they honestly describe feelings and thoughts that are common to our experience.

David Kurzweil, the hero in Lightman’s Ghost, sees something in a waiting room of the funeral parlor where he works. Apparition or trick of the late evening sun, the vision completes his fall that began several years before with the departure of his wife. After telling a few people about what he saw, events spiral out of control around David, leaving him almost completely unhinged.

So little of what happens in life truly follows an independent action or a solid, individual judgment. We like to deceive ourselves that we are the masters of our own destiny, but we are more accurately the sum total of our reactions to the events around us. Lightman’s David Kurzweil doesn’t always react well to what happens around him, but his inaction or poor judgments are rarely contrived. That Lightman created a character in which readers may see themselves more clearly than they do in the bathroom mirror may explain the varied reactions to this story.

Ghost often reminded me of Wally Lamb’s She’s Come Undone. Lightman and Lamb are masters at the confused, unhinged character. And while their characters don’t always do what we’d like them to do or what we can obviously see is good for them, they are honest, maybe too honest.

Bottom Line: An unhinged hero, honestly constructed. A story that cuts into our own doubt and confusion. A favorite for the year.

5 bones!!!!!

Book #71, Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

My Review on the book's home page:

Lisa See completely transcends genre with her newest novel Shanghai Girls.

Individual identity is a tricky thing. Are we the product of an ethnicity? A nation? A family? A sign of the Zodiac? A name? Can a collection of personal traits, from appearance to abilities, adequately define a person or direct their path in life?

From one angle, See’s novel is obviously a reduction of the Chinese experience, from the streets of Shanghai at its pinnacle as the Paris of Asia, to the Japanese invasion of China, to an immigration camp on Angel Island in Northern California, and, finally, to the spread of Communism and its shadow on Chinatown in 1950s Los Angeles. All of these places and events, as viewed by Pearl, the story’s narrator, are like prisms in a constantly shifting kaleidoscope, and with each twist she finds a new perspective on her place in the world.

With its colorful packaging and feminine title, some readers might pass over this novel, pigeonholing it as vapid chick lit. But Shanghai Girls is a rare novel, offering something for a wide range of readers. Like Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Shanghai Girls manages true feminist values without overdosing on estrogen. See calmly tells Pearl’s story in the context of a broader, more complicated world, where women and men alike struggle to establish and maintain their identities.

A faviorite for the year.

5 bones!!!!!

I am always so impressed with how diverse your reading is, Mac. You never hesitate to try something new, and you read a little bit of everything. Sometimes I think I get too stuck on a genre, or an author, and I just refuse to read anything Sci-Fi, and very little horror/thriller. I think next year I might try to fix that a bit!

Happy Holidays!

I agree with Cait! Your reading is so wonderfully eclectic! Merry Christmas to you! I look forward to adding more of your books to my tbr pile in 2010!

Thanks for the kind words, Cait and Whisper. I try to read a little of everything. Cait, you should definitely try some sci/fi or horror with us this year.

Once again, great reviews Mac!

Mac

Thanks to your excellent review, I am currently reading Ghost by Alan Lightman.

I re-read your comments and gave a thumbs up!

Thanks Whisper and AAcre!

You are an inspiration, Mac! You dragged me kicking and screaming into a Stephen King book, and you got me reading horror at Thanksgiving. Keep up the good work next year (but a little less frequently, if you don't mind)!

I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday season!

I guess that's appropriate, isn't it. Dragging someone, kicking and screaming, into a King book.

Happy New Year and happy reading in 2010!

Running out of time. Must read faster.

Finished The Face and Creepers. I like them both a great dea;l, though the Koontz book was better, I thought. I'll try to finish up some reviews soon, but i want to try and finish the challenge first, as i am certain that I won't finish next year. Plus, I'm a bit OC.

The Face turned out to be one of the best of the year for me. Thanks for putting together the Halloween list!

Hey Doc,

Check out my 2010 thread. I already have the first pick for next year's Halloween list picked. It's a local author and I thought I'd give adequate time to get a copy of the book before October. Luxx says it is available on Amazon.

The Face is going to make my favorite reads of the year list.

Whew, I'd lost your thread for a while, it seems. I'm continually impressed by your reviews, and might be adding Shutter Island, Ghost, and Shanghai Girls to my wishlist. Good luck finishing up by New Years!

Two days and two books to go. Arggghhhh!

Reading The Strain now and I should read an ER book I have waiting on me to finish the year, but i may cheat and select a thinner title to complete the challenge.

I'll be interested in what you think about the Strain. I was disappointed.

#243 You can do it, Mac!

Go Mac Go Mac!! Happy New Year!!

Go, go, go!!!

Book #72, The Face by Dean Koontz

My Review on the book's home page:

After a season or so away from Dean Koontz, The Face reminded me why I love him so. Not every book he publishes is memorable. Some of them seem churned out in an effort to leave his own peculiar mark on the printed world through sheer volume. They sometimes cry for more attention to narrative and language. They sometimes seem knocked out of a mold chipped and worn from overuse. But, frequently, Koontz shakes off professional writing mold and steps into the dark regions of the unconscious to create a thrilling and engaging story, frightening for its familiarity with deeply held, untold fears. The Face is such a Koontz gem.

Ethan Truman surrendered to a life of numbing mediocrity after losing his young wife to cancer. Once a Los Angeles homicide detective, he now works as a security chief for a Hollywood superstar. The solitary and settled life rarely challenges him. But, when a dedicated stalker begins delivering enigmatic and disturbing messages to his employer, Truman’s long-silenced instincts and emotions are fully aroused. Puzzling out the meaning of these unusual deliveries soon brings the broken man to see things that make him doubt his own sanity.

Horrific demons, malevolent aliens, and twisted psychopaths made Koontz famous. But his ability to blanket every detail with vibrant and rich prose is all too often overlooked. And, in the midst of terrifying and ugly creations, Koontz always strikes at the heart of truly human feelings and fears. With a graceful style and lush characters, The Face succeeds in all of the ways that true Koontz fans are used to.

Bottom Line: An elegantly told good vs. evil thriller, complete with demons and ghosts, that connects us to familiar human fears and problems.

A favorite for the year.
5 bones!!!!!

Book #73, Creepers by David Morrell

My Review on the book's home page

Creepers are self-styled, amateur urban archeologists. They illegally break into shuttered buildings, photographing and recording the detritus and ephemera of ages past, presumably to record a piece of forgotten history before it is lost forever to the wrecking ball. But, when five such creepers ascend from drainage pipes into The Paragon Hotel, they find they are not alone.

I am a Morrell fan and will probably be more generous with this book than others might. The premise of the book suggests wonderful possibilities on which it doesn’t quite deliver. The book seems just a little light, diving into some characters’ back story furiously while never scratching the surface on others’. The twists of the plot are interesting but aren’t explored completely, delivering a thrilling ride without any pause to the story flashing by. I don’t know if a ruthless editor got to the book or if Morell just shortcut through a good idea. Either way, I hoped for more than I got.

On the plus side, there are several genuinely creepy moments in the book. And Morrell is a master at the thrill.

Bottom Line: A satisfying thrill without as much substance as the premise suggests.

3 ½ bones!!!

Book #74, The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

My Review on the book's home page

The Strain continues the metamorphosis that has kept vampire lore fresh and frightening for centuries. In today’s world, the very nature and purpose of legends of the undead are turned on their head. Scientific perspectives offer a new way to process what were once fables and cautionary tales designed to help explain unusual happenings. But Del Toro and Hogan seem to arm themselves with the old fashioned tales for the very purpose of assaulting scientific thought in favor of fantasy and myth.

The book begins with a Boeing 777, the new behemoth, luxury liner of the skies, arriving in New York with all passengers and crew inexplicably dead. The CDC’s Canary Team, led by Ephraim Goodweather, analyzes every detail of the plane and the bodies but finds no known scientific explanation for what they see. An eight foot coffin, from the cargo hold of the plane, disappears from a secure area without trace. Then, all of the passenger’s bodies disappear from the morgue. Ephraim is then approached by a pawnshop broker from Spanish Harlem, a man who is much more than he seems, and who seems to understand far more about what is happening than any doctor and scientist. Ephraim’s eyes are opened to a whole new world of possibilities that can only be partially explained by science, and he must act as more of a destroyer than a healer to save New York City.

This first novel, in what is meant to be a trilogy, was sometimes predictable and often felt more like a screenplay, waiting for a blockbuster budget. But the characters were interesting and more fully formed than the typical Hollywood offering. Hogan, a tested and successful novelist, held up his end of the bargain, flavoring the story with solid, exciting prose. Del Toro, known for his fantastical visions, created a gritty, unusual myth structure for his take on vampires. So, outside of the sometimes formulaic feeling, this is a great addition to the lore, much more satisfying than the currently poplar, more romantic and sparkly vampires from Twilight.

If you enjoyed this, even a little, try David Morell’s The Totem.

Bottom Line: Sometimes formulaic, but always enjoyable and exciting reading. A great marriage of creative minds.

4 1/2 bones!!!!

Book #75, Reading and Writing by Robertson Davies

My Review on the book's home page:

Robertson Davies, Canadian literary giant of the “Deptford Trilogy” fame, offers his perspective on the basics of the printed word, reading and writing. Originally two lectures given by Davies, the University of Utah Press reprinted the texts. So, reading the lecture feels very much like receiving a letter or engaging in a conversation with the author about his trade.

The first half of the book focuses on the consumer end of publishing, reading. Davies suggests more reading, slower reading, and reading purely for pleasure. While Davies’ advice sounds mundane, the implications are complicated. In making his point, Davies often sounds like a violent critic of an old-fashioned classical education, warning against the danger of “over-reading.” He describes one student who told him that she read “eight plays of Shakespeare, a play by Ben Johnson, all of Pamela, the whole eight volumes of Carissa, eight novels by Dickens, one by Thackeray, one by Trollope, a large wodge of Henry James, a substantial vegetarian mass of Bernard Shaw and God knows what else, and at the end of it all her mind was as flat as Holland. All she had gained were thick glasses and a bad breath, doubtless the result of literary constipation.” To follow Davies’ example would be “to read a great deal of varied material, including several newspapers,” which he describes as carrying the “great themes of the Bible, Homer, or Shakespeare, repeated again and again.” Davies complains only of mediocrity in consumption, and points to the ever growing population of new writers who have begun to take their place in the literary community alongside the already declared greats. The ultimate point of reading, for Davies, is to indulge in the art and “take pride in the pleasures of the intellect, enjoyed for their own sake, as adjuncts of the truly good, well-rounded life.”

On writing, Davies is squarely of the mind that art is not learned, that it is a part of the DNA . There is no formula in becoming a writer, no lists of tasks and experiences by which a burgeoning writer succeeds to the vocation. Writing is more a part of someone’s life, not a trade by which they live, and Davies, though he succeeded and was paid for his prose, dismisses the notion of writing solely as a profession. One of the primary reasons for his view on the subject is that Davies believes the best writers, the ones who have something to say to us all, are the ones who experience life firsthand, not those who would withdraw to create. Davies addresses narrative, technique, theme, and language. Of language he says, “It is extraordinary how few people have any real feeling for language, or any sense that it is one of the greatest and most inexhaustible playthings with which our human state has presented us. It is an unhappy truth that education, or partial education, which is all that most of us can claim as our own, seems to be destructive of the sense of language. It is often among simple people that truly effective and poetic expression is heard.”

The most dramatic conclusion Davies imparts deals with inspiration. “…I am convinced that this special quality is the product of the writer’s access to those deeper leavels of his mind that the depth-psychologists call the Unconscious. It is not a particular possession of the writer, this Unconscious, but the ability to invite it, to solicit its assistance, to hear what it has to say and impart it in the language that is peculiarly his own, is decidedly his gift and what defines him as an artist. He may not be – very probably is not – fishing up messages from the Unconscious that astonish and strike dumb his readers. It is much more likely that he is telling them things that they recognize as soon as they hear them … but which they have not been able to seize and hold and put in language for themselves.”

Davies is a difficult taskmaster, to be sure. After reading some passages, writers, successful and aspiring alike, may be doubtful of their own ability. But, at heart, Davies’ message is one of encouragement, of reading and writing for pleasure and to engage in the art, for its own sake.

Bottom Line: A beautiful essay on the art of reading and writing. Difficult but encouraging.

5 bones!!!!!

And congrats on making it to 75!

And with that, I have completed the challenge successfully.

Favorites for the year include:

Bird by Bird, Joy Writing, and Reading and Writing, all books related to writing.

Joker One, You Learn by Living, and Three Cups of Tea, my Non-Fiction favorites. Joker One also was an ER book. And my favorite ER/ARC favorites for the year included that title and Shanghai Girls.

Favorite fiction classics: An American Tragedy, Winesburg, Ohio, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Howards' End, and Dracula.

Favorite fiction: The Time Traveler's Wife, The Wood Wife, Ghost, and The Face.

See you on the 2010 thread!!

Congratulations and happy new year!

ditto what foxen said. I'm adding The Face to the huge tbr pile.

Thanks for being such a wonderful part of the challenge group!

And thanks to both of you for being regular visitors.

Mac - Congrats on reaching 75 books (and doing so with a book that received 5 bones)! Happy New Year!

Congrats!

Congratulations! And a Happy New Year to you.

Congratulations! And it bodes well for a wonderful new year! All the best!

Happy New Year, Mac! Oh, and lest I forget . . .

Many congratulations - and what a great book to finish with. It's going on the wishlist right now.

Looking forward to following you in 2010.

Thanks for all the congratulations. I felt a little like I was cheating because the Davies book is a slim title. But when I got a few pagesin, I realized it was not cheat at all. The book has a lot to offer for readers. I will re-read that one often.

Thumbs up from me for the Davies review - I must find that book! Congrats on reaching 75 :)

Thanks Cait.

Thanks for the thumbs everybody.

Happy New Year, Mac!

Good job on making it to 75! I appreciate how well thought out your reviews are.

Congrats, just under the wire.