Wednesday, May 29, 2013

A Tale Not so Gayheart-ed


Lucy Gayheart was one of Willa Cather's later novels, written in 1935.  It tells the story of Lucy, who grows up in a small Midwest town, and then moves to Chicago at the age of 18 to study music.  While in Chicago, she discovers her own talent and also falls in love with the great singer Clement Sebastian.  After tragedy strikes, she returns home to her small town, where further tragedy ensues.  While the story line is not riveting, Cather captures small town life in her usual pitch perfect way.  In my opinion, this was not nearly as good as some of her other works that I have previously reviewed. 

Here is one of my favorite quotes from the novel:

"In little towns, lives roll along so close to one another; loves and hates beat about, their wings almost touching.  On the sidewalks along which everybody comes and goes, you must, if you walk abroad at all, at some time pass within a few inches of the man who cheated and betrayed you, or the woman you desire more than anything else in the world.  Her skirt brushes against you.  You say good-morning, and go on.  It is a close shave.  Out in the world the escapes are not so narrow."

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A Comeback for Kincaid


The last time I read a Jamaica Kincaid was in college, but with the recent release of her first novel in ten years and after hearing her brilliant words on NPR's City Arts and Lectures, I decided to read See Now Then.  This slim novel tells about the unraveling of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Sweet and their children Heracles and Persephone, who live in a small town in New England.  The novel is written in a very unique style which has a repetitious yet unique use of language that borders on magic realism.  Of Mrs. Sweet, Mr. Sweet says, "The sound of her voice, as she read to the young Heracles, made him want to kill her, take an ax (as a child, he lived in an apartment, and he had never seen such a thing) and chop off her head and then the rest of her body into little pieces..."  The book is filled with bitterness and vitriol, but is so unflinching and caustic that it demands the readers' attention.  Kincaid also writes of her son's tasks, which include both the mundane and the surreal, such as "wash the dishes...imprison the innocent in a dungeon...trap and then skin the she-fox...tie his shoelaces..."  Interestingly, we learn of Mrs. Sweet's first name about half way through the novel, which is Jamaica, which of course leaves the reader to wonder the extent of the autobiographical nature of this work.  About the Sweets' daughter, Kincaid writes, "The beautiful Peresephone grew strong and big, so big that she looked like an illustrated rabbit, caught, just before he was cooked, which would then satisfy the hunger of a small family named McGregor..." 

All in all, I feel this would have worked better as a short story.  Nonetheless, the writing is unique and it is refreshing (though depressing) to hear such an honest telling of a family irreparably torn apart and asunder. 

Highs and Lows

 
I really enjoy reading survival stories.  My favorite in this genre is Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado, which is a first-hand account of the plane crash in the Andes (see my review for this on my blog).  I couldn't put that book down because Parrado's writing is simple and illuminating, unflinching and emotional.  In 1996, Jon Krakauer, a writer and mountain climber, was sent by Outside magazine to write an article focusing on the increasing commercialization of Mt. Everest, and to do so, he would have to attempt the summit to the top of Everest with one of the respected groups, led by Rob Hall.  At the time, there were several different outfitters and guides that would take groups on the Everest ascent, some which charged over $60,000 (I am not sure what the figure is today).  What Krakauer of course could not know when he accepted the assignment was that he would be part of one of the deadliest years of Everest summits, in which fifteen people lost their lives.  His memoir, Into Thin Air, captures his harrowing experience. 
 
What is it that compels people to risk high altitude, well below freezing winds, and essentially their lives, to conquer a mountain?  There are parts of Krakauer's book that focus on this particular and unique drive which I found the most interesting, as well as how people make decisions on the mountain.  However, for me the book was too bogged down in detail, and not rich enough on the internal decision making and emotional landscape of those who take on a nearly inhuman challenge, which is the part of survival stories that interest me the most. 

Summer Camp and Beyond

 
I'll admit that I didn't think I would make it that far with Meg Wolitzer's new novel, The Interestings, mainly because I often find that novels in this day and age that are over 500 pages suffer from a lack of editing.  However, I was quickly drawn in by Wolitzer's swift and humorous writing style.  The Interestings tells the story of a group of friends who first meet at the arts camp Spirit-in-the-Woods, in Massachusetts in 1974.  After the one summer in which these friendships are solidified, Wolitzer follows the group of friends from their teens into their adulthood.  Jules Jacobsen, the one camper who didn't grow up in New York City with wealthy parents, is initially surprised to be invited into the group, but her offbeat humor is winsome to the others.  Ethan Figman, a budding cartoonist, is drawn to Jules romantically, though the two remain friends for many years to come. Ash and Goodman Wolf, the siblings of the bunch, are a mysterious twosome whose lives take unexpected turns.  Jonah Bay is the somewhat elusive and aloof son of a famous female folk singer.  The novel explores how the friends' lives are affected differently by fame, fortune, marriages, children, etc.  After all, not everyone who is a talented teenager at an art camp can make it big, though of course, some do.  I found the novel to be very funny, poignant, and well-written, with a cast of motley characters.  Recommended, especially as a good summer read!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

A bit of doubt, for Strout


 
Olive Kitteredge was a delightful read, so I decided to dive into the newly released novel by Elizabeth Strout, The Burgess Boys, which tells the story of brothers Bob and Jim and Bob's twin Susan.  Born and raised in small-town Shirley Falls, Maine, Bob and Jim move to New York City and pursue careers in law, while Susan stays in Maine, eventually raising her teenage son on her own.  What sets the story in motion is that her lonely son Zach puts a frozen pig's head in a mosque in the local town, where a recent influx of Somalis have come to live.  Jim, the "golden boy" of the family, and Bob (who idolizes Jim) attempt to help their sister and nephew, and in returning to Maine and becoming involved in the family drama, they also revisit conversation that was put to rest long ago regarding their childhoods, specifically around the accidental death of their father.  The novel explores issues of guilt, loyalty, and the imperfections of family life.
 
This was an easy read, however I did not find any of the characters particularly likeable, compelling, or unique.  While there are a few plot twists, none of them were so climactic or riveting.  For me, the character development was not as strong as it was in Olive Kitteredge

tiny beautiful things, indeed

 
My introduction to Cheryl Strayed was by way of reading her memoir, Wild:  From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, which I really enjoyed (see earlier review on my blog!).  I recently picked up her book tiny beautiful things: Advice on love and life from Dear Sugar, and I did not want to put it down.  I really mean it - I walked down a busy sidewalk reading this book!
 
The book is a modern day "Dear Alice," in which Sugar fields all kinds of questions about love, life, money, intimate relationships, important life decisions, etc., and she does so with wit, compassion, and an authenticity that cuts right through to the heart of the matter.  The Dear Sugar column started on a website called the Rumpus, and it was only recently that Cheryl Strayed outed herself as Sugar. 
 
Strayed is not a trained therapist, but she has lived a lot of life, and her responses are well crafted, raw, and direct.  This is both immensely entertaining and illuminating! Highly recommended.