TItle of Book: The Yiddish Policemen's Union
Author: Michael Chabon
Pages: I think 400 or so?
Grade: B
Buyability: 4/10
Status: Owned (freebie)
Well I've been ranting and raving over how awesome Mr. Chabon is in here for ages. And yet I gave him a B? How can this "be"? The truth of the matter is, getting through this book was hard, as it dealt quite lightly with death and family and I have been going through stuff with death and family lately - so reading the book made me be like...oh. Really?
Anyway the other problem was I am a massive fan of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (hereby known as K&C) his first book, a pulitzer prize winner, and therefore no book can ever measure up to. None. Especially not one by the same author. So yeah, I kept on comparing the two.
With that in mind, I *heart* Chabon's writing. It never fails to capture me - and I liked that he had shorter chapters this go-round. The endings of each chapter were brilliant, as they left you at a movie style cliffhanger that you just had to turn the page to read on about. I've tried to figure out what makes Chabon's writing so likable - he uses a lot of unique metaphors, he keeps the language simple, his characters have 'true' voices...but he's got that Rowling-esque something special, that author's voice that urges you to stay engaged and keep on keeping on.
The story in this book is probably what prevented the book from taking off. It follows a down-and-out policeman living in the district of Sitka, part of the Alaskan 'Israel' if you will - that was once a proposal by Roosevelt instead of giving the Jews Palestine post-WW2. Sitka and all of Alaska is on the brink of termination as a protected area, soon to be taken over by the resident natives once again. In the midst of all this, Detective Meyer Landsman is woken up one night to investigate a mysterious execution-style murder of one of the hotel's other occupants. The rest of the book is a fast-paced hunt by Landsman and his unwilling companions, including his new boss and former wife, BIna, as he tries to discover why this man was murdered...before he is murdered himself by the foes behind the whole thing.
The book combined so many elements - lots of Jewish mythology and culture - that I wasn't familiar with, but interested in. Yet unlike masters of the history-meets-action novel (cough Dan Brown), Chabon fails to clarify, or at least make it easy to follow and build up knowledge on, the history that is driving the seedy action throughout the story. The billions of characters don't make it any easier. What i did like was the fact, like a good movie, all of the little details came back to haunt or help Landsman in the latter half of the book. His dead sister, his fear of entering the tunnels, the string collection...every time I thought "okay why was that in there again?" within a chapter or two, as if Chabon had timed our conciousness to awaken at a particular time, all of a sudden that plot element would come back into play.
The Yiddish Policeman's Union is not flawed, so much as dense. It packs a lot in, much as K&C did, but it is rooted very heavily in Jewish culture, which I'm not familiar with. Still, I enjoyed reading it, and you will to - but if you're debating between this and K&C, the latter owns. Big time.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Book #15 The Line Painter
Title: The Line Painter
Author: Claire Cameron
Pages: About 220
Final Grade: C+
Buyability: 3/10
Status: Owned (freebie) but since given away to charity
Review: Hmm well I just wrote my Harper Collins review for this (another freebie yes) and I had mixed feelings that mostly slanted towards negative on this book. I didn't hate it, so a C+ feels like a bad grade, but it wasn't a particularly good book, it had no WOW factor for me. Basically it's a short book, with short tense chapters to try and build suspense in what I felt was a rather unsuspensful novel.
The main character is named Carrie and she is reeling from the fairly recent death of her boyfriend - or perhaps moreso the guilt she feels at their last exchanges prior to his accidental death. She jets off on a road trip and her car breaks down when a mysterious stranger offers to help her out on an all-night excursion to the nearest town, made slower by the man's job of painting the lines on the highways. What happens from there is a comedy of errors I suppose - Carrie finds the town she ends up in totally bizarre, as are the people and has encounters with bears, police officers, hotel clerks, and the man that drove her to town in the first place. It's only when she finally finds an escape from town does she realize what she's been escaping grief-wise, and what she's been missing that's right in front of her face.
I guess all throughout the book I was like okay...where the hell is the suspense part of the suspense novel? Seriously. After the first 20 (very short - some a few paragraphs long) chapters I was kind of like, okay it's misrepresented, she's obviously in good hands. While I can't say that is true, and therefore the book kept me guessing as to whether or not any drama *would* show up (and it does, but it's kind of ho hum). If anything I was more interested in the grief sub-plot than what was happening in the present day thrill-seeking events of Carrie's road trip.
I can't say I recommend this book, but it was a fun reading experience. I actually finished this book over the weekend in about two days because it was quite well-paced and speedy to get through. Just not my cup of tea because it lacked that something extra.
Author: Claire Cameron
Pages: About 220
Final Grade: C+
Buyability: 3/10
Status: Owned (freebie) but since given away to charity
Review: Hmm well I just wrote my Harper Collins review for this (another freebie yes) and I had mixed feelings that mostly slanted towards negative on this book. I didn't hate it, so a C+ feels like a bad grade, but it wasn't a particularly good book, it had no WOW factor for me. Basically it's a short book, with short tense chapters to try and build suspense in what I felt was a rather unsuspensful novel.
The main character is named Carrie and she is reeling from the fairly recent death of her boyfriend - or perhaps moreso the guilt she feels at their last exchanges prior to his accidental death. She jets off on a road trip and her car breaks down when a mysterious stranger offers to help her out on an all-night excursion to the nearest town, made slower by the man's job of painting the lines on the highways. What happens from there is a comedy of errors I suppose - Carrie finds the town she ends up in totally bizarre, as are the people and has encounters with bears, police officers, hotel clerks, and the man that drove her to town in the first place. It's only when she finally finds an escape from town does she realize what she's been escaping grief-wise, and what she's been missing that's right in front of her face.
I guess all throughout the book I was like okay...where the hell is the suspense part of the suspense novel? Seriously. After the first 20 (very short - some a few paragraphs long) chapters I was kind of like, okay it's misrepresented, she's obviously in good hands. While I can't say that is true, and therefore the book kept me guessing as to whether or not any drama *would* show up (and it does, but it's kind of ho hum). If anything I was more interested in the grief sub-plot than what was happening in the present day thrill-seeking events of Carrie's road trip.
I can't say I recommend this book, but it was a fun reading experience. I actually finished this book over the weekend in about two days because it was quite well-paced and speedy to get through. Just not my cup of tea because it lacked that something extra.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Book #14: When The World Was Young
Book #14: When the World Was Young
Author: Tony Romano
Pages: about 310
Final Grade: B+
Buyability: 3/10
Status: Owned (freebie) but since given away to charity
Review: This is yet another First Look book, meaning it won't be out for a few months. The story is set in Chicago's Italian sector in 1957 and follows the life of an immigrant family (well the parents anyway, the kids are first-gen Americans and the culture gap is massive) as they undergo and try to make sense of a series of tragic events that are only curtailed by deception and unspoken agreements.
Agostino & his wife Angela Rosa are trapped in a relatively loveless, once arranged marriage - Agostino is prone to giving into his desire for other women while Angela Rosa's life is wrapped up in being a mother, not a wife. Their children are a different story altogether - focusing primarily on the two eldest, the just and determined Santo, and the wild and rambunctious Victoria. I can't pinpoint the main focus of the story without giving away too much, but basically the two children and their parent's affairs are inextricably linked through a series of unfortunate events (Lemony Snickit what?) where a series of lies is woven to keep the family structure together, particularly after a tragic event early on.
The plot weaves between a few 'future flashes' from the other three son's perceptions in 1977/78, twenty years after the story's main events take place. Although at first I was confused at this - the other son's stories give away a good deal of what happens in the 57 chapters - I found they provided a valuable way of puzzling together the plot, culminating in what I call 'lightbulb moments' where all of a sudden I'd be like "OH that makes so much more sense now". Because the three youngest siblings are the ones telling their perspective of what happened in the 50's, it makes the story far more interesting because they were far less informed than the four main characters.
Overall this was a pretty enjoyable book - the prose was a bit drawn out and stuffy at times, but I found I could easily breeze through the 300-odd pages quite quickly. I think I would have liked for *more* to happen, at least more often, rather than inexplicably stated in flash forwards or flash backs, but looking back the book does pack a LOT into it. A decent read if you're interested in family drama and the irony of deception.
Author: Tony Romano
Pages: about 310
Final Grade: B+
Buyability: 3/10
Status: Owned (freebie) but since given away to charity
Review: This is yet another First Look book, meaning it won't be out for a few months. The story is set in Chicago's Italian sector in 1957 and follows the life of an immigrant family (well the parents anyway, the kids are first-gen Americans and the culture gap is massive) as they undergo and try to make sense of a series of tragic events that are only curtailed by deception and unspoken agreements.
Agostino & his wife Angela Rosa are trapped in a relatively loveless, once arranged marriage - Agostino is prone to giving into his desire for other women while Angela Rosa's life is wrapped up in being a mother, not a wife. Their children are a different story altogether - focusing primarily on the two eldest, the just and determined Santo, and the wild and rambunctious Victoria. I can't pinpoint the main focus of the story without giving away too much, but basically the two children and their parent's affairs are inextricably linked through a series of unfortunate events (Lemony Snickit what?) where a series of lies is woven to keep the family structure together, particularly after a tragic event early on.
The plot weaves between a few 'future flashes' from the other three son's perceptions in 1977/78, twenty years after the story's main events take place. Although at first I was confused at this - the other son's stories give away a good deal of what happens in the 57 chapters - I found they provided a valuable way of puzzling together the plot, culminating in what I call 'lightbulb moments' where all of a sudden I'd be like "OH that makes so much more sense now". Because the three youngest siblings are the ones telling their perspective of what happened in the 50's, it makes the story far more interesting because they were far less informed than the four main characters.
Overall this was a pretty enjoyable book - the prose was a bit drawn out and stuffy at times, but I found I could easily breeze through the 300-odd pages quite quickly. I think I would have liked for *more* to happen, at least more often, rather than inexplicably stated in flash forwards or flash backs, but looking back the book does pack a LOT into it. A decent read if you're interested in family drama and the irony of deception.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Book #13: Moondust
Book Title: Moondust
Author: Andrew Smith
Pages: about 350
Final Grade: A
Buyability: 8/10
Status: Owned (bought)
Review: Man oh man. As I noted in an earlier entry, I have a fascination with space and our existence. I'm not one to look at the sky particularly passively. When I worked at the BBC last year on work placement I heard about this non-fiction book because it had been picked for Richard & Judy's book club (similar to Oprah's club but bigger if you can imagine) and the BBC happened to be releasing it on audiobook - so I wrote a news release for it. I finally bought it several months ago and sat down to read it a few days ago and was quite impressed.
The book documents Andrew Smith's journey as he tracks down the nine remaining (of 12) men who walked on the moon - and along the way he recounts insider information and other interviews from every facet of the 1960's space era that you can imagine; historical data, societal commentary, presidental scoop, NASA gossip, hoax theories...everything comes into play, not the least of which includes Andrew Smith's own take on everything including his emotional reactions to the interviews he undertakes.
One of the main critiques of the book from other reviews I've read is Smith includes himself too much in the story...but as someone who doesn't particularly like non-fiction, I thought Smith's descriptions and feelings were what gave the story its life, and its purpose. The ending was essentially a big summary/recap/understanding for Smith and what this journey meant to him, which I suppose is a tad bit of a letdown...but at the same time, I really found myself relating to him as a *writer* in that I would have finished my book off the same way he does, with a sense of growth and reflection.
Overall I thought this was a fantastic book, really well-written, interesting etc. My only complaint would be that sometimes it leaps all over the place so you can lose track of who he is talking about or what each chapter is supposed to focus on (each chapter is more or less about a different astronaut but there is sooooooo much more included as well). Still I thought the book did an excellent job tackling a very complex, rich subject by trying to address as many facets of the Apollo program as possible. The emotions Smith was feeling and the questions he was asking were very realistic and matched what I would expect myself to feel in the prescence of someone who has left our humble planet.
If you have any interest in the space program of the 1960's, then do yourself a favoura nd read this fantastic book! I loved it and would highly reccomend it. Also - funny that this is book #13 as one of my fave movies ever (tom hanks yes!) is Apollo 13.
Author: Andrew Smith
Pages: about 350
Final Grade: A
Buyability: 8/10
Status: Owned (bought)
Review: Man oh man. As I noted in an earlier entry, I have a fascination with space and our existence. I'm not one to look at the sky particularly passively. When I worked at the BBC last year on work placement I heard about this non-fiction book because it had been picked for Richard & Judy's book club (similar to Oprah's club but bigger if you can imagine) and the BBC happened to be releasing it on audiobook - so I wrote a news release for it. I finally bought it several months ago and sat down to read it a few days ago and was quite impressed.
The book documents Andrew Smith's journey as he tracks down the nine remaining (of 12) men who walked on the moon - and along the way he recounts insider information and other interviews from every facet of the 1960's space era that you can imagine; historical data, societal commentary, presidental scoop, NASA gossip, hoax theories...everything comes into play, not the least of which includes Andrew Smith's own take on everything including his emotional reactions to the interviews he undertakes.
One of the main critiques of the book from other reviews I've read is Smith includes himself too much in the story...but as someone who doesn't particularly like non-fiction, I thought Smith's descriptions and feelings were what gave the story its life, and its purpose. The ending was essentially a big summary/recap/understanding for Smith and what this journey meant to him, which I suppose is a tad bit of a letdown...but at the same time, I really found myself relating to him as a *writer* in that I would have finished my book off the same way he does, with a sense of growth and reflection.
Overall I thought this was a fantastic book, really well-written, interesting etc. My only complaint would be that sometimes it leaps all over the place so you can lose track of who he is talking about or what each chapter is supposed to focus on (each chapter is more or less about a different astronaut but there is sooooooo much more included as well). Still I thought the book did an excellent job tackling a very complex, rich subject by trying to address as many facets of the Apollo program as possible. The emotions Smith was feeling and the questions he was asking were very realistic and matched what I would expect myself to feel in the prescence of someone who has left our humble planet.
If you have any interest in the space program of the 1960's, then do yourself a favoura nd read this fantastic book! I loved it and would highly reccomend it. Also - funny that this is book #13 as one of my fave movies ever (tom hanks yes!) is Apollo 13.
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