The 19th Wife

[December 2010]

The 19th Wife, David Ebershoff

number of voters: 8

percentage of voters who finished the book: 88

highest rating: 8.25

lowest rating: 4

average rating: 6.5

average star rating: 2.9 stars

*****

We must convene in secret. None would understand our fascination with the written word. By all accounts, we are mere housewives who should be occupied with our matrimonial and domestic duties and nothing more. Thus, when I confide in you, dear reader, that we ‘simple’ housewives collude in concealed corners in the dark of night, I entrust you with our deepest secret. We discuss the merits and shortcomings of the latest publications. Often we are required to attain these titles in back alleys, in disguise and under constant threat of discovery. Our latest procurement is a jewel, indeed, worth every danger. It concerns one of our own, a sister wife who defied her husband, her prophet, her faith, and her God. Oh, Ann Eliza! The ‘nineteenth wife’ of our dear Brigham has woven quite a tale. There is truth in these pages, yet no one save God himself shall ever know how much. Some of the sister wives believe every word, perhaps tempted by the perceived freedoms beyond their grasp. Others shun every word as fantasy, apart from the few indisputable facts. A small number believe that the book--no matter how factual or preposterous--will be our very undoing. I silently wonder if someday another writer will not take pen and paper in hand only to defame the history of our faith with tales of modern salacity. Dear reader! Should you endeavor to master this effort by Miss Young, take care! It may ask questions you are not suited to answer. It may answer questions you were not prepared to ask. If the written word can incite such quarrels amidst habitually loving sister wives, if one story can arouse such doubt and suspicion and protectiveness amongst our own, what, pray-tell, will the effect be on the unbelieving soul?

Let the Great World Spin

[November 2010]

Let the Great World Spin, Colum McCann

number of voters: 8

percentage of voters who finished the book: 100

highest rating: 8.75

lowest rating: 3.5

average rating: 5.84

average star rating: 2.5 stars

*****

A man suspends a tightrope between the World Trade Center towers. For 45 breathtaking, spectacular minutes he walks, runs, even dances on a ¾-inch wire 110 stories up in the air. Below him, a city inhales, exhales.

Colum McCann captures it. Like a snapshot of one ordinary yet historic day, Let the Great World Spin suspends itself across the wire of your imagination and burns the imprint into your mind.

It’s New York, 1974, and you are there! You know these people, these average yet inimitable brothers, sisters, mothers, daughters, wives, husbands. They are so vividly drawn you can almost touch them.

A fascinating concept with an attention grabbing opening plus a tangle of unforgettable characters written exquisitely by an informed author should equal a satisfied reader. But that’s not to see we enjoyed it. Unforgettable does not mean likable, and these characters are so raw that McCann risks losing his audience to indifference. These are not fairytale protagonists, and it’s sometimes difficult to care where the story might take them.

Yet Let the Great World Spin is not so much a story as it is an experience. You could know every plot point in this book and it would not spoil the reading of it. McCann has such a commanding grasp on the use of language to convey tangible, vivacious, squalid life that you are drawn into his world to the very end.

Let the Great World Spin is a work of art. You might not like it, you might not hang it above the mantle, but if you take the time you might appreciate it as a masterpiece.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

[October 2010]

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The Art of Racing in the Rain 
Garth Stein

number of voters: 6

percentage of voters who finished the book: 100

highest rating: 8.5

lowest rating: 4

average rating: 6.95

average star rating: 3.25 stars

*****

I don’t read much... maybe because I am a dog. The letters (the ones I know) get all mixed up and besides, I prefer TV (mostly car racing).

But you can understand if I get a little excited about The Art of Racing in the Rain. Now, this is my kind of book. It’s about a dog (like me) who likes TV (like me), and he’s a really great dog (like the kind of dog I try to be) — the kind of dog anybody would want, even if they weren’t a dog person (which is something I will just never understand).

But about this story... it’s about a great dog with a great person (you know he’s great because the storyteller tells you he is) who has lots of bad stuff happen to him (some of it I understand and some I don’t and some of it is just silly) but the dog is always there for him (like I would be if I were that great of a dog).

And this dog is really smart! I don’t just mean smart like letter smart (I don’t think he can read either) but I mean lifesmart. He knows more about stuff than even his person does (which maybe isn’t saying much... I don’t really know people too well). And when this dog talks about opposable thumbs I just go nuts! (I’m still trying to figure out what “opposable thumbs” is, but this dog talks like it’s the best thing ever.)

Anyway, I’m sure every dog will love this book. (You can have your person read it to you). I suppose there are somepeople who might not appreciate it (“predictable,” “flimsy plot,” “flat characters,” blah blah blah), but any dog in his right mind will laugh, cry, and bark at The Art of Racing in the Rain.

Sarah's Key

[September 2010]

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Sarah’s Key 
Tatiana de Rosnay

number of voters: 10

percentage of voters who finished the book: 100

highest rating: 7

lowest rating: 5

average rating: 6.4

average star rating: 2.75 stars

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Imagine you’ve received a poorly wrapped gift. You are pleased, of course; everyone appreciates a present. But you notice that it isn’t exactly a pretty gift. The ribbon hangs loosely. The wrapping is messy. The paper is so thin you can see through it to the recycled cereal box underneath. You don’t mean to seem ungrateful, but it is obvious that whoever wrapped this gift either did not know what they were doing or did not take care to wrap it properly.

So it is with Sarah’s Key, a historical novel based on a little known event—the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup—that occurred in France during the Vichy government of World War II. The novel follows one fictional young girl through the historically true story, in which thirteen thousand French citizens of Jewish descent were forced out of their homes by the French police, held at the Vélodrome d'Hiver (an indoor bicycle racetrack) and Drancy internment camp, then eventually transported to Auschwitz, where they were killed.

Sarah’s story is compelling and heartbreaking, and in telling it, author Tatiana de Rosnay successfully sheds light on what has heretofore been a hushed aspect of French history and the French government’s complicity in it.

Where de Rosnay fails is in the modern story interwoven with Sarah’s. Sarah’s story is uncovered by Julia, a journalist who is assigned a story about the 60th anniversary of the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup. Unlike Sarah, Julia is mostly uninteresting and slightly annoying. The novel bogs down when it follows Julia’s story; it’s weakest moments come when Julia is at center stage, leaving the reader hoping Sarah’s voice will return soon.

And so Sarah’s Key is a gift of historical fiction in a less than satisfactory wrapping. The modern setting is an unattractive ribbon. The writing is uninspiring. The plot is so thin in places that you can see through to the recycled clichés underneath. It seems that the writer either didn't know what she was doing or did not take care to write it properly.

Yet a gift poorly wrapped is still a gift. The book’s redeeming quality is it’s history, and for that reason alone, it is a gift we recommend accepting.

Water For Elephants

[July 2010]

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Water for Elephants 

Sarah Gruen

number of voters: 8

percentage of voters who finished the book: 100

highest rating: 8.75

lowest rating: 7

average rating: 8.1

experimental star rating system, average star rating: 4.3 stars

*****

She was a circus performer. He was a veterinarian student. Water for Elephants is the story of their complicated relationship.

But it isn’t entirely what you’d expect: Her names is Rosie, and she is an elephant.

The story begins with a catastrophe at Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a circus that is struggling to make ends meet during the Great Depression. But before the reader can even begin to grasp what is happening, we are hurtled forward to a near-present day nursing home, where the story’s protagonist withers.

Author Sara Gruen’s masterful sense of character propels the rest of the tale. We are taken back and forth between two worlds where we can alternately marvel at the wonders of a young man’s life on a circus train in early 20th century America and then contemplate the complexities and challenges of his growing old at the start of the 21st century.

Ultimately, Water for Elephants is a story about love and hate, about young and old, about wisdom and naivety. It stretches the boundary of what is normal, what is acceptable, and what can be tolerated. It details the battles and bonds between people and animals in sometimes brutal yet ultimately heartwarming fashion. It is well researched, well written, and, to put it simply, a spectacular read.

Aside from a slight hesitation due to some occasional yet vivid sexual content, Water for Elephants is highly recommended.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

[June 2010]



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The Mysterious Benedict Society
Trenton Lee Stewart
number of voters: 6
percentage of voters who finished the book: 100
highest rating: 10
lowest rating: 6.25
average rating: 7.58

experimental star rating system, average star rating: 3.8 stars


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WANTED: Bright readers for a delightful read. Must love a wee bit of wordplay, a smidge of sci-fi, a peppering of puzzles, and a pack of pint-sized protagonists. Bring only a suspension of disbelief and a playful spirit.

—————

Sometime in the near future, the world’s inhabitants will be on the brink of losing their minds to the control of an evil mastermind, Mr. Ledroptha Curtain. But, thankfully, a team of crack pre-teens is on the case.

Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance comprise the Mysterious Benedict Society, so named for their narcoleptic leader, Mr. Benedict. Their adventures begin with a cryptic ad in the newspaper and end with a, well... we don’t want to give too much away, now do we?

Let’s just say that it involves a slew of tests, a secluded island school, a creepy machine, and a whole lot of booby traps. Oh, and a surprising little twist.

It won’t be the most riveting book you’ve read, nor the most believable, enlightening, or intellectual. But it is a fun, mostly easy read that you can enjoy with your kids (or your classroom).

Just remember: You must follow all the instructions in the ad or you will be disqualified!

Thr3e

[May 2010]

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Thr3e
Ted Dekker
number of voters: 8
percentage of voters who finished the book: 87.5
highest rating: 6.25
lowest rating: 3.75
average rating: 5.25

percentage of readers with either seminary or psychology degrees: 0

*****

It was one of those simple-to-read, easy-to-follow kind of plots, but it didn’t give away all of its secrets until the very end. And the pages turned faster than a car in a high-speed chase.

In the novel Thr3e, author Ted Dekker gives us Kevin Parsons, a seminary student with a mysterious past who is suddenly thrust into a high-stakes game of riddle-me-this with an anonymous psychopath.

It’s a fine way to pass a few hours, discovering what happens to Kevin Parsons. The riddles are moderately interesting; the suspense is page-turn-worthy; the creepy factor is, well, creepy enough. And bonus points to Dekker for keeping his plot twist unsuspected by almost an entire book group.

But beyond the attention-grabbing plot, it’s all just a little yawn-inducing. The writing is run of the mill; the characters are mostly roughly drawn outlines; the dialogue alternates between silly and tedious.

The end result is an interesting idea wrapped in an uninteresting package. Which leads us to perhaps the biggest riddle of all:

What’s hard to put down but easy to forget?

The Book Thief

[April 2010]

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The Book Thief
Markus Zusak

number of voters: 5
percentage of voters who finished the book: 5
highest rating: 9
lowest rating: 8
average rating: 8.4

percentage of readers who are more grateful for books after reading this book: 100

* * * TWO QUESTIONS: * * *
1. Do you like historical fiction?
2. Are you open-minded?

Yes and yes? That’s a good start.

* * * A DEFINITION * * *
open-minded
adjective
willing to consider new ideas; unprejudiced

Still with me? Good. Now you are ready to meet the book thief and the one who tells her story. But I won'’t be the one to introduce you. I will let the author himself do that. Because, no matter how I phrase it, there is no way to summarize this book in a few sentences without making the book sound cliché... and it is anything but that.

* * * ANOTHER DEFINITION * * *
What this book is not:
cliché
noun
a very predictable or unoriginal thing

Let’s review what we know so far:

* * * THE BOOK THIEF by MARKUS ZUSAK... * * *
...a kind of historical fiction
...requires an open mind
...completely unpredictable and original

Is this enough for you? Can you commit yourself to reading a book without knowing anything about time period, setting, or plot? No? Then just for you:

* * * THREE THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW * * *
1. time period: World War II
2. setting: Germany
3. plot: not what you’d expect from 1 and 2

There. I’ve said enough.
More than enough.
Go meet the book thief, then come back and we’ll talk.

The Glass Castle

[March 2010]

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The Glass Castle
Jeanette Walls

number of voters: 9
percentage of voters who finished the book: 100
highest rating: 9.7
lowest rating: 7.5
average rating: 8.189

percentage of readers who used the words “really liked” or “loved” to describe what they thought of this book: 100

*****

Imagine a car wreck on the freeway. Traffic slows, heads turn, eyes gape. And then on we drive. A moment later, it is forgotten.

Here, in The Glass Castle, a little girl reveals all the gory details behind that wreck. Her innocent voice is the one we hear as she describes the way people in her family collide with one another, a mass of crumpled hopes, fears, and expectations. The collision is her childhood; the mangled ruins, her life; the burning wreckage, her. This is the story of Jeannette Walls.

The story goes something like this: Four kids grow up in poverty and neglect with their brilliant, alcoholic father who loves them emphatically and their artistic, emotionally unstable mother who believes what does not kill them will make them stronger. The makings of a car wreck, indeed.

And yet—miraculously perhaps—they all walk away intact. There are scars, of course. There always are. But you would never know from looking at them that they had lived through such adversity. You wonder how anyone could possibly even survive it.

In this way, The Glass Castle is inspiring where it could have been depressing, full of promise when it could have been only tragic. And now we know what it is not just to gawk in passing, but to look—really, closely look—at disaster. There are atrocities, but there is also resiliency.

Read this book. It is a difficult tale, beautifully told; surprisingly humorous; moving and unforgettable.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

[February 2010]

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Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Gregory Maguire

number of voters: 5
percentage of voters who finished the book: 80
highest rating: 4.75
lowest rating: 3
average rating: 4.05

percentage of readers who, with knowledge of both, preferred the musical to the book: 100

*****

And so I find myself once again in the unenviable position of writing a recap of a discussion about a book that I did not read—a book that, after a handful of excruciating pages, I could not stand even an attempt at reading. I recognized these storybook names—the munchkins, the wicked witch of the west—and these fantastical faces—squat and plump, a ripe shade of green—but everything else was foreign and, to be honest, a bit nauseating.

And so I left it to others, far more brave than I, to tackle this doorstop of a novel. Maybe they would see something in it that I could not or did not want to see.

Not so much.

To summarize the words of those brave readers: The author was trying too hard and trying to fit too much in. There was no flow to the story, which jumped around way too much. It was too political. There were no redeeming qualities in the characters, who were thus simply unlikable. There was too much happening and not enough depth. The author shot for “epic” and didn’t pull it off.

But maybe there was something there that none of us could quite see. It was, after all, a brilliant idea, completely original (that is, if you discount the fact that the novel is based on someone else’s work), and asked some interesting questions (for example, how do our experiences shape us?). It’s up to the individual reader to decide whether this smattering of qualities is worth wading through such prolific misery.

To make a long story short, which perhaps the author himself should have considered, we did not really like it, we would not recommend it, and we wished we’d spent the time going to the musical instead.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

[January 2010]

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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Betty Smith

number of voters: 6
percentage of voters who finished the book: 83
highest rating: 9.5
lowest rating: 8.5
average rating: 9.17 (!)

percentage of readers who have lived in Williamsburg: 0

*****

The women of Williamsburg gathered to reminisce, and the stories flowed like wine. It was as though weeks had passed instead of years, though nearly a century had gone by. Brooklyn will never be the same as we remember it then... a generation frozen in our minds.

Oh, except that we weren’t there.

You can forgive us, can’t you, for forgetting that Francie’s story is not our very own? If you’ve read Betty Smith’s pseudo-autobiography, then you know...

These people stroll through the streets of Brooklyn and onto the pages and into our consciousness. Remember how Papa understood Francie’s need to attend the finer school and took matters into his own hands? Remember the way Mama made Francie and Neeley read from Shakespeare and the Bible every night? Remember Aunt Sissy? Remember the tin can?

Like visiting an old friend, we will return to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn again and again. Our feet walked the dirty ground, but our eyes saw the sky beyond. And our hearts were full of hope.