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by Markus Zusak
I finally finished Devil in the White City and report is coming, but as I finished The Book Thief in bed last night (sobbing, no less), I knew I had to get this one out first.
Story Overview:
9 year old Liesel Meminger is given up by her mother to foster care in Nazi Germany circa 1939. She is taken to Molching, Germany to a working class neighborhood where her new street name (Himmel) means heaven…irony ensues as her life is catalogued for the next 5 years, told through the perspective of Death himself.
Would I recommend it? Why/Why not?
I loved this book. I know I say that a lot, but while some books may cause a tear or two to spring forth, this one had me gasping. I thought telling the book through Death was unusual and poetic. After some research, I found that the author is really young and the book is often categorized as a young adult novel. This fact does not diminish my feelings toward this novel. I especially loved the passages describing Liesel’s relationship with her Papa, Hans Hubermann – sweet, real, and thoughtful.
What I took away:
The theme of the novel is the power of words. I often forget how powerful words are to the ears they fall upon. I’m guilty of speaking with a sharp tongue when stressed out or upset to someone who is essentially an innocent bystander. In addition to check ing my thoughts before they are verbalized, this novel also served as a reminder to say what you want to say to your loved ones – there’s no point in waiting for you might not be given another opportunity.
Hello from Seattle! My friend Peach works at MicroSoft so today I ate lunch with her and some of her co-workers, got a tour of the campus, visited the company store and vistor center and now am chilling in the lobby while she’s in a meeting. After she’s done we are off to Greenlake. Until then, I figured I’d catch up on some book reports. Since I read these books a few weeks ago and my memory isn’t as sharp as it used to be, these will probably be pretty short 
First up: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Story Overview:
Two lives intertwine as a result of a book written in pre-war Poland. Alma is a thirteen year old girl living with her widowed mother and younger brother Bird (who thinks he’s the Messiah) in New York. She was named after the main character in a book called “The History of Love”.
Meanwhile, octogenarian Leo Gursky is also living in NYC doing his darndest to be seen. He willing spills his coffee at Starbucks or talks loudly in the middle of a movie theatre so that he is noticed. Leo is a locksmith by trade, but a writer in his heart. He came to the US in search of his high school love only to find her taken.
These two both have inordinate sadness in their lives and are struggling with how to get to a point where they can be happy. This struggle connects these two strangers…
Would I recommend it? Why/Why not?
Yes, so long as you don’t mind unconventional writing styles (4 sentences on the middle of one page. One word sentences like “But.”). The whole time I was reading this book it reminded me very much of Jonathan Safron Foer’s writing. I discovered in my research afterwards that Nicole is his wife! This was cool to find out, but it also kind of bothered me some since the style and story set up themes are so very similar (Jewish, New York, an old characater and a young character, WWII survivor, etc). But if you enjoyed “Everything is Illuminated” and/or “Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud”, then I think you’d enjoy this book as well. There is one aspect of the book that was a bit hard to comprehend and I found myself going back to check certain passages. In my research, I found that this aspect pissed off some of the readers, but I wasn’t too terribly bothered by it.
What I took away:
Nothing I can recall! I just enjoyed that it was a beautifully written and sometimes heartbreaking story. Maybe just a reminder that everyone wants to be noticed.
Book #2:
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Story Overview:
Jacob is at the end of vet school when an accident changes his pre-determined life plan. Running away from school he randomly hops a train only to discover he picked a circus train. Through a happy accident he gets the job of circus vet and meets a myriad of characters – both human and animal, deranged and normal, sweet and ill-tempered.
The story is told in two point of views – both Jacob’s, but one as a 23 year old and one as a 90 year old living in a retirement home.
Would I recommend it? Why/Why not?
Absolutely! I loved this book. While the ending was not exactly feasible/realistic in my humble opinion, the book was intriguing. The author definitely spent a lot of time researching circuses (esp. in the time of the Great Depression). The corruption and treatment of people and animals in that time period is truly interesting (though sometimes hard to read about).
What I took away:
It’s called the high road for a reason – not everyone can take it. Though I wouldn’t classify this a “moral compass” book, there are passages of doing the right thing when stuck between a rock and hard place.
Up next:
I am almost done with Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. This book is about the World’s Fair in Chicago in the late 1800s. At the same time the fair was being created, a serial killer was on the loose. This book is definitely very interesting, but I have a block against non-fiction so it’s taken me awhile to get through it.
I am almost done with Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. This book is about the World’s Fair in Chicago in the late 1800s. At the same time the fair was being created, a serial killer was on the loose. This book is definitely very interesting, but I have a block against non-fiction so it’s taken me awhile to get through it.
On the plane yesterday I read “Girls in Trucks” by Katie Crouch from cover to cover. I’m not going to report on it as it’s the closest to chic lit I’ve read in a good long while, but I did enjoy it. Definitely a good plane or beach read. Especially if you’re a southern girl
I was a bit hesitant to start this book when a friend recommended it to me after seeing my “list”. A couple years ago I tried to read Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer and didn’t get very far. But my friend really liked it so I decided to give it a go….that and it was a short book.
Story Overview:
Set in the 1980s, Missy (real name Marietta) is a young Kentucky girl hell bent on getting out of her small hometown. After making it through high school without getting pregnant she’s already bypassed the biggest barrier of getting “stuck”. She has no set destination in mind when she leaves her home at 19 or 20 and heads west in her old VW Bug and her savings.
Somewhere in Oklahoma her car breaks down near the outskirts of an Indian reservation. Without going into too much detail, an Indian baby is thrust upon her and in her tired daze, she takes her. She finds out very quickly that the little girl was sexually abused. She names the child “Turtle” since she grabs on fiercely and won’t let go. Missy changes her own name to Taylor and together Taylor and Turtle continue their journey west until they land (and stay) in Arizona. Missy-turn-Taylor meets the rest of the characters in this book here and her new life begins, not without complications, of course.
Would I recommend it? Why/Why not?
Yes. While I thought some of the plot lines lacked depth at some points, I really did enjoy the story. I liked how Kingsolver described Kentucky and the overwhelming desire of Missy to get out of there. Very reminiscent of my small town – that feeling of needing to get out was very relatable to me.
What I took away:
The Missy/Taylor character is definitely a salt of the earth type of person. She’s got a tough cookie exterior, but she’s guided to do the right thing by her strong moral compass. When the irony hits her that she has spent the last 5 years of her life avoiding babies only to have one forced upon her, she laughs! Her selflessness is enviable. A good reminder to self to not be so judgemental and that it’s called the high road because not everyone can reach it.
Up next:
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer
I picked this book to be on my list after reading a magazine article in some doctor’s office. The journalist interviewed the author (Greer) about his book being compared to “The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons”. Both stories are about reverse aging. Since I haven’t yet read “The Curious Case…” (written by F. Scott Fitzgerald – did not know that before I read the article), I have no comment on how similar (if at all) the storylines are. Greer stated that he was unfamilar with the Benjamin Buttons story until the movie came out last Christmas. I do plan on reading the Fitzgerald story in the future, but this little article was enough to intrigue me into reading about Max Tivoli. Without further ado, my report.
Story Overview:
Set in San Francisco in the 1870s, Max Tivoli is born to a Southern Belle transplant of a mother and a Danish, wrong-side-of-the-tracks father. While his oddness is recognized right away (a baby with liver spots!), no one knows exactly what is wrong with him until a former maid of the household sees him at around age 5 and can tell he’s getting “younger” (I believe at that point he looked in his 70s rather than his 90s).
Being born an oddity, Max thinks of himself as a monster. He rarely leaves the house as a child. The few times he is allowed to his parents tell him he must always act the age he looks rather than the age he is.
On one of those early outings (age 6 or 7), Max meets what will be his lifelong best friend Hughie. Hughie and Max are the same age year-wise when they meet. After some initial confusion, Max’s age reversal syndrome is not a point a of contention for Hughie. Ten years later, Max meets the love of his life, Alice. She is 14 at the time, Max 17, although he looks to be in 60s. From here we see how Alice floats in and out of Max’s life over the next four decades.
Would I recommend it? Why/Why not?
Yes – while I have seen other reviews where the author has criticized Greer for “over-writing”, I thought his prose were beautiful. I love when an author can paint such a beautiful, thorough scene that you can picture absolutely everything in the movie theatre of your mind. Even though Max considers himself a monster, his feelings are very human: wanting to love, wanting to be loved in return, doing some not-so-noble things in order to get what he wants, etc.
What I took away:
Ah, this was hard for me, but it was recognizing that characters (or real people) who we like can sometimes be what we would consider a “bad person”. Not necessarily an all out terrible person, but someone who could slip. While Max calls himself a monster numerous times throughout the book I found myself thinking “No you aren’t! Your just a person who has this unfortunate syndrome (yes, I know it was fictional) and you’re dealing the best way you know how!”. However, then comes a time when Max did some questionable things and I really did catch myself thinking “He IS a monster”. I tend to wear blinders in real life when my friends (or me, myself) does or says something that coming from a stranger I would deem wrong. I guess this proves the old adage that we see on what we want to see. This book served as a reminder to try to step back and see things objectively. Not that any actions would need to be taken, but if we don’t step back and gain some perspective, well, we’re left with a fuzzy, myopic view.
Oh! One last thing…at the end of the book there a little blurb about this letter being found in an attic (the letter essentially being the book) and very few editorial changes were made. I wasn’t sure if this was for real or not. I did a quick (read: not extensive) Google search to find out more, but it didn’t come back with much. If you know anything about this, please say so in the comments! Thanks!
Up next:
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingslover
Playing around with having a format for my book reports – bear with me.
Story Overview:
Set in the Midwest, Edgar Sawtelle is born mute, but not deaf. He is the only child to his parents Gar and Trudy. The family business is dog breeding. The dogs are not a specific breed – it’s a breed developed by his family over 2 generations. He loves his family, his life, his dogs. He leads a pretty idyllic life until his Uncle Claude comes back after decades of missing. After Claude’s return, Edgar’s life drastically changes and he struggles to find his place/who he is in this new, dark world.
Would I recommend it?
Yes! I loved it. It took a a few days for me to get into it, but once I got hooked, I couldn’t stop. It took me a week and a half to get through the 566 pages.
Why?
I immediately loved the main character and being a dog lover, it was impossible not to love the personalities of the dogs involved (though even if you aren’t a dog lover, I think you’d still be inclined to at least respect the dogs). The story keeps you engaged in throughout the book. I can’t recall a dull passage (yes, I’m aware that I sound like I’m contradicting myself considering I said it took me a while to get into it, but that was more due to only having small bursts of time to read, not because of the story line) or a portion where I was like “come on already!”.
What I took away from it:
A reminder to dig past the surface. I often take people and what they say at face value. I believe what they tell me unless I know them really well (and therefore know their tells) or if they are just a horrendous liar. It definitely wouldn’t hurt me to be perceptive and more in tune with others. Lately I’ve been too wrapped up in myself and my own personal issues to notice if what other people are saying/displaying is in line with their actions and/or what they’re really thinking or feeling.
Up next:
I actually just finished it today! The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer
If you’ve read either one and would like to comment, please do! Happy reading, Darlings!
by Milan Kundera
I am way overdue on this report (and for a post in general for the matter). I finished this book a week or two ago and am quarter way through book number 2 so I better get cracking – my memory isn’t as good as it used to be.
The book is set in Prague in 1968 post the Prague Spring. Note – I learned a lot of history from this book. Not so much what was written – that was more for reference – but researching later more about that era and the political climate. I love history, but never really learned a lot post the 9th grade. And so I’ll continue…in addition to the historical/political backdrop, the book is based on Nietzsche’s idea of external return, that all the world’s events will continue to occur over and over again for infinity. The author suggests that we all live unique lives and once an event occurs, it can never, ever be replicated. His approach = lightness and the external return approach = heaviness. Honestly, I had to read this part a few times to get the jist, but it finally made sense. The ideas of “lightness” and “heaviness” are constant motifs in the novel as you begin to learn the characters.
Enough background – did I like it or what? The answer is yes. I thought the ideas on love and sex and monogamy weren’t necessarily new, but very well articulated. For example, I personally have often thought how odd it is that in our society we equate sex with love. While you can certainly have sex with someone without loving them and vice versa, it’s (unofficially) considered best practice if the two go hand in hand. Tomas, one of the main characters, loves his wife, but can’t stop his philandering ways. He doesn’t love the other women, but feels an insatiable need to have sex with literally hundreds of women. “Thomas thought: Attaching love to sex is one of the most bizarre ideas the Creator ever had.” Sometimes I agree! Let me clarify – it’s not that I want to have sex with hundreds of men I don’t love. I generally do think sex is better with someone I love. However, I just think the idea that you should only have sex when you’re in love is flawed as it only applies to humans. Animals don’t have to love each other to procreate and yet we don’t judge them for having sex without love like we might judge a human. I feel like I’m not clarifying at all and instead make this more muddy. Perhaps I need to think on this some more on how to best get my point across .
Another funny thing – I didn’t notice when the book was written (1982) or published (1984). It was very relatable I just assumed it was a recent publication. Until one of my bus friends saw me reading it and exclaimed “oh! great book. man i read that like 20 years ago!”. I guess I just liked the fact that I could relate to a book that was written when I was 4. I know, I know, I should read more classics. If they are more like this then perhaps I will!
Once I did more research, I saw that a movie was made in 1998 with Daniel Day Lewis and Juliet Binoche. May just have to find that one and see how it compares.
Lastly, it was a quick read (for a slow reader like me, that translates to a week of reading it on the bus to and from work).
Next up: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. This book is a lot longer and the pages are a lot bigger! It took awhile for me to get into it, but now I’m hooked. Stay tuned!
