I did finish the amazing White Fang, by Jack London. That kind of wilderness book has never particularly appealed to me, but just out of the blue, I decided to read it on my iPod given that it was one of the 50 books I have on my iPod. I really liked it. It's real easy to forget that life is often a game of survival of the fittest. It is equally easy to forget how much we are shaped by our environment. This very entertaining story does just that.
I enjoyed the descriptions of life in the wild, where every day is a struggle for survival, and, to coin a cliche, there's a thin line between life and death. White Fang was the ultimate survivor, the ultimate man's best friend. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
On the other hand, there's Basketball Jones by E. Lynn Harris, was not quite what I expected. Call me naive. I didn't know that Harris is an openly gay writer, but that was pretty evident as the story unfolded. I bought the book because it came up on Audible.com as having rec'd very good reviews, and when I checked it out on Amazon, to get a broader range of reviews, the reviews were pretty good. And, it was on the New York Best Seller List. What the heck, right?
So was I right to believe the hype? Well, let's put it this way: it wasn't bad, but I figured out who was behind the blackmail plot pretty early into the story, which was one of the major twists in the plot. There was another fairly significant plot, but I most found the story rather fantastic. I'm sure there are professional athletes who have their lovers travel surreptitiously with them to away games and treat them as kept men, but I just have a hard time believing this story could happen. Again, maybe it's just that I have no insight into that community. In a sense, if I ignore that the story is about gay men, perhaps it becomes more believable, but even then, it's a little difficult.
It was a quick read, which is another way of saying a thin plot line. I guess that as I age, I get snobbier. Having had the gourmet 7 course meal of lots of good classics (A Passage to India; Crime and Punishment; The Brothers Karamazov), reading Basketball Jones is a little like dining at McDonald's.
I continue to listen to Tom Jones, and I guess I'll get back to reading The Appeal, as well as The Age of Innocence on my iPod. I've certainly got plenty to read.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Falling Behind on Updating
Finished Reading: Georges, by Alexandre Dumas. If there were ever any questions about how Dumas felt about his bi-racial ancestry, Georges gives some insight. The title character, a mulatto, is treated a second-class citizen on his home island. While his father, rich and successful, learned to accept the treatment of whites, Georges is not nearly as accommodating. Indeed, he in many ways, overcompensates, proving himself to be the superior of any white man, in terms of academics, bravery, discipline, and romance. He wins the love of the fairest (and wealthiest) woman on the island.
I had the uncomfortable knot in my stomach as the plot built toward the slave rebellion, led by Georges, knowing that the slaves would not prevail and might make their situation worse. But Georges escaped, besting all that had crossed him.
Not like, but not unlike The Count of Monte Cristo.
Finished reading, A Room with a View, by E.M. Forster.
With this book, I can now claim e-reader status. I can't justify the cost of a Kindle (>$200!!), but when I found an iPod app, giving me 50 books (yes fifty) for $10.00, readable on my iPod, I figured I could spring for ten bucks. I had tried out this particular reader, which offered for free The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, so I can't say I was really living on the edge. Ah, the ease of carrying 50 books in my purse!
Having listened to and enjoyed A Passage to India, I was ready to give Forster another chance with A Room. It was good. Once again, an exploration of England, and the English view of the world, contrasted with the perspective of the Italians, as the protagonist, Lucy, grows from a girl, constrained by what's proper (i.e. pretentious) in English society to a woman, mature enough to reject her snobby fiance and follow her heart. It's one of those books that's growing on me.
In the process of listening, reading, and e-reading:
Listening: Tom Jones
Reading (sort of): The Appeal
E-Reading: White Fang.
I had the uncomfortable knot in my stomach as the plot built toward the slave rebellion, led by Georges, knowing that the slaves would not prevail and might make their situation worse. But Georges escaped, besting all that had crossed him.
Not like, but not unlike The Count of Monte Cristo.
Finished reading, A Room with a View, by E.M. Forster.
With this book, I can now claim e-reader status. I can't justify the cost of a Kindle (>$200!!), but when I found an iPod app, giving me 50 books (yes fifty) for $10.00, readable on my iPod, I figured I could spring for ten bucks. I had tried out this particular reader, which offered for free The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, so I can't say I was really living on the edge. Ah, the ease of carrying 50 books in my purse!
Having listened to and enjoyed A Passage to India, I was ready to give Forster another chance with A Room. It was good. Once again, an exploration of England, and the English view of the world, contrasted with the perspective of the Italians, as the protagonist, Lucy, grows from a girl, constrained by what's proper (i.e. pretentious) in English society to a woman, mature enough to reject her snobby fiance and follow her heart. It's one of those books that's growing on me.
In the process of listening, reading, and e-reading:
Listening: Tom Jones
Reading (sort of): The Appeal
E-Reading: White Fang.
Monday, January 19, 2009
A little behind on posting
Books Heard
The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, by Stieg Larson. Pretty good book, although arguably it was two stories stuck together. One story invovled the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Harriet Vanger years earlier. I sort of figured out the mystery (or at least suspected the outcome), but I still enjoyed seeing the clues build toward the ultimate resolution. The second story involved another coompany, guilty of corporate fraud (now that's timely). The protagonist, a writer and owner of a business magazine, had been found guilty of defamation in writing about the company. That story, and its ultimate resolution, was less satisfying. The title was also a bit misleading. There is a girl with a dragon tatoo, and in fact she is an intriguing character, but ultimately, the story is not really about her. Either way, well-written, and worth the time.
A Passage to India, by E. M. Forster. I'm amazed that someone hasn't updated this story. It's so timely! Set in Colonial India, the story raises the question as to whether people from vastly different cultures can really be friends. Three cultures converge in Chandrapore: the English, the Hindus, and the Muslims. There is much distrust among the three groups, but Dr. Aziz, the protagonist, while frustrated with his English boss, is open to a friendship with Mrs. Moore, whom he meets at the mosque, when she seems about as sincere as any English person he's ever met. Things seems to be going well as several English people, Dr. Aziz, and Dr. Godbole (a Hindu) seem to be forming a genuine friendship. Unfortunately, it all unravels pretty quickly after the "incident" in the Marabar Caves. What happens thereafter is thought-provoking and probably entirely understood, at least by those whose cultures have traditionally been treated as inferior to the dominant culture. Good read.
Book Read
Jesus on Death Row: The Trial of Jesus and American Capital Punishment, by Mark Osler.
It's good to have smart friends that write books. That's the case here with this book. It's not available yet, but of course, when one can get a copy from the author, well that's the life.
In this book, Mark shows the comparisons between current criminal procedure and practice and the procedure and practice at the time of Jesus, as recounted in the gospels. Mark admits that he's not trying to be theological, and some theologians might have issues with his harmonizing of the gospels. Nonetheless, the similarities between then and now are astounding.
I await Mark's further writings in this area.
Books Working on:
Georges, by Alexandre Dumas (reading)
Tom Jones, by Fielding (listening to)
The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, by Stieg Larson. Pretty good book, although arguably it was two stories stuck together. One story invovled the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Harriet Vanger years earlier. I sort of figured out the mystery (or at least suspected the outcome), but I still enjoyed seeing the clues build toward the ultimate resolution. The second story involved another coompany, guilty of corporate fraud (now that's timely). The protagonist, a writer and owner of a business magazine, had been found guilty of defamation in writing about the company. That story, and its ultimate resolution, was less satisfying. The title was also a bit misleading. There is a girl with a dragon tatoo, and in fact she is an intriguing character, but ultimately, the story is not really about her. Either way, well-written, and worth the time.
A Passage to India, by E. M. Forster. I'm amazed that someone hasn't updated this story. It's so timely! Set in Colonial India, the story raises the question as to whether people from vastly different cultures can really be friends. Three cultures converge in Chandrapore: the English, the Hindus, and the Muslims. There is much distrust among the three groups, but Dr. Aziz, the protagonist, while frustrated with his English boss, is open to a friendship with Mrs. Moore, whom he meets at the mosque, when she seems about as sincere as any English person he's ever met. Things seems to be going well as several English people, Dr. Aziz, and Dr. Godbole (a Hindu) seem to be forming a genuine friendship. Unfortunately, it all unravels pretty quickly after the "incident" in the Marabar Caves. What happens thereafter is thought-provoking and probably entirely understood, at least by those whose cultures have traditionally been treated as inferior to the dominant culture. Good read.
Book Read
Jesus on Death Row: The Trial of Jesus and American Capital Punishment, by Mark Osler.
It's good to have smart friends that write books. That's the case here with this book. It's not available yet, but of course, when one can get a copy from the author, well that's the life.
In this book, Mark shows the comparisons between current criminal procedure and practice and the procedure and practice at the time of Jesus, as recounted in the gospels. Mark admits that he's not trying to be theological, and some theologians might have issues with his harmonizing of the gospels. Nonetheless, the similarities between then and now are astounding.
I await Mark's further writings in this area.
Books Working on:
Georges, by Alexandre Dumas (reading)
Tom Jones, by Fielding (listening to)
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Staying busy
I am behind on logging what I've read or listened to.
Forsyte Saga, by John Galsworthy. I read this book after my London visit, on the recommendation of a friend. It was good. It took a little work to get into, in part because there are so many characters in the Forsyte family. The family tree at the beginning was helpful, which meant I spent a lot of time flipping back to it to figure out who was whom. Ultimately, most of the characters introduced in the first couple of chapters are mostly minor characters, and the only ones who are important are those who are directly tied to Soames or to one of the many Jolyons--as in three generations of Jolyons, including two Jolyons in one generation.
Either way, about two-thirds of the way through the first "book", I started to get into it, and by the interlude, I was hooked. It wasn't the best book I've read, but it was a good soap opera, well-written with keen social observations.
Your Brain on Music. I don't remember who wrote it. It's rare that I listen to abridged books, but this was probably the right choice here. It was very scientific and technical, but it gave me new appreciation for music in general and the wonder, the miracle of the human brain. That the simple ability to keep tempo is something that takes a very sophisticated software program to do. The fact that most of us actually have something akin to perfect pitch is rather amazing. I enjoyed it, although I can't say I understood all of the technical stuff. My thanks to the author for explaining how jazz works.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. This book regularly makes to the list of banned books, and I now understand how wrong those who object to the book are. Yes, the "N" word appears pretty frequently, and yes, it involves a runaway slave. But of all the characters in the book, Jim comes off as the purest one in the book, bright, resourceful, sympathetic, and caring. I sound trite when I say that Twain's contrast of Jim, as a runaway slave, and Huck as a runaway boy, both of whom society has mostly failed, is pure genius. His understanding of the way boys think makes the book fun. And Twain's points about morality are spot on. The twang of the narrator got to be a little annoying, but after all, the key thing is the story. Two thumbs way up!
So, what am I listening to now? The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo. Good start so far. We'll see. As for reading, I'm working on Georges, by Alexander Dumas. I didn't realize that Dumas' father was bi-racial, and that consequently, he is as well. The main character in the book is bi-racial. Should be interesting.
Forsyte Saga, by John Galsworthy. I read this book after my London visit, on the recommendation of a friend. It was good. It took a little work to get into, in part because there are so many characters in the Forsyte family. The family tree at the beginning was helpful, which meant I spent a lot of time flipping back to it to figure out who was whom. Ultimately, most of the characters introduced in the first couple of chapters are mostly minor characters, and the only ones who are important are those who are directly tied to Soames or to one of the many Jolyons--as in three generations of Jolyons, including two Jolyons in one generation.
Either way, about two-thirds of the way through the first "book", I started to get into it, and by the interlude, I was hooked. It wasn't the best book I've read, but it was a good soap opera, well-written with keen social observations.
Your Brain on Music. I don't remember who wrote it. It's rare that I listen to abridged books, but this was probably the right choice here. It was very scientific and technical, but it gave me new appreciation for music in general and the wonder, the miracle of the human brain. That the simple ability to keep tempo is something that takes a very sophisticated software program to do. The fact that most of us actually have something akin to perfect pitch is rather amazing. I enjoyed it, although I can't say I understood all of the technical stuff. My thanks to the author for explaining how jazz works.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. This book regularly makes to the list of banned books, and I now understand how wrong those who object to the book are. Yes, the "N" word appears pretty frequently, and yes, it involves a runaway slave. But of all the characters in the book, Jim comes off as the purest one in the book, bright, resourceful, sympathetic, and caring. I sound trite when I say that Twain's contrast of Jim, as a runaway slave, and Huck as a runaway boy, both of whom society has mostly failed, is pure genius. His understanding of the way boys think makes the book fun. And Twain's points about morality are spot on. The twang of the narrator got to be a little annoying, but after all, the key thing is the story. Two thumbs way up!
So, what am I listening to now? The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo. Good start so far. We'll see. As for reading, I'm working on Georges, by Alexander Dumas. I didn't realize that Dumas' father was bi-racial, and that consequently, he is as well. The main character in the book is bi-racial. Should be interesting.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Finally. . . !
Done at last, done at last, thank God almighty, I'm done at last.
That's the way I feel about The Brothers K, a book that now holds the record for most time between beginning and finishing this audio book. I started this book in mid-August and finally finished it about a week ago. I never did find a character that I cared about. Yes, there were themes and lessons about a family that is just enough dysfunctional to be more akin to the typical family. Perhaps, if I had been born a few years older so that the 60s and Vietnam war was a more significant part of my life. But I haven't lived through the 1700s or 1800s at all, and I've enjoyed quite a few books set during those centuries. Either way, I just couldn't relate to this. I finished it, so my record of having finished every audio book I began is intact, but I'm at a loss as to why so many people rated this book so highly.
In terms of books read, while in Spain, I finished Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I loved it. Not as much as Pride and Prejudice, but well enough. Fanny Price was a bit passive in many ways, but like so many of Jane Austen's lead female characters, she was made with a core of steel that precluded her from compromising her values. The Mrs. Norton character was quite a masterful stroke. I'm a little freaked out by Fanny's marriage to the cousin with whom she was raised like brother and sister. All in all, I enjoyed the story.
Current reading/listening.
Reading: The Forsyte Saga, by John Gallsworthy
Listening: Your Brain on Music.
That's the way I feel about The Brothers K, a book that now holds the record for most time between beginning and finishing this audio book. I started this book in mid-August and finally finished it about a week ago. I never did find a character that I cared about. Yes, there were themes and lessons about a family that is just enough dysfunctional to be more akin to the typical family. Perhaps, if I had been born a few years older so that the 60s and Vietnam war was a more significant part of my life. But I haven't lived through the 1700s or 1800s at all, and I've enjoyed quite a few books set during those centuries. Either way, I just couldn't relate to this. I finished it, so my record of having finished every audio book I began is intact, but I'm at a loss as to why so many people rated this book so highly.
In terms of books read, while in Spain, I finished Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I loved it. Not as much as Pride and Prejudice, but well enough. Fanny Price was a bit passive in many ways, but like so many of Jane Austen's lead female characters, she was made with a core of steel that precluded her from compromising her values. The Mrs. Norton character was quite a masterful stroke. I'm a little freaked out by Fanny's marriage to the cousin with whom she was raised like brother and sister. All in all, I enjoyed the story.
Current reading/listening.
Reading: The Forsyte Saga, by John Gallsworthy
Listening: Your Brain on Music.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Reading, but Not Really Listening
Reading . . .
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. I loved this book! It took a long time to read--I started it while I was in London in August, but it was well worth it. A suspenseful tale of revenge and transformation, as Edmond Dantes, wronged early in the book, learns that no matter how much wealth or intelligence, man is ill-equipped to mete out justice the way only God can. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. As a human, there was a sense of satisfaction as the different characters saw their worlds collapse around them. But for me, there was also a sense of profound sadness as the cost Edmond's plan's inflicted on him became abudantly clear and the cost he inflicted on the bratty Edward starkly made the point of man's imperfection. The action story was good, but the moral lessons blew me away.
The book A Prisoner of Birth inspired me to read this book. I wasn't too terribly impressed with Prisoner, and as it turns out, it truly was a very pale imitation of TCOMC. The best thing I can now say about Prisoner is that I might never have read TCOMC, but for Prisoner.
How to Read the Bible and Enjoy It, by Skip Heitzig. This book is my evidence of my role as a narrator. I read this book to help someone who needed an audio copy of the book. Reading a "book on tape" is hard work! I didn't have characters to create or voices to do, but to read clearly and try to convey my understanding of what the author meant was a bit of a challenge. I learned a little along the way as well, such as that it would take less than 100 hours to read the whole Bible, actually about 70 according to the author. He also suggested an alternative to reading it straight through: using a weekly schedule where one would read the first 5 books each Monday; the Gospels each Tuesday, the prophets each Wed., etc. This would provide some variety to reading it straight through. Heitzig also suggested how to read a passage, including observing the text, interpreting the text, and applying the text. He suggested a series of questions that one should ask in engaging in these three aspects of reading the Bible.
This is not a book that I would have picked up on my own, but it was a relatively quick read and it inspired me to spend more time reading the Bible.
. . . But Not Really Listening
I've been listening to The Brothers K forever! I started this book when I was in London, and still have listened to only about 17 hours of the book. I just can't get into it; I'm missing the story line, such that it is. There are lots of philosophical points made in this rather dysfunctional family, but I have yet to find a character that I really care about. I'm determined to finish slogging through this book. It may be awhile.
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. I loved this book! It took a long time to read--I started it while I was in London in August, but it was well worth it. A suspenseful tale of revenge and transformation, as Edmond Dantes, wronged early in the book, learns that no matter how much wealth or intelligence, man is ill-equipped to mete out justice the way only God can. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. As a human, there was a sense of satisfaction as the different characters saw their worlds collapse around them. But for me, there was also a sense of profound sadness as the cost Edmond's plan's inflicted on him became abudantly clear and the cost he inflicted on the bratty Edward starkly made the point of man's imperfection. The action story was good, but the moral lessons blew me away.
The book A Prisoner of Birth inspired me to read this book. I wasn't too terribly impressed with Prisoner, and as it turns out, it truly was a very pale imitation of TCOMC. The best thing I can now say about Prisoner is that I might never have read TCOMC, but for Prisoner.
How to Read the Bible and Enjoy It, by Skip Heitzig. This book is my evidence of my role as a narrator. I read this book to help someone who needed an audio copy of the book. Reading a "book on tape" is hard work! I didn't have characters to create or voices to do, but to read clearly and try to convey my understanding of what the author meant was a bit of a challenge. I learned a little along the way as well, such as that it would take less than 100 hours to read the whole Bible, actually about 70 according to the author. He also suggested an alternative to reading it straight through: using a weekly schedule where one would read the first 5 books each Monday; the Gospels each Tuesday, the prophets each Wed., etc. This would provide some variety to reading it straight through. Heitzig also suggested how to read a passage, including observing the text, interpreting the text, and applying the text. He suggested a series of questions that one should ask in engaging in these three aspects of reading the Bible.
This is not a book that I would have picked up on my own, but it was a relatively quick read and it inspired me to spend more time reading the Bible.
. . . But Not Really Listening
I've been listening to The Brothers K forever! I started this book when I was in London, and still have listened to only about 17 hours of the book. I just can't get into it; I'm missing the story line, such that it is. There are lots of philosophical points made in this rather dysfunctional family, but I have yet to find a character that I really care about. I'm determined to finish slogging through this book. It may be awhile.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Busy, busy
Travel is good for the reading person. As a result of my recent trip to England, and for that matter, before, I have finished a number of books.
Listened to:
The Art of Racing in the Rain. An okay book, written in first person, by a dog. I chose this book because it was described as touching, funny, and capable of taking the steam out of death. There were a few laugh out loud lines, but not many. I suppose it was touching because there is a death. But the word that most describes this book is predictable. It was clear that Denny, the protagonist, would face a child custody challenge and what grounds there would be for the custody fight. It was clear that there would be a happy ending. So it wasn't a waste of time, but the book was like a snack. Good at the time, but not fulfilling in the end.
Read:
Of Human Bondage, by W. Somerset Maugham. Good from start to finish, and so well written, that I found myself shouting out loud to Philip, the main character, and wanting to tell him to run from that skank, Mildred. I rejoiced when Philip found the Altheny family, who provided him a model of a realistically functional family. Life is tough, and maybe we are limited by our human-ness, but doing what we can to live a rich, full, and good life seems to be an elegant statement of the meaning of life.
It was particularly fun to read this book while I was in London, since the book is set there and Maugham makes reference to many London landmarks, including Picadilly Circus, Green Park, Hyde Park Corner, the Victoria station, etc., many of which I happened to visit.
Driving with Dead People, by Monica Holloway. The best description of this book: self-indulgent. I can appreciate the painful childhood that Monica recounts in this memoir, including the abusive father and the molestation. I can admire Holloway from having come through the fire and survived mostly intact. And if writing down her story was therapeutic, than all the better. But why this story was published and marketed is beyond me. If there was something more than the message described above, I missed it. Holloway has a compelling story, but nothing that merited sharing with the general public. The publisher's description was nothing short of deceptive.
Listened to:
The Art of Racing in the Rain. An okay book, written in first person, by a dog. I chose this book because it was described as touching, funny, and capable of taking the steam out of death. There were a few laugh out loud lines, but not many. I suppose it was touching because there is a death. But the word that most describes this book is predictable. It was clear that Denny, the protagonist, would face a child custody challenge and what grounds there would be for the custody fight. It was clear that there would be a happy ending. So it wasn't a waste of time, but the book was like a snack. Good at the time, but not fulfilling in the end.
Read:
Of Human Bondage, by W. Somerset Maugham. Good from start to finish, and so well written, that I found myself shouting out loud to Philip, the main character, and wanting to tell him to run from that skank, Mildred. I rejoiced when Philip found the Altheny family, who provided him a model of a realistically functional family. Life is tough, and maybe we are limited by our human-ness, but doing what we can to live a rich, full, and good life seems to be an elegant statement of the meaning of life.
It was particularly fun to read this book while I was in London, since the book is set there and Maugham makes reference to many London landmarks, including Picadilly Circus, Green Park, Hyde Park Corner, the Victoria station, etc., many of which I happened to visit.
Driving with Dead People, by Monica Holloway. The best description of this book: self-indulgent. I can appreciate the painful childhood that Monica recounts in this memoir, including the abusive father and the molestation. I can admire Holloway from having come through the fire and survived mostly intact. And if writing down her story was therapeutic, than all the better. But why this story was published and marketed is beyond me. If there was something more than the message described above, I missed it. Holloway has a compelling story, but nothing that merited sharing with the general public. The publisher's description was nothing short of deceptive.
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