Masterpiece
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« Previous Entries Monday, June 30th, 2008Review: The Penelopiad
I love mythology in general, and The Odyssey in particular, so I was hoping to love this book. I did. Margaret Atwood’s retelling of the famous myth from Penelope’s point of view is brilliant and quite humorous. As she tells the story from Hades, we get Penelope’s take on her father, Odysseus, Telemachus, and Helen among others. You probably have to know the story of The Odyssey fairly well to really get the full impact, though. If you’re familiar with the original myth, you must read this re-telling.
This was my fourth Atwood, and I’m looking forward to reading even more of her work during the second Canadian Book Challenge.
2005, 198 pp.
Rating: 
Popularity: 20% [?]
Friday, April 25th, 2008Review: Things Fall Apart
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.
Okonkwo commands respect from his community, his three wives, and his children through both hard work and intimidation. He rises to prominence despite and perhaps due to his father’s laziness in community and family matters. He stands firm to his culture and traditions. So he is outraged when some of his people start converting to Christianity. A power struggle ensues and ‘things fall apart.’
I’m intrigued by Achebe’s history and background. I’d like to read the sequel to this book, No Longer at Ease, at some point.
1959, 209 pp
Rating: 4/5
Popularity: 54% [?]
Saturday, April 5th, 2008Review: The Sister
Arthur: How can you tell a cannibal?
Vivi: Well, they’re the only ones left, silly.
Arthur: No, before they’ve eaten the others.
Vivi: Oh, that. They’ve just got a look about them.
I received this arc from the Barnes and Noble First Look Book Club. It is so wonderful to be a part of this program because the authors are also on the message boards and will answer questions from readers. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed reading Poppy Adams’ responses to the questions posed. I will definitely be reading more of her work when it comes out. The Sister is her first novel.
Originally titled The Time of Emergence, and called The Behaviour of Moths in the UK, The Sister is a book where, after reaching the end, the reader may be left with more questions unanswered than answered. There are multiple interpretations that could be made about several different occurrences in the book. For me, that’s what makes this story so fascinating. I know that may be more of a frustration to some, though.
Vivien (Vivi) and Virginia (Ginny) are two sisters who grew up in a countryside mansion with lepidopterist ancestors. Their maternal grandfather and father were both lepidopterists, and Ginny becomes a lepidopterist. What is a lepidopterist? It’s a person who studies moths and butterflies. There is much discussion of the behavior of moths in this book, but it is an essential aspect of the story. While reading and after finishing the book, I realized many parallels between the behavior of moths and the behavior of the characters in the novel. This is a book I’ll probably re-read at some point to catch all the connections between the two.
Vivi and Ginny have been separated for decades, and the reasons why become apparent as the story unfolds. Very different from each other, Vivi is outgoing and leaves home for London at a young age, while Ginny is an introvert and a homebody. In fact, as the novel opens, we get the sense that Ginny hasn’t left her home for many, many years. Vivien decides to come back to the house, stating to Ginny that as sisters, they should spend their old age together. The entire novel only takes place over a few days, but as each day unfolds, we are also given glimpses from the past and why they have been separated for so long. All of this is told from Ginny’s perspective, though, and as Ginny and Vivi discuss their history together, they both realize that they saw their childhood in distinctly different ways. These differences are crucial to figuring out what is going on in the story.
What is going on in the story? I don’t want to tell you much, because it has a really good, creepy, gothic, Hitchcock feel to it that is better left to finding out by reading the story. If you don’t mind not having everything wrapped up in the end, and if you like having multiple interpretations of a storyline, you’ll love this book. I really enjoyed it, and the more I think about it, the more I love it.
2008, 275 pp.
Rating: 4.5/5
Popularity: 32% [?]
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood
I loved this book, perhaps even more than The Handmaid’s Tale, which I also rated 4.5. Whereas The Handmaid’s Tale was mostly a cautionary tale about men’s subjugation of women, Cat’s Eye is about girls subjugating and intimidating other girls. Elaine Risley as an adult is a successful artist, but as a little girl she was bullied by her friends and their ringleader, Cordelia. What makes little girls (and big ones!) do this, and why do the ones being tormented let them do it?
In an interview in the back of the book, Atwood states this is her most autobiographical novel, and she states the theme of the book as follows:
Cat’s Eye is about how girlhood traumas continue into adult life. Girls have a culture marked by secrets and shifting alliances, and these can cause a lot of distress. The girl who was your friend yesterday is not your friend today, but you don’t know why. These childhood power struggles color friendships between women. I’ve asked women if they fear criticism more from men or from other women. The overwhelming answer was: “From women.”
In typical Atwood fashion, there were also themes concerning male-female relationships. In one painting of Elaine’s, called Falling Women, she describes what was meant in the artwork:
There were no men in this painting, but it was about men, the kind who caused women to fall. I did not ascribe any intentions to these men. They were like the weather, they didn’t have a mind. They merely drenched you or struck you like lightning and moved on, mindless as blizzards. Or they were like rocks, a line of sharp slippery rocks with jagged edges. You could walk with care along between the rocks, picking your steps and if you slipped you’d fall and cut yourself, but it was no use blaming the rocks.
That must be what was meant by fallen women. Fallen women were women who had fallen onto men and hurt themselves. There was some suggestion of downward motion, against one’s will and not with the will of anyone else. Fallen women were not pulled-down women or pushed women, merely fallen.
Definitely one to read if you’ve enjoyed other Atwood novels.
1988, 462 pp.
Rating: 4.5
Popularity: 36% [?]
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008Sitting Practice
Sitting Practice by Caroline Adderson tells the story of Ross and Iliana, a newlywed couple, and how they deal with the aftermath of a car accident that leaves Iliana paralyzed. Ross is a film caterer who has had multiple ex-girlfriends, but he is absolutely in love with Iliana at the time of their marriage, much to the chagrin of his twin, Bonnie. Ross is also ‘in love’ with Bonnie’s son, Bryce, and very much longs to be a father. He and Bonnie of course share a bond that only twins can experience. In contrast, Iliana grew up in a very strict household, and Ross was her first real boyfriend. She meets Ross for the first time as a nurse assigned to him after a minor operation.
After the accident, the marriage changes, as do Ross and Iliana. Ross struggles with wanting ‘the real’ Iliana back, while Iliana struggles with desiring independence from others. They do adapt, but not without repercussions.
Themes of love, guilt, forgiveness, religion, and the bonds between twins form the novel. I felt for all the characters in the book as they wrestled with the surprises life brings. I truly cared for them. However, I don’t care for bad language and s*x in the books I read. It would have been just as good (or better) without those elements. On sale in the U.S. on March 11.
2003, 329 pp.
Rating: 
Popularity: 26% [?]
Saturday, November 17th, 2007The Xanadu Adventure
This book by Lloyd Alexander is the last book in a series of books starring Vesper Holly, an Indiana Jones type adventurer in female form. I read this book to fulfill my ‘X’ title requirement and to celebrate Children’s Book Week.
Vesper, along with boyfriend ‘The Weed’ and mentor Brinnie and his wife Mary, go off in search of the ancient city of Troy. The action takes place just as Schliemann is discovering the ancient site, but the group is thwarted when they are taken to a different site believed to be Troy by Dr. Dionescu. An old nemesis turns up to further delay their plans.
The title of the book is taken from the poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “Kubla Khan.”
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree :
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
I haven’t read the previous books in this series at all, but I suspect this one very nicely wraps it up for the fans. I was particularly impressed with the history interwoven into the story as well as the vocabulary used.
Lloyd Alexander is best known for his The Chronicles of Prydain, a series that my own sons both loved. Mr. Alexander died earlier this year at the age of 83.
2005, 145 pp.
Rating: 3.5
Popularity: 15% [?]
Friday, October 19th, 2007Half of a Yellow Sun
A beautifully told story of a savage civil war, Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun definitely deserved the 2007 Orange Prize.
They sat on wooden planks and the weak morning sun streamed into the roofless class as she unfurled Odenigbo’s cloth flag and told them what the symbols meant. Red was the blood of the siblings massacred in the North, black was for mourning them, green was for the prosperity Biafra would have, and finally, the half of a yellow sun stood for the glorious future.
2006, 541 pp.
2007 Orange Prize
Rating: 4.5
Popularity: 24% [?]
Friday, August 17th, 2007A Death in the Family
A Death in the Family by James Agee
1957, 310 pp.
1958 Pulitzer
Rating: 4.5
Jay Follett, a dutiful husband and father, travels to his parents’ home because his father is dying. On his way back to his wife and children, he is killed in a car accident. The reaction to this tragedy by his family is told with heartbreaking prose. I was especially moved by the thoughts, feelings, and actions of his son, Rufus. This novel was largely autobiographical for Agee as his father died in a car accident when he was six years old. Sadly, Agee himself died of a heart attack at the age of 45, leaving behind young children of his own.
This novel profoundly touched me as my own father died of heart complications at the age of 44. The death of someone so young affects a family very deeply for many years. It is a tragedy I hope few people have to experience.
Popularity: 17% [?]
Monday, July 30th, 2007The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
The Blind Assassin
by Margaret Atwood
2000, 521 pp.
Booker Prize
Rating: 3.5
I was disappointed in this book. I expected great things after loving The Handmaid’s Tale earlier in the year. I was especially disappointed as it was over 500 pages; it could have easily lost about 100 pages of detail. I guess that’s my main gripe about it. It just seemed too detailed for me. Also I correctly predicted almost all that happened. Long, too detailed, and too predictable. But still, Atwood does know how to turn a phrase, and that is why it still gets a 3.5 star rating.
Popularity: 21% [?]
Saturday, May 12th, 2007The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Handmaid’s Tale
by Margaret Atwood
1986, 311 pages
Rating: 4.5
What a thought-provoking book!
Offred (Of Fred) is a woman who had her child and all her money taken away from her by the government. Her money was taken away just because she was female. Her daughter was taken away because her marriage was declared invalid. Why? Because it was the second marriage for her husband. The government has “religious” motivations for these acts. (Something I was a little uncomfortable with because I am a Christian, yet I realize there are always extremists. I took this as a cautionary tale.)
Spoiler alert! (Don’t read if you like to be in suspense during a book.)
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Things only get worse from there. She is forced to become a handmaid, or surrogate mother, for a man of high position in the government. However, the conception is to occur in the normal way–with the wife present! This was a little shocking to me! Somehow Atwood pulls this off without offending my prudish sensibilities. The life of Offred is certainly not enviable.
I found this book to be a jolt to my system. Atwood is a gifted writer, and I definitely plan on reading more of her works.
- Nymeth - May 12, 2007
- She really is a gifted writer. I recently finished “The Penelopiad”, which I recommend. I think I will be picking this one up next.
- Lynne - May 13, 2007
- I tried one of her books before and couldn’t finish it. But this one sounds interesting - might have to give her a second chance.
- Quixotic - May 13, 2007
- I really need to read something by Atwood, and soon!
- Stephanie - May 14, 2007
- I really loved this book. I don’t scare easily. I mean, I’ve read Stephen King and Dean Koontz all the time. But this book SCARED me!! I’m really glad you liked it!
- Suey - May 14, 2007
- It’s fun to read your thoughts on this book having just read it myself. I’ve been nervous to read it for years, but was glad I finally did. Thought provoking for sure. I have a couple of other Atwood books on my shelf that I hope to get to one of these days/years!
- Nyssaneala - May 20, 2007
- The Handmaid’s Tale is the book that founded by love for Atwood…and it’s still one of my all-time fave’s! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
She actually incorporated a lot of worldwide current events from the 1980’s such as the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Cold War and nuclear protection.
However, the movie is terrible.
Popularity: 13% [?]
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