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Brief
Book Reviews
22 October 2002
Spinning into Butter, Boy Gets
Girl
Rebecca Gilman
I've always looked upon reading plays as the
equivalent of reading sheet music, but these were in New York recently, and I
like anything that tackles social issues, so I gave them a shot. One is about
sexual harassment, the other about race. Nothing revelatory, but they’re
gutsy and amusing.
John Stuart Mill in Love
Josephine Kamm
I caught a terrible cold a few years ago
and was home on the couch for three days, drinking hot water with lemon and
dreaming about being able to breathe through my nose again. Thanks to this
book, it’s a fond memory. John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor were a
remarkable pair. Their long, probably platonic, yet romantic and intensely
intellectual relationship profoundly affected Mill's work, particularly his
views of women, which were quite progressive for the mid-nineteenth century.
He eventually married Harriet after her husband died, only to lose her to
tuberculosis. This is a dignified and unassuming work of scholarship, as well
as a captivating story.
Tricky Business
Dave Barry
While certainly sophomoric, Dave's second
novel is not a sophomore effort; it's even more fun than his first. Dave is already a national
treasure, a reliable source of giggles in my Sunday paper, so he didn't
really have to bother with novels. Except he needs an outlet for his R-rated
off-color observations and anti-government rantings (I stumbled across an
interview with him once that belied his affable overgrown teenager image -
the guy's a raving Libertarian! Which shows through in his work, once you
start noticing it). He's surprisingly easy with dialogue and pacing - well,
maybe not so surprising. As a humorist, he's attuned to people, and timing is
everything. My only concern is that this book is one more step towards the
day when we run out of catch phrases for book, movie and song titles. I'm
very worried about this. Some can be recycled in other genres (Keeping the
Faith, for example) and some even within the same genre, more than once (Birds
of America), but a cliche-shortage is at hand.
The Country of Marriage: stories
Anthony Giardina
This collection of short stories is about
men. They have families and careers, yet despite the outward trappings of
success, a central satisfaction somehow eludes them. These are men who are
susceptible to a certain moment in the afternoon when the light "is like
the emptying out of drawers" and the fundamental loneliness of life
cannot be avoided. Each maintains distance from the woman in his life; one
turns from his wife to seek affection from a woman he doesn’t care for, only
to find that when he’s with her he imagines his wife. Another finds love and
comfort only with his infant daughter, and in a twist that is much more than
a simple reversal of gender roles, stays with and pleases his wife, who is
preoccupied with work and an affair, in order to be with the child. Giardina
himself doesn’t quite get women, as is clear from the one story in the book
that has a female narrator, but the decision to let real happiness slip by,
rather than risk losing the small comforts of a "settled-for" life,
is a something that casts a late afternoon shadow over the hearts of women
and men alike.
Pretending the Bed is a Raft: stories
Nanci Kincaid
At first glance, these eight stories seem
peopled by southern belles and laconic men’s men, holdovers from a world
nearly gone. But Kincaid’s insight, sympathy and humor take their stories to
a deeper level. A young girl puzzles out the mysteries of poverty, prejudice
and power against the backdrop of a high school ritual. Another teenage girl,
testing her powers, learns about infidelity in several different ways at
once. A man struggles to find happiness against his own overwhelming inertia.
And in a surprisingly funny story, a woman plans for the care of her family
after her own impending death.
Personals:
Dreams and Nightmares from the Lives of 20 Young Writers
Thomas Beller, ed.
This collection of personal essays by
writers in their twenties and early thirties is heavily weighted toward New
Yorkers, but still spans a variety of experiences and viewpoints. There is
the tale of a captivating e-mail courtship and its rocky transition to the
real world; the struggle of a Vietnamese immigrant family trying to make it
in rural Pennsylvania; and the study of a boyhood spent learning the art of
tall-tale telling in a tiny Mormon Arizona town. The personal essay is the
latest fashion in literature, with a fairly unrestricted form and with
contents drawn directly from the author’s life. It is well suited to
recounting the fumblings and wrong turns of one’s twenties, the grappling
with big questions of career, religion, marriage and children as personal
identity begins to crystallize. Many of these pieces read like diary entries
from a time you’re glad to have experienced but wouldn’t want to live through
again, like living in New York City at the age of 21 with no furniture and
subsisting on Chinese takeout and Tasti-D-Lite. The best pieces are not
necessarily written by the writers with the most interesting lives, but by
those talented enough to know when to sacrifice truth for the sake of the
story. "Despite my best efforts," says Brady Udall in the most
entertaining piece in the collection, "this memoir, like all memoirs, is
chock full of lies. It’s better that way, take my word for it."
Close to the Bone
Jake Lamar
The novel begins with a question posed to
five men at a workshop: "What is a black man?" In the months
leading up to the O.J. Simpson criminal verdict, the lives of these men, and
the women they’re involved with, become deeply entwined. Lamar’s sly and
perceptive wit shows no favor; he skewers the buppie businessman, his preppie
white girlfriend, and pompous self-help guru alike. However, he stops short
of parodying his characters, creating instead a fresh, complex and very
realistic look at the issues of race, sex and class in America.
Travels with Lizbeth:
Three Years on the Road and On the Streets
Lars Eigher
A homeless man’s story of life on the
streets with his dog. The perceptive and stoic Eigher gives a glimpse of
urban life that most of us don’t see, including a primer in the art of
dumpster diving. See Cold New World,
Nickel and Dimed
I’m a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away
Bill Bryson
For a lighter look at American culture,
Bryson’s latest book is the perfect place to turn. Returning to the U.S.
After 20 years in England, the author finds that things are not quite as he
had left them. He’s confounded by airport security, myriad cold medicines
which all offer miracle cures, and not surprisingly, by IRS forms. Bryson
sends them all up with his inimitable gift for making the everyday annoyances
of life into a source of hilarity. He also pays tribute to American
gregariousness and optimism, which he has come to appreciate after spending
so many years abroad. You’ll recognize Bryson’s America, and laugh at it, but
you’ll also grudgingly acknowledge that for all its excesses and fondness for
rules, America is still a pretty great place.
Home Comforts
Cheryl Mendelson
The line between Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder and good housekeeping is a fine one, if it exists at all (see Just Checking). My sympathies lie
squarely with Mendelson, who knew her first marriage was over when her
husband dumped his suitcases, wheels and all, onto the unmade bed. More than
a housekeeping manual, this book is dedicated to the philosophy behind
creating a pleasant and comfortable home, and to elevating housework from
drudgery to an art and a science. The book is neatly illustrated and full of
details – how to make hospital corners, which wineglass to use when – yet
also invitingly instructive in the very basics of cooking and cleaning when
you are working full time. You can’t open this book without learning
something (did you know that bread goes stale six times faster in the
refrigerator than it does at room temperature?) and being at least a little
bit inspired to make your home a nicer place. Whether you’ve never sewed on a
button, or want to explore the difference between damask and dimity, there’s
something in here for you.
Americans’ Favorite Poems
Robert Pinsky, ed.
Pinsky, the U.S. Poet Laureate, sent out a
public invitation in 1998 to all Americans to write to him about their
favorite poem. Americans of all ages and from all backgrounds responded. The
200 poems selected here include many classics as well as some lesser-known
choices, spanning the world and stretching back to the beginning of history.
Each is accompanied by the words of the selector, telling why the poem was
chosen. It is a treat to read a collection of pieces in which every single
one is someone’s very favorite. It is also inspiring to read the eloquent
personal statements of people, not famous and often not professional readers
or writers, moved to share their love for one special poem.
Life Stories: Profiles from the
New Yorker
David Remnick, ed.
One feature the New Yorker is known
for is the profile: an in-depth study of a particular living person.
Collected here are some of the finest examples of the genre, by some of the
finest writers of the century. Each piece immerses the reader in the world of
its subject, be it a sports star, wildlife biologist, advice columnist or
magician. Profiles are short enough to be read in one good sitting, but long
enough to allow for quirky digression and profound insight. You’ll get to
know what’s behind Richard Pryor’s powerful comedy, learn about Bill
Bradley’s extraordinary peripheral vision, and meet a man who is planning to
walk a tightrope across the Grand Canyon. This book is enjoyable both for its
portrayals of extraordinary people, and for the sheer pleasure of reading
some of the best writing around.
Evening News
Marly Swick
The terrible story makes the papers and the
TV news: A boy playing with a gun accidentally shoots and kills his baby
sister. From the moment of the accident, through the following days, weeks
and even years, Swick’s novel shows us the impact of the tragedy, felt long
after the news has faded. An already fragile stepfamily is fractured by the
event: both parents have lost a daughter, but only one parent has a son who
caused her death. Swick tackles the tough subject with skill, exploring the
interplay of parental love, allegiance, blame and responsibility, amidst a
pitch-perfect portrayal of life in the modern American suburbs.
Paper Wings
Marly Swick
This novel is an expansion of one of her
short stories, which would have been better left in its undiluted form.
Marriage and Morals
Bertrand Russell
Easy to read discussion of exactly what the
title says. Russell is way ahead of his time, proposing among other things,
starter or student marriages.
The Giant's House
Elizabeth McCracken
Starts off strong and falters at the end,
but a fantastic first novel. Recommended especially for librarians, and
misfits of any kind.
The Stepford Wives
Ira Levin
Hokey for sure, but a good read, and a must
for cultural references. Currently being reissued, I believe. Rosemary’s
Baby is much the same, just a little sillier.
Fierce Attachments
Vivian Gornick
Gornick writes beautifully about being a
solitary person, a middle-aged woman and New York writer, and about growing
up in Brooklyn. Reading about her life alone leaves the reader with the perfect
bittersweet aftertaste: a mix of admiration, fear, sadness and a bit of envy.
My Own Country
Abraham Verghese
Verghese treats AIDS patients in Tennessee,
many of them closeted gay men who left the small town for a life of freedom
in the big city, and then returned when they got sick. Others are rural women
infected by their partners. A sober but fascinating look at the disease’s
impact on a small town, and the small town’s culture on medical treatment.
Verghese knows just how to interlace his own story as well. See The Tennis Partner.
White Noise
Don DeLillo
I don’t quite get what all the fuss is
about this book, though it has its amusing moments. Too-post-modern for me.
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit
Sloan Wilson
A sincere snapshot of life in the
post-world war II era.
Right Women
Elinor Burkett
A study of modern-day conservative women.
My Name is Aram
William Saroyan
Fables of an Armenian boyhood. Funny and
wise.
Better than Harry
Potter:
If you want to read a really good book
about a young boy discovering the world of magic, try one of these.
Fifth Business
Robertson Davies
The first book in his Deptford Trilogy.
Carter Beats the Devil
Glen David Gold
Based on the story of an early twentieth
century magician and his encounters with Houdini and with Warren G. Harding
on the night of the President's mysterious death.
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