A Quick Look at Good Stories

The Known World; E.P. Jones. I think this book is masterfully written, and the language used conjures strong visual images. It's one of those books I describe as "dense" because it is not lightly or easily read, and that takes time (which I've been extremely short on these past two months).

The story (loosely) centers on a former slave, Henry Townsend, who becomes a farmer and eventually a slave-owner. And while we do get a fairly close look at Henry and his wife, and their plantation, the story is so much bigger than that. It's really an examination of slavery and its complex moral consequences, for the slaves as well as the slave-owners. The author takes you deep inside the lives of particular slaves and their relationships with one another as well as with their "masters."

It recalled "Beloved" to my mind; I think they are both extraordinary historical fiction accounts of an extremely painful time in our history.

I would definitely recommend it as a somber, beautifully written novel that will stay with you for a long time.


Reading Lolita in Tehran; A. Nafisi
is a memoir based on Nafisi's experiences as female college professor of literature at the University of Tehran. After being barred from teaching, Nafisi started a female-only reading group that met secretly in her home. Both she and girls who participated did so at considerable risk. The chapters of the book are the titles of the novels read by the girls. Nafisi does a terrific job of drawing parallels between the novels discussed the lives of these women. This book was fascinating to me and I learned a lot about Iran in the process.

Interpreter of Maladies; J. Lahiri
is a collection of short stories. Most of them are set in India, but some take place in the US with Indian characters. The stories are original and frequently have unexpected endings, which is always a nice surprise (when done well). It was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2000.


The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
is written from an unusual and interesting perspective: that of an autistic boy. He stumbles upon a neighbor's dog that has been murdered and decides to solve the mystery. It's so much more than that, though. His mother has also disappeared and he has been told she's died, but isn't sure whether or not to believe his father, who has been acting very strangely. And of course, told through his eyes, we get an idea of the difficulties and pain associated with autism.

Gilead; M. Robinson

is the second novel, after a 20 year gap, by this Pulitzer Prize winning novelist. It's beautifully written and a wonderful story. An older man reflects on his life as death approaches. 

In the Time of the Butterflies; J. Alvarez

is a work of fiction based on the lives of Minerva, Patria, María Teresa, and Dedé Mirabal. These four women, sisters, were part of an underground attempt to overthrow the dictatorship of the Dominican Republic in the 50's. Alvarez is a great writer and makes their story really come alive. 

Authors I Continue to Admire

John Irving
The World According to Garp; Cider House Rules; A Prayer for Owen Meany; A Widow for One Year; The Hotel New Hampshire
Irving first novel was "Garp" and it is still my favorite of the ones I have read. I read it about 20 years ago and was totally awestruck by it. 20 years later, I am still taken by the "Under Toad" and Irving's eccentric characters and bizarre twists and turns of the story. I remember my husband commenting on how one night I would be crying while reading it and the next night laughing hysterically. How many books can do that to the reader?? I've enjoyed all the titles listed above. I don't plan on reading his just published "Until I Find You." I've read too many negative reviews and I don't want to read Irving on the way down.

Jane Hamilton
Book of Ruth; Map of the World; A Short History of a Prince
Three great novels; my favorite is "A Short History of a Prince." It 's a story about a man coming to terms with his homosexuality and learning to live with himself and his family. Beautifully written; very memorable.

Ian McEwan
Amsterdam; Atonement
Both are terrific, although I think "Atonement" is more of a pageturner. There's a murder mystery involved and it keeps the reader enthralled. I haven't picked up his latest: "Saturday" but I'm definitely planning on it!

Wally Lamb
She's Come Undone; I Know This Much Is True
Great big stories that immediately grab you and keep you turning the pages. "She's Come Undone" is the story of Dolores Price. While most kids her age were dealing with the monumental importance of the latest Beatles single and how college turned an older sibling into a long-haired hippie, Dolores was grappling with such issues as divorce, rape, and mental illness. Whether you're disgusted by her antics or moved by her pathetic ploys, you'll be drawn into Dolores's warped, hilarious, Mallomar-munching world (mamzon.com). Lamb's second novel is the story of twin bothers, one of whom is diagnosed with schizophrenia (if I remember correctly) and the story centers on the relationship between the brothers. Both novels were equally wonderful.

Nonfiction Choices

1776; D. McCullough
is a pretty riveting account of that significant year. It centers on George Washington and his pivotal role in winning the Revolutionary War. I was surprised at the number of really bad decisions Washington made that first year (according to this author). Washington was never confident that he was up to the job, and there was definitely a learning curve. Very Good



Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay; N. Milford
is a thoroughly engrossing bio of the poet. St. Vincent Millay died in 1950 and the author does a great job describing both her childhood and her "queen of bohemia" lifestyle in the 20s and 30s. She was a pretty fascinating woman. The bio includes many of her most famous poems ("My candle burns at both ends...") and provides terrific background info. After reading this, I bought The Selected Poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay and have since become a devoted Edna fan. I think my favorite might be "Renascence" which she wrote when she was 20! Very Good


The Life of Emily Dickinson; R. Sewall
was not as compelling as the St. Vincent Millay biography. Of course, Dickinson was wonderfully talented and I enjoyed getting to know about her life, of which I knew nothing except that she had been a recluse. I discovered only 7 out of 1800 poems by Dickinson were published while she was still alive! This book won the National Book Award when it was published (don't know the year). It offers a great deal of her poetry to the reader, as well. Favorites: "Hope Is a Thing with Feathers" and "A Book." Very Good


Sailing Alone Around the Room: Selected and New Poems by Billy Collins
is a collection of poems by the US Poet Laureate 2001-2003. I like his poetry because it's very accessible. Some are laugh out loud funny and others are very thoughtful. It's really poetry for everyone. Favorites: "The Art of Drowning" and "Forgetfulness."Very Good

Books I've Intensely Disliked

The Mermaid Chair; Sue Monk Kidd
was just embarrassing for the author! (She wrote a pretty good book a few years ago: The Secret Life of Bees, which I liked) Another (very tired) story of "woman:unfulfilled" walking away from "picture-perfect marriage" and "magazine-cover house" on a journey of "self-discovery." I don't have a problem with self-fulfillment, but I'm really not comfortable with it being accomplished by trampling on every other family member's happiness. This (pathetic) heroine goes on to have a steamy affair with a monk (that's right; a monk) and then decides she needs to return to hearth and home. I think this author may have spirituality confused with good sex! Don't waste a minute of your time reading this novel; life's WAY too short! And, what's even worse?? It's actually on the best-seller list right now!

The Devil in the White City; E. Larsen
is simply one of the most poorly written books I've read in years. I know I'm in the minority and you've probably already read it, but just in case, I thought I'd officially warn you: don't do it!! I can't figure out why it's so popular; maybe the Chicago connection and the Columbia Exposition story. After reading it, I immediately threw it away; I didn't want to ever accidentally pass it on to even my worst enemy!


The Bitch Posse; M. O'Connor
was officially publicized as NOT "chick lit" which is something I promised myself I would never read! It's a debut novel and had been well-reviewed. I thought it might be worthwhile, but I was dreadfully mistaken. I don't know what exactly "chick lit" is, except the titles in that section of Amazon are always awful and the covers always have pink in them; but I think this may actually have been something akin to it and I'm really mad at myself for wasting my time on it!