Wednesday - July 11, 2007
...catching up, again!
7,000 Clams by Lee Irby, Two Old
Women by Velma Wallis, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna
Clarke, The Jester by James Patterson & Andrew Gross
For awhile I was not too busy to read... then,
suddenly, I was busy to that point where by the time I found the time to read
(for pleasure), it was past sleepy time and my eyelids were lucky to stay lifted
for three sentences! I hope to move past that stage very soon - the stack of
books on my nightstand is screaming for attention. But meanwhile, here's the
myriad titles from my last lucky days of reading
indulgence:
7,000 Clams by Lee Irby (2004) - *** Flimsy beach fiction chosen mainly for it's dual settings in the two counties where I've spent the better part of my adult life: Monmouth County, NJ and Pinellas County, FL. And Lee Irby fulfills my desire by tossing about a plethora of familiar street names and landmarks like bouquets, each one igniting some memory or other and bringing a chuckling grin to my face. Set in the roaring 20's, it's a racy, romping mystery, complete with damsel in distress, rough--n-ready rogue hero, and icon-of-the-day Babe Ruth. A too-tight little story that would make a fun B-movie: not my genre but bonus points for geography.
The Jester by James Patterson & Andrew Gross (2003) - ***** I recall having criticisms of this book as I was reading it, but a few months later now, I pick it up and have only fond memories of escaping into it for so many nights. THIS is my current favorite genre - historical fiction. An epic tale set in a period of history - in this case, the time of the Crusades, beginning in 1096. You are completely immersed in this world, at times horrifying and others hilarious. You laugh, you cry, you never want it to end and long after it does you still remember The Jester and his quest. That's a good book!
Two Old Women by Velma Wallis (1993) - **** This is a tiny little book, a retelling of an Athabascan Indian legend set in Alaska, about how two old women were left behind (to die, presumably) by their struggling nomadic tribe. A timely tale to be resurrected as the legions of elderly bloom exponentially, it wisely and unforgettably illustrates the strength of the human spirit and the value of friendship, forgiveness and community.
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004) **** This heavyweight fiction gets off to a slow start - I have little patience for too much tedious detail. But if you have any appreciation for things British and the wonderful world of magic there's enough interest here to carry those of us accustomed to instant gratification through to the more engrossing part of the book, say, the second half. The characters are extraordinarily well-developed while still retaining a touch of mystery, like any perfect spouse or best friend - you know them SO well, but then... do you? It's a richly painted picture that will stop you at times with its subtle but sure depth and imagination, but mostly just whisk you away into another world, which, as I've said before, is just what I like in a book.
