Thursday, December 28, 2006

The Secret History, by Donna Tartt

The Secret History
Donna Tartt

You know what's annoying? You read the blurb on back of a novel, and yet, unbeknownst to you...it's not quite accurate. So you spend the entire book not really focusing on the book itself, but rather wondering when the information found in the blurb will come into play. Such was my experience reading Donna Tartt's Secret History. Allow me to repeat it here, if you don't mind:

Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality they slip gradually from obsession to corruption and betrayal, and at last--inexorably--into evil.

So, okay. Now, I won't spoil anything for the would-be reader, but not all of the above information is accurate. Yes, there is a charismatic classics professor. There is even a group of eccentric misfits. New England college? Check. And I might be arguing over semantics, but the rest of the blurb leaves a lot to be desired.

That isn't to say that I didn't enjoy The Secret History, for I did. True, it was a bit long-winded in places, and I was expecting (goaded on by the blurb on the back, no doubt) an ending that was a bit more..."diabolical," I suppose you could say. Overall, however, I found the book to be engrossing and enjoyable. The book is filled with literary allusions that any literature fan can appreciate, and the plot is quite suspenseful, especially as you anticipate how the "evil" will finally be resolved.

Besides, take a look at Ms. Tartt. She looks like she will fuck a bitch up (and I chose one of her more flattering pictures). So in the interest of pacifism, the book was excellent.

In a nutshell: Suspenseful and entertaining, The Secret History was a fun read but was not quite what I was led to expect.

Bibliolatry Scale: 4.5 out of 6 stars

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Mark Haddon

Fifteen-year-old Christopher Boone has discovered his neighbor's dog has been killed with a garden fork. Who on earth would kill a dog? With a pitchfork? Who even has a pitchfork these days? In the suburbs, no less? A pitchfork?

Anyway, Christopher isn't interested in the mystery of pitchfork--he wants to know who murdered the dog. And you can't blame him, really; I suppose the pitchfork isn't that important. So, after initially being blamed for the murder, he sets out to begin his own investigation to find the culprit. This wouldn't seem too extraordinary, except that Christopher is autistic; he does not understand complex emotions, cannot stand strangers, and takes to groaning and when feeling uncomfortable (which is often). How on earth will he be able to overcome these limitations to solve the mystery at hand?

Have no fear. Christopher overcomes these obstacles (sometimes gracefully, sometimes not so much), and he undertakes his investigation with a fortitude that should inspire any reader. Unfortunately, this is where the book's negative aspects appear. At times the book veers dangerously into sentimentality, and Haddon only just barely avoids becoming gimmicky in places (although others may argue that the entire book is gimmicky). I, however, like the novel's perspective, which is littered with Christopher's digressions on math and logic, his specialties.

Overall, I enjoyed The Curious Incident. It was a fast, touching read that allowed one into the mind of an autistic individual. While the novel has its flaws (the overly sentimental ending is a big one), they do not diminish the work.

In a nutshell: A fast, fun novel that will make you think, even though it is probably not something you will return to again and again (if ever).

Bibliolatry Scale: 4.5 out of 6 stars

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Orlando, by Virginia Woolf

Orlando
Virginia Woolf

Ah, Ginny. You're just too smart for me. I suspected as much after toiling through Mrs. Dalloway. Orlando, though a million times more entertaining (and easier to understand), has only confirmed my suspicions. Overall, Orlando is quite interesting (and quite hilarious in places), except that certain parts made me feel woefully inadequate.

To recapitulate briefly, Orlando is one lucky individual who gets to experience it all. His "biography" begins with his youth in Elizabethan England and ends three centuries later with his adulthood--as a woman. This scenario allows Woolf to grapple with gender roles, societal expectations, and the nature of reality.

While I enjoyed Orlando, I simply have no idea what to say about it. I have no idea even what to rate it. Should I rate it based on its genius (and Woolf is one who deserves the term, to continue an idea from my previous post) or my enjoyment of it? Argh.

In a nutshell: Way more fun than Mrs Dalloway, and easier to comprehend. Pretty hilarious, too. Just be prepared for a difficult final chapter.

Bibliolatry Scale: 6 for genius and 4 for enjoyment...so 5

Saturday, December 16, 2006

The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards

The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Kim Edwards

In case you haven't heard of this book, authors like Sue Monk Kidd and Jodi Picoult have praised The Memory Keeper's Daughter for being just breathtaking. A masterpiece. Genius. (Sidenote: it really irks me how often the term "genius" is applied from everyone to Lindsay Lohan to a mediocre writer. Einstein was a genius, people. Beethoven. Not some second-rate director who brought us a barely watchable film. Ok. Sorry.)

But it seems that ass-kissing, which is all the rage in Hollywood, has found its way to the world of books as well. I shouldn't be surprised. I'm sure it's always been this way. But when I've been duped by it, I get angry.

A brief overview of the maddening plot: It's the 1960s. There's a snowstorm. A doctor's wife goes into labor. Alone, with only a nurse to aid him, he must perform the delivery.

Surprise! It's twins.

Crap. One has Down's Syndrome.

So he tells the nurse to take the "bad" baby to an institution WHILE TELLING HIS WIFE SHE DIED. I, although not a violent person, would stab my husband if he were to do this to me. Thus begins the rather predictable soap opera that is The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Without the stabbing, of course.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter isn't the worst thing I've ever read, but it was far from the best. The prose is simplistic (and filled with a number of grammatical errors), the plot predictable, and the style emblematic of the soullessness that only a certain creative-writing program can give. (And I'm not knocking MFAs, but it seems that a lot of writers who come from certain programs all seem to write in the same, dead way, as though they are automatons practicing good writing from the same, overused handout used for the tenth year in a row by the same, tired teacher who'd rather not be teaching these pretentious students. And, if The Memory Keeper's Daughter is any indication, what they are not doing in these classes is practicing the proper use of commas.)

I know I am generalizing. I'm feeling bitter.

So, if you're looking for a fast read that isn't terribly interesting, this is the book for you.

In a nutshell: The Memory Keeper's Daughter is predictable in many places. The writing style is not "genius." But it does help you realize that commas are our friends.

Bibliolatry Scale: 1.5 out of 6 stars

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Hannibal Rising, by Thomas Harris

Hannibal Rising
Thomas Harris

If you are a fan of Hannibal Lecter, you might not want to read Hannibal Rising. Sometimes things are better left alone, for mystery's sake.

Hannibal Rising describes Hannibal Lecter's childhood and the events that make him the crazy killer that we all know and love. As a big fan of the other books in the series, I didn't even hesitate before pre-ordering a copy. When it finally arrived, I tore through it in a day, but at about 300 pages, it isn't very long, especially considering the font is rather large and after most chapters a blank page is inserted.

I enjoyed it at first, but I soon realized the problem with Hannibal Rising: its existence. Lecter's ability to scare the public comes in part from the fact that he simply is. Explaining the birth of the monster violates the a major rule of creating fear in the audience: don't give away too much; let the audience scare itself.

To me, it is truly more frightening to imagine that Lecter simply is. If he exists, simply a freak of nature, then other freaks will exist as well. However, as we find out very early in the book (so I'm not spoiling anything here), Lecter's evil is a direct result of the horrors of WWII.

Give me a break.

I'm certainly not belittling the horrors of war. But it's a rather mundane thing to have created an evil as great as Hannibal Lecter. C'mon! This is HANNIBAL LECTER. He is legend. He deserves something better than this. I suppose the problem is that no suffering would be too great to justify the deeds Lecter later performs.

And furthermore, Lecter only kills really shitty people in Hannibal Rising. Every single one deserves it! Instead of a cold-blooded killer who enjoys taking life, the young Lecter does so out of revenge, to purge the world of people who contribute nothing and who only take and hurt others. He is a vigilante, out to right the wrongs of his past. No one dies unnecessarily.

HUH???

What happened to killing a violinist because he played off-key??? The man who bit the face off another man for no reason?? Harris gives a glimpse into the birth of something in Hannibal Rises, but it isn't the Hannibal Lecter we have come to know.

In a nutshell: Harris has created an interesting story, for anyone other than Hannibal Lecter. Unfortunately, in this novel, Lecter doesn't live up to the legend that has already been created for him.

Bibliolatry Scale: 2 out of 6 stars

The Valley of the Dolls, by Jacqueline Susann

The Valley of the Dolls
Jacqueline Susann

Ah, celebrities. They have it SO HARD. They have to look glamorous, make tons of money, and be known all over the world. Thank God for dolls, pills in all shapes and colors. They ease the pain, you know?

Actually, the "dolls" part got old real friggin fast. It was cute for, oh, a second. They are pills, people. Stop calling them dolls for crying out loud. In fact, the writing style in general bothered me. It was quite dated. Geez! Enough already!

Valley of the Dolls, in case you are the other person on the planet who hasn't heard of it, is about three women's rise to fame, and the havoc this fame causes. Can't you feel the pain? It's hard to be beautiful, dammit.

I'm not being entirely fair here. I'm feeling a little bitter right now, so it's easy for me to bash people whose lives seem perfect on the exterior. Of course, I know it's easy to judge. Valley of the Dolls is a good reminder that fame rarely (if ever) equals happiness.

In a nutshell: Susann creates a great plot, but uses a dated, melodramatic writing style that hasn't stood the test of time very well. Nevertheless, Valley of the Dolls is a fun read.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3 out of 6 stars