You give, and you are given

Evidence
Mary Oliver

I have to thank both Beacon Press and LibraryThing's Early Reviewers Program for sending me Evidence, Mary Oliver's latest collection of poetry. I love Oliver's work and this newest collection does not disappoint.

I'm pleased to say that, while not every poem hit home, I enjoyed the majority of poems in the collection, and a few had such an impact on me that I was utterly unable to continue reading -- all I could do was to reread the lines which had affected me so. This happened a number of times, which is always a hallmark of a superior poet.

Oliver's poetry is simple and unpretentious; that's not to say, however, that it's facile or simple-minded. I love how she glories in the world around her, and finds beauty in every aspect of nature.

This ability is most clearly seen in "Prince Buzzard," one of my favorite poems in the collection. Here, Oliver is able to make beautiful that which is generally considered to be ugly: a buzzard feeding on carrion. Although this image is not a pleasant one, the poem that results from it is.

"Almost a Conversation" is another of my favorites; in this poem Oliver describes a conversation with an otter. I had quoted a portion of the poem in a previous draft of this review; upon rereading it, however, the power of those lines is not as strong as when attached to the entire poem, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.

At any rate, if you enjoy poetry characterized by simple phrasing, profound thoughts, and a glorification of the natural world, Evidence is for you.

In a nutshell: Oliver uses simple language to create profound poetry.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars

Take a ride with Lowboy

Lowboy
John Wray

I've recently read and reviewed Lowboy for the great Pajiba.

Lowboy follows a troubled teen as he roams New York City's underground. Click here to read my review.

In a nutshell: Lowboy is intriguing, fast-paced, and overall enjoyable.

Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars

Nothing remains but to let the darkness come

Julian
Gore Vidal

I don't know where on earth I found out about this book (I've never before read Gore Vidal, and I'm not particularly interested in the Ancient Romans), but I'm so glad whoever it was introduced me to Julian. Simply put, this book was amazing.

My surprise at the awesomeness of Julian comes as a result of a few hefty handicaps already stacked against it: for one, I keep confusing Gore Vidal with Al Gore, a man who -- despite his good intentions -- seems to me synonymous with TEH BORE. For another, the summary of the book made me feel like reading Julian would be as much fun as reading a textbook. Clearly, I was wrong on both counts.

Although such an overview is laughably superficial, I'll do my best to give a quasi-informed look at the man that was Julian Augustus. The emperor Julian was many things: philosopher, military strategist, essayist, and Hellenist. As a Hellenist, he rejected Christianity (despite Christianity being advocated by his uncle, Constantine the Great). However, Julian (also known as Julian the Apostate) did not want to force his countrymen to worship the old gods; rather, he sought to institute a society of religious tolerance in which all could worship freely. Unfortunately, not everyone was thrilled at such freedom.

Julian

Julian, for his part, never sought the throne. From the time he was a young boy, he aspired only to be a philosopher. The fates had their way, however, and Julian eventually took the throne. Vidal chronicles Julian's life from the time he was a young boy up to his death at the age of 32. The novel is told from a few perspectives: that of the Emperor himself, and two of his friends, the philosophers Priscus and Libanius.

right: Gore Vidal

Julian's portion is told from a manuscript taken after his death; Priscus and Libanius have their say via letters to one another and in notes annotating the text. This interplay often gave rise to humor, especially as rivalries and jealousies arise between the two old philosophers.

In a nutshell: In rereading this review, I feel I've made an awfully good book sound frightfully boring. This couldn't be further from the truth. Julian is what historical fiction should be: fascinatingly intelligent, deeply moving, and highly entertaining.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5.5 out of 6 stars

Sunday Sonnet

SONNETS ARE FULL OF LOVE
by Christina Rossetti


Sonnets are full of love, and this my tome
Has many sonnets: so here now shall be
One sonnet more, a love sonnet, from me
To her whose heart is my heart’s quiet home,
To my first Love, my Mother, on whose knee
I learnt love-lore that is not troublesome;
Whose service is my special dignity,
And she my loadstar while I go and come
And so because you love me, and because
I love you, Mother, I have woven a wreath
Of rhymes wherewith to crown your honored name:
In you not fourscore years can dim the flame
Of love, whose blessed glow transcends the laws
Of time and change and mortal life and death.

Reading Resolution: April Update

Finally -- the spell has been broken. The monstrous grip held by both LOST and Drood has been broken, and I can now return my full attention to my reading resolution. April wasn't the best of months as far as my resolution was concerned, but I'm getting back to it. Really, I swear.


RESOLUTION TITLES READ IN APRIL: 4

Ferris, Joshua. Then We Came to the End
Freund, Harry. I Never Saw Paris
Mabanckou, Alain. African Psycho
Thomson, Rupert. The Book of Revelation


NON-RESOLUTION TITLES READ IN APRIL: 3

Lerman, Eleanor. The Blonde on the Train
Matheson, Richard. Button, Button
Simmons, Dan. Drood



TOTAL TITLES READ IN APRIL: 7

CURRENT RESOLUTION PROGRESS: 25 / 88

TOTAL BOOKS READ IN 2009: 29

Ah, push it -- p-push it real good

Button, Button: Uncanny Stories
Richard Matheson

I was interested in reading "Button, Button" after hearing a film version starring Cameron Diaz would be released this summer. "Button, Button" is a short, gripping, and fast read, so I took a gander at the rest of the stories. For the most part, I wasn't disappointed.

The premise behind "Button, Button" is an intriguing one: would you kill a total stranger in return for 50,000? Okay, this story was written in the seventies, so, adjusting for inflation and keeping in mind our current "hard economic times," would you do it for a million? All you have to do is push a nice little button. That's it. Somewhere in the world, someone will die. You'll get the money and can live guilt-free. I mean, it's not like you actually know the person, right? And, of course, there's always the possibility that no one will die at all. Anyway, I'd like to think I wouldn't do it, but I suppose I'll never know. And I won't tell you want the characters in the story will do, either. IT WILL BE A TOTAL SURPRISE TO YOU.*

The other stories were, for the most part, just as good as "Button, Button." There were a few stories that fell flat for me, but the majority of these 12 stories kept me entertained. Considering I read the entire collection in under a day, I'm pretty pleased.

Of the others I enjoyed, there's "No Such Thing as a Vampire," which puts a cool spin on the Dracula myth; "Girl of my Dreams," in which a girl who dreams the future is used by her enterprising boyfriend; "Tis the Season to Be Jelly," which illustrates the effects of playing with science; and "A Flourish of Strumpets," which introduces the reader to some very unique marketing techniques.

So, dear readers, I have to know: would you push a button that kills a random stranger in return for an insane amount of money? Be honest now...

In a nutshell: Not every story wowed me, but this collection was an entertaining read that didn't hurt ye olde braine too much.

Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars




*Actually, that's not entirely true. But it's still a good story anyway.