The deadliest natural disaster in America is told by one of the rising stars in literature, Erik Larson. The time is 1900; the place is Galveston, Texas; the event is a massive hurricane aimed directly at the Texas island. This storm will kill 6,000 to 12,000 people depending on which report you read over the next hundred years. How did it come without warning? Why didn't the newly formed U.S Weather Bureau take this storm seriously? This is the main theme of this non-fiction thriller.
It seems that there are several reasons for the lack of a forewarning. The main reason seems to be the imperialistic attitude of the U.S.Weather Bureau in Cuba. They did everything they could do to muffle the so called alarmism of the Cuban weather forecasters. Even though the Cubans were more experienced with hurricanes, the U.S. thought that their dire warnings caused unnecessary panic. Therefore, the hurricane that just passed Cuba in a much milder form was not judged to be extremely dangerous to the U.S. coast. According to the Cuban forecasters, that was a huge mistake.
The second problem was that the U.S. Weather Bureau's agent in Galveston, Isaac Cline. Mr. Cline, had previously published a book which stated that no hurricane could do severe damage to the Galveston/ Gulf area. That alone stopped the proposed building of a seawall. On the day of the hurricane, Isaac finally gave in and said that he urged people to get off the beach and seek higher ground. He said he saved at least 6,000 lives, yet no witness was ever found to substantiate his claimed warning. The book is filled with short, sad stories about local families that survived and those that didn't.
The loss of human life was much greater than The Johnstown Flood of 1889, which killed 2,000 people, or The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906, which killed 3,000 people. The only good to come out of the Galveston hurricane was that the island finally got their seawall, and the U.S. Weather Bureau paid far more attention to hurricanes and to local prognosticators. As with any Erik Larson book, it was an extremely exciting, well written book and I would highly recommend it to readers of all genres.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: This was the third book Erik Larson wrote and I believe it ignited his new pattern of writing fresh and exciting non-fiction. Since Larson studied Russian History at the University of Pennsylvania, I'm waiting for a non fiction book involving Russia. Let's do it! He has taught non-fiction writing to several schools including the University of Oregon - lucky students!
Friday, July 13, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
FIVE LITTLE PIGS
Wee, wee, wee, I had the right murderer, but then I changed my mind; I shouldn't
have.
Mais voyons, I made a faux pas that Hercule never would have made. Now I'm talking gobbledegook! Once again, Agatha Christie entertains the reader with the great Belgian detective who lives in England and loves to speak French. This time Hercule Poirot relies on a little epistolary to solve this sixteen year old crime. I say faugh to the murderer in this 1943 novel. I cheated, the word faugh was used in this novel by Agatha and is a interjection meaning "expressed contempt".
Our favorite detective is asked by a convicted murderess's daughter to investigate whether her mother killed her father. Apparently before Carla Lemarchant's (nee Crale) mother died in prison, she wrote Carla (then five years old) a letter stating that she was innocent of the murder of her husband and Carla's father, the artist Amyas Crale. Carla, brought up by a Canadian family for the ensuing sixteen years, gets the letter when she turns 21 years old. Her fiancee is upset that he is possibly marrying the daughter of a murderess. Carla wants to find out the truth in order to allay their fears. Poirot decides to take the case under the pretense that he is writing and/or editing a book about famous past murders. Did Caroline Crale really poison her artist husband sixteen years earlier? The jury believed she did and sentenced her to life in prison. She died shortly after the conviction.
There are five suspects (little pigs) that our 5' 4" sleuth zeroes in on. They include Amyas Crale's best friend Philip Blake and his brother Meredith Blake, Crale's lover Elsa Greer, the governess Cecillia Williams, and Caroline's disfigured sister Angela Warren. He interviews each suspect and then asks them to put their recollections in the form of a letter to him so he can clear up any ambiguities before the book is published. Needless to say, Hercule summons the five suspects together at Meredith Blake's house and to their surprise, he solves the murder case.
I think what makes Agatha's novels intriguing is the way Hercule Poirot solves murders. He really doesn't rely on clues, but instead he arrives at a decision by pure reasoning and only then does he draw a logical conclusion. In his own words he states "My success, let me tell you, has been founded on the psychology- the eternal why? of human behaviour." He is the forerunner of later detectives, such as The Thin Man and Columbo . Once again, as with all that Agatha Christie's writes, I highly recommend this enjoyable novel.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: This novel was originally published as Murder in Retrospect . Agatha's second husband was famous archaeologist Sir Max Mallowan. She accompanied him on many of his digs that served as future settings for Hercule Poirot novels. In 1971 she received one of Britain's highest honors by being named Dame of the British Empire.
Our favorite detective is asked by a convicted murderess's daughter to investigate whether her mother killed her father. Apparently before Carla Lemarchant's (nee Crale) mother died in prison, she wrote Carla (then five years old) a letter stating that she was innocent of the murder of her husband and Carla's father, the artist Amyas Crale. Carla, brought up by a Canadian family for the ensuing sixteen years, gets the letter when she turns 21 years old. Her fiancee is upset that he is possibly marrying the daughter of a murderess. Carla wants to find out the truth in order to allay their fears. Poirot decides to take the case under the pretense that he is writing and/or editing a book about famous past murders. Did Caroline Crale really poison her artist husband sixteen years earlier? The jury believed she did and sentenced her to life in prison. She died shortly after the conviction.
There are five suspects (little pigs) that our 5' 4" sleuth zeroes in on. They include Amyas Crale's best friend Philip Blake and his brother Meredith Blake, Crale's lover Elsa Greer, the governess Cecillia Williams, and Caroline's disfigured sister Angela Warren. He interviews each suspect and then asks them to put their recollections in the form of a letter to him so he can clear up any ambiguities before the book is published. Needless to say, Hercule summons the five suspects together at Meredith Blake's house and to their surprise, he solves the murder case.
I think what makes Agatha's novels intriguing is the way Hercule Poirot solves murders. He really doesn't rely on clues, but instead he arrives at a decision by pure reasoning and only then does he draw a logical conclusion. In his own words he states "My success, let me tell you, has been founded on the psychology- the eternal why? of human behaviour." He is the forerunner of later detectives, such as The Thin Man and Columbo . Once again, as with all that Agatha Christie's writes, I highly recommend this enjoyable novel.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: This novel was originally published as Murder in Retrospect . Agatha's second husband was famous archaeologist Sir Max Mallowan. She accompanied him on many of his digs that served as future settings for Hercule Poirot novels. In 1971 she received one of Britain's highest honors by being named Dame of the British Empire.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Lusitania
This well written history was quite a roller coaster ride! First I was totally bored, then heavyhearted and somber, and finally was left tediously wearisome. Don't get me wrong. I liked the book. It's just that the first part of the book informs the reader endlessly about the origin of submarines and the reasons the British figured the Germans would not use them in World War I. Diana Preston, who is a Londoner, seems to be dedicated to detail in the extreme. The reader has to understand that this is a pure history book, not like the newly written non-fiction books that read like fiction. This is the story of the sinking of the Cunard ship Lusitania about three years after the accidental sinking of the TITANIC.
The Lusitania's final voyage and the passenger movements aboard was very interesting. The ship had many famous Americans on board: millionaire Alfred Vanderbilt, whose body was never recovered; theatrical bigwigs; Oliver Bernard, who sketched the disaster; and Charles Frohman, who perished. The relationship between twelve year old Avis Dolphin and traveling Professor Holbourn was gratifying (both survived). The bewildering fact is that the travellers were warned in a 4/22/1915 newspaper ad that war existed between Germany and England. The American passengers were cautioned that they were traveling at their own risk. The question was whether or not the Germans would actually torpedo a luxury liner. Nobody believed a ocean liner would be attacked without a warning shot over her bow and a boarding to inspect for any contraband. One wonders why the British and Cunard luxury liners would take that kind of chance. Were the Germans right in their opinion that Winston Churchill, the First Lord of the Admiralty at the time, wanted Kaiser Wilhelm II to sink the Lusitania, thus drawing the Americans into the war? If so, it worked two years later!
The disaster happened on 5/7/1915 just eleven miles off shore of Ireland. The Lusitania's Captain Turner made many mistakes, such as traveling too slowly and closely to shore. The German Commander of sub U20, Walther Schwieger, had a unexpectedly easy target and had the unconscionable baroque to murder 1,201 people, including 94 children. Where was the British Navy? They were supposed to escort the ship home. There are many other questions. Why was the luxury liner carrying nearly all contraband in her cargo hold, including 4,200 cases of rifle bullets and 1,250 cases of 3.3" shrapnel shells? If the U.S.A. was a neutral country, why were we supplying arms to Great Britain and not to the Germans? Diana Preston excellently sums up the epic tragedy by saying on page 393, "The truth was that no government, British, German, or American, was entirely free of blame for the situation leading up to the attack. Nor, in its wake, was any government hesitant to twist the facts, or use the disaster, to its own political ends."
The reason that I said this book was wearisome is that I'm not used to being bombarded with fact after fact and going over political motives for 532 pages. I know it was necessary to tell the entire story, but the fact is nobody to this date knows the full truth of the catastrophe. I highly recommend this book to any pure history buff out there. I also applaud Diana Preston's effort to painstakingly document this tragedy.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: The Lusitania could convert to a auxiliary cruiser for the British Navy if needed, but it never happened due to her high cost of fuel. The luxury liner only took 18 minutes to sink after being torpedoed by the U20. She listed heavily to the left after the hit, making it very difficult for the life boats to be lowered. Diana Preston's current book is The Dark Defile and is the author of The Boxer Rebellion.
The Lusitania's final voyage and the passenger movements aboard was very interesting. The ship had many famous Americans on board: millionaire Alfred Vanderbilt, whose body was never recovered; theatrical bigwigs; Oliver Bernard, who sketched the disaster; and Charles Frohman, who perished. The relationship between twelve year old Avis Dolphin and traveling Professor Holbourn was gratifying (both survived). The bewildering fact is that the travellers were warned in a 4/22/1915 newspaper ad that war existed between Germany and England. The American passengers were cautioned that they were traveling at their own risk. The question was whether or not the Germans would actually torpedo a luxury liner. Nobody believed a ocean liner would be attacked without a warning shot over her bow and a boarding to inspect for any contraband. One wonders why the British and Cunard luxury liners would take that kind of chance. Were the Germans right in their opinion that Winston Churchill, the First Lord of the Admiralty at the time, wanted Kaiser Wilhelm II to sink the Lusitania, thus drawing the Americans into the war? If so, it worked two years later!
The disaster happened on 5/7/1915 just eleven miles off shore of Ireland. The Lusitania's Captain Turner made many mistakes, such as traveling too slowly and closely to shore. The German Commander of sub U20, Walther Schwieger, had a unexpectedly easy target and had the unconscionable baroque to murder 1,201 people, including 94 children. Where was the British Navy? They were supposed to escort the ship home. There are many other questions. Why was the luxury liner carrying nearly all contraband in her cargo hold, including 4,200 cases of rifle bullets and 1,250 cases of 3.3" shrapnel shells? If the U.S.A. was a neutral country, why were we supplying arms to Great Britain and not to the Germans? Diana Preston excellently sums up the epic tragedy by saying on page 393, "The truth was that no government, British, German, or American, was entirely free of blame for the situation leading up to the attack. Nor, in its wake, was any government hesitant to twist the facts, or use the disaster, to its own political ends."
The reason that I said this book was wearisome is that I'm not used to being bombarded with fact after fact and going over political motives for 532 pages. I know it was necessary to tell the entire story, but the fact is nobody to this date knows the full truth of the catastrophe. I highly recommend this book to any pure history buff out there. I also applaud Diana Preston's effort to painstakingly document this tragedy.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: The Lusitania could convert to a auxiliary cruiser for the British Navy if needed, but it never happened due to her high cost of fuel. The luxury liner only took 18 minutes to sink after being torpedoed by the U20. She listed heavily to the left after the hit, making it very difficult for the life boats to be lowered. Diana Preston's current book is The Dark Defile and is the author of The Boxer Rebellion.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
OMG: Obscene Mind Games
The author sent me a copy of this short story to review:
C.I. Masuda writes a palatable short story of what could happen if you choose the the wrong partner in marriage. He gives the reader advice on what to look for in a possible failed matrimony along with tips for the nascent couples thinking about taking the big step. My first question to Mr. Masuda is: What were you thinking? Even I know that Japanese and Chinese cognate like The Hatfields and the McCoys of 1863. Did you forget about all the defeats the Japanese Army gave the Chinese? Anyway, I know that love camouflages future problems, but being engaged for six years should have been a red flag. Based on all the bellicosity you received from your former bride, I understand your desire to write this wonderful short story.
I think the most important lesson learned from this story is to stay away from any possible partner that displays extreme hatred. Being that she hated her family and yours is tantamount to an admission of future failure. The fact that she constantly under dressed you and over dressed herself during your social engagements and then pretended to be the loving wife is an obvious faux pas! I like the part where you state that she had the habit of saying, "Uh, it's alright". Was she really saying that she was in a constant state of agita? The fact that the hoi polloi didn't show any enthusiasm at your wedding was also not a good omen for future relations with family and friends. I think her shocking behavior at your initial attack of acid reflux was a bellwether of a coming depression for you. Does she really sleep with her eyes open?
Overall, I enjoyed this short story and would recommend it to any couple of compos mentis contemplating taking the big step. Chapter 17 in this book gives 60 tips on what to avoid and what to do if you are getting ready to ask your love to get hitched. Don't be obdurate and think your arrogance is enough to overcome any difficulty, take the sage advise of Mr. Masuda and rethink your options before taking the knee. This story is not just flapdoodle, Mr. Masuda is just trying to keep you from having a dreadful experience!
RATING: 2 out of 5 stars
Comment: Mr. Masuda is permanently disabled from a head-on collision near his home and is residing in New Jersey while contemplating another marriage(?). He is currently writing the sequel to this short story. Lets hope this next story is more euphoric.
C.I. Masuda writes a palatable short story of what could happen if you choose the the wrong partner in marriage. He gives the reader advice on what to look for in a possible failed matrimony along with tips for the nascent couples thinking about taking the big step. My first question to Mr. Masuda is: What were you thinking? Even I know that Japanese and Chinese cognate like The Hatfields and the McCoys of 1863. Did you forget about all the defeats the Japanese Army gave the Chinese? Anyway, I know that love camouflages future problems, but being engaged for six years should have been a red flag. Based on all the bellicosity you received from your former bride, I understand your desire to write this wonderful short story.
I think the most important lesson learned from this story is to stay away from any possible partner that displays extreme hatred. Being that she hated her family and yours is tantamount to an admission of future failure. The fact that she constantly under dressed you and over dressed herself during your social engagements and then pretended to be the loving wife is an obvious faux pas! I like the part where you state that she had the habit of saying, "Uh, it's alright". Was she really saying that she was in a constant state of agita? The fact that the hoi polloi didn't show any enthusiasm at your wedding was also not a good omen for future relations with family and friends. I think her shocking behavior at your initial attack of acid reflux was a bellwether of a coming depression for you. Does she really sleep with her eyes open?
Overall, I enjoyed this short story and would recommend it to any couple of compos mentis contemplating taking the big step. Chapter 17 in this book gives 60 tips on what to avoid and what to do if you are getting ready to ask your love to get hitched. Don't be obdurate and think your arrogance is enough to overcome any difficulty, take the sage advise of Mr. Masuda and rethink your options before taking the knee. This story is not just flapdoodle, Mr. Masuda is just trying to keep you from having a dreadful experience!
RATING: 2 out of 5 stars
Comment: Mr. Masuda is permanently disabled from a head-on collision near his home and is residing in New Jersey while contemplating another marriage(?). He is currently writing the sequel to this short story. Lets hope this next story is more euphoric.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
A SECRET LIFE: the lies and scandals of President Grover Cleveland
This is the fifth non-fiction book pertaining to presidents from the late 1800s that I've read recently, and it is a good one! It's not quite of the thriller ilk, but it's close. This book stays with the facts gathered by Charles Lachman's extensive research, but still leaves the reader feeling like he is reading fiction. That's the main criterion I look for in this genre I call non-fiction thrillers. The main authors in this category are two of my favorites: Candice Millard and Erik Larson. This book does leave the reader with some doubt as to who is lying about the alleged rape of Maria Halpin by Grover Cleveland, thus qualifying as an exemplar work of labyrinthine narrative storytelling. Well done Charles Lachman!
The main theme of the book is about the sexual encounter between (at the time) private citizen Grover Cleveland and store clerk Maria Halpin. The liaison results in a child born nine months later named Oscar Folsom Cleveland, later changed to James E. King, Jr. The child is bounced around between Maria, an orphanage, back to Maria, and finally to Dr. James E. King, a friend of Grover Cleveland. All of these actions are orchestrated by Buffalo New York's foremost lawyer Grover Cleveland, while being opposed vehemently by Maria.
The secondary theme is how this sexual abuse or consensual sex affected Grover Cleveland's bid for: Mayor of Buffalo, Governor of New York, and President of the United States. Grover, a democrat, was trying to break years of republican rule dating back to Abraham Lincoln. Newspapers backed either Grover or his counterpart with many lies and innuendos provided by both sides. I found this part of the book very interesting since this was the start of what we now know as "dirty politics". The mud slinging in the 1884 presidential race between Grover and James G. Blaine set the acrimonious standard we see currently.
The third salient motif I got out of this book was the love affair between the 48 year old President Cleveland and the 21 year old daughter of his deceased best friend, Oscar Folsom. Frances Folsom and Grover became the only President and First Lady to be married in the White House. Frances stayed loyal to Grover during their marriage even with all the muckraking from the Republican Party. This is a must read for any historians out there who are interested in presidential lore. I still haven't fully made up my mind on the the alleged rape because Grover Cleveland was noted as the most honest and forthright president of all previous incumbents.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, the only President to serve two non-consecutive terms. As the Erie County District Attorney in 1863, Grover paid Polish immigrant George Beniski $150 to serve in his place during the Civil War. If you are interested in Cleveland read An Honest President by H. Paul Jeffers and Grover Cleveland: A Study in Character by Alyn Brodsky.
The main theme of the book is about the sexual encounter between (at the time) private citizen Grover Cleveland and store clerk Maria Halpin. The liaison results in a child born nine months later named Oscar Folsom Cleveland, later changed to James E. King, Jr. The child is bounced around between Maria, an orphanage, back to Maria, and finally to Dr. James E. King, a friend of Grover Cleveland. All of these actions are orchestrated by Buffalo New York's foremost lawyer Grover Cleveland, while being opposed vehemently by Maria.
The secondary theme is how this sexual abuse or consensual sex affected Grover Cleveland's bid for: Mayor of Buffalo, Governor of New York, and President of the United States. Grover, a democrat, was trying to break years of republican rule dating back to Abraham Lincoln. Newspapers backed either Grover or his counterpart with many lies and innuendos provided by both sides. I found this part of the book very interesting since this was the start of what we now know as "dirty politics". The mud slinging in the 1884 presidential race between Grover and James G. Blaine set the acrimonious standard we see currently.
The third salient motif I got out of this book was the love affair between the 48 year old President Cleveland and the 21 year old daughter of his deceased best friend, Oscar Folsom. Frances Folsom and Grover became the only President and First Lady to be married in the White House. Frances stayed loyal to Grover during their marriage even with all the muckraking from the Republican Party. This is a must read for any historians out there who are interested in presidential lore. I still haven't fully made up my mind on the the alleged rape because Grover Cleveland was noted as the most honest and forthright president of all previous incumbents.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, the only President to serve two non-consecutive terms. As the Erie County District Attorney in 1863, Grover paid Polish immigrant George Beniski $150 to serve in his place during the Civil War. If you are interested in Cleveland read An Honest President by H. Paul Jeffers and Grover Cleveland: A Study in Character by Alyn Brodsky.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
CANADA
Yes, I know Richard Ford is a Pulitzer Prize winner; but to me, this novel was just adequate at best. This is the first novel I have read of his, and I expected more based on the favorable reviews of his The Bascombe Novels . A John Irving he's not. The story was okay, but I don't know if the matter was relevant. And, why does Ford tell the reader what's going to happen many chapters before the event actually happens? I like to fall into these unexpected predicaments and marvels without the author providing his own "spoilers". I'm not complaining because I did enjoy the story somewhat. I just think there could have been a whole lot more nail-biting. Two positive points relating to the author's style are the disambiguation and resolution of the novel.
The narrator and protagonist is Dell Parson, the fifteen year old son of bank robber parents. (I'm not giving anything away, since Dell tells the reader on the first page!) This is the story of a Montana child and his escapades for the next fifty years of his life up to the present year of 2012. Dell has a twin sister that leaves home shortly after the bank heist and is hardly heard from again. Most of the tale takes place in the Saskatchewan area of Canada where Dell winds up after also leaving home. He is taken in by a nefarious gentleman named Arthur Remlinger, a former trouble maker from the U.S.A., and is supervised by the brackish Charley Quarters. This part of the novel is the most interesting section of his humdrum story.
I don't want to give away any of the remainder of the story as the author will do so himself as you read the book. I don't hold this book as an important work, but would recommend it anyway because of the writer's stature. I know Mr. Ford lives in Maine. Does he have three way conference calls with John Irving and Stephen King? Can you imagine? Wouldn't you want to be a fly on the wall? I opine that many reviewers have to realize that Richard Ford is a former sportswriter and not Charles Dickens.
RATING: 3 out of 5 stars
Comment: Richard Ford's first novel, A Piece of My Heart was written in 1976. He is currently a professor of writing at the Columbia School of the Arts. For some reason his literary movement is called "Dirty Realism". Who else is in that group?
The narrator and protagonist is Dell Parson, the fifteen year old son of bank robber parents. (I'm not giving anything away, since Dell tells the reader on the first page!) This is the story of a Montana child and his escapades for the next fifty years of his life up to the present year of 2012. Dell has a twin sister that leaves home shortly after the bank heist and is hardly heard from again. Most of the tale takes place in the Saskatchewan area of Canada where Dell winds up after also leaving home. He is taken in by a nefarious gentleman named Arthur Remlinger, a former trouble maker from the U.S.A., and is supervised by the brackish Charley Quarters. This part of the novel is the most interesting section of his humdrum story.
I don't want to give away any of the remainder of the story as the author will do so himself as you read the book. I don't hold this book as an important work, but would recommend it anyway because of the writer's stature. I know Mr. Ford lives in Maine. Does he have three way conference calls with John Irving and Stephen King? Can you imagine? Wouldn't you want to be a fly on the wall? I opine that many reviewers have to realize that Richard Ford is a former sportswriter and not Charles Dickens.
RATING: 3 out of 5 stars
Comment: Richard Ford's first novel, A Piece of My Heart was written in 1976. He is currently a professor of writing at the Columbia School of the Arts. For some reason his literary movement is called "Dirty Realism". Who else is in that group?
Sunday, May 27, 2012
In One Person
I don't know what caused John Irving to choose this subject matter, but coming from him you know it's not drivel. Does this novel have latent content that the reader is not aware of? This novel digresses from his usual course, though some of his normal settings and themes are intact. No, it doesn't occur in New Hampshire, but very close - it's Vermont. There aren't any actual bears, but the word is used in the book to describe some men. Wrestling plays a big part in this novel (Irving is a Hall of Famer), and many loved ones pass away. While not completely atypical, this novel is very enjoyable and comical. In some chapters, I actually found myself laughing out loud even though this is not a lighthearted book. You know what? Meh, it doesn't matter! It's a wordsmith's look at fifty years of a bisexual's journey through life.
The narrator and main sexual deviant is Billy Abbott, nee William Francis Dean, Jr, son of an homosexual father who departs his family early on for a relationship with a fellow sailor and sodomite. I might be too harsh on these two gentlemen, but they didn't offer much guidance to young Billy. Billy grows up with his divorced mother in the small town of First Sister in Vermont where he eventually attends the all boys school Favorite River Academy and meets many remarkable people. One of the characters is the public librarian, Miss Frost. What he learns from her (or him) is an education to say the least! The wrestler Kittredge and his mom pose a unique challenge to Billy's maturity during his four years at the academy. Only his friendship with Elaine Hadley and Grandpa Harry keep Billy on a compos mentis path. He experiences "wrong" crushes on other males during his school years while trying to find the ripened way to adulthood. His talks with his stepfather, Richard Abbott are familiar and comical at times. John Irving's character development is so good that I felt sympathy for every person in this tale.
The real melancholy part of the novel is Billy life during the 1980s when he meets that lethal disease AIDS! Obviously, many of his homosexual friends are infected. Since this novel takes Billy's life from boyhood through his late sixties, the reader kind of figures out who is going to be affected by this disease, although there are some surprises in this phase of the novel. Who else did I like in this story? How about Aunt Muriel, Uncle Bob, and Billy's European tour companion, Tom Atkins. This novel might not be Irving's best, but it's the most desolate that I have read by him. I think the theme of the book is summed up when Miss Frost says to Billy: "My dear boy, please don't put a label on me - don't make me a category before you get to know me."
One small criticism I have for this novel is the monotonous fact that the main character always becomes a successful writer. It's the reason I don't read John Grisham anymore; how many of The Summons or The Brethren can you read before your mind spazzes out! John, this was a palatable read, but next time drop the wrestling, the New England setting, the writers, and Da Bears, as Mike Ditka would say. Overall, I liked the book, but it was not your very best. Lets try a sci-fi or fantasy book next. Can you write one? Of course, I'm jesting. I know you will not write a book of that kind. That's okay because I'll read your next tale of New England anyway. John Irving is still the number one artsy writer of our time as far as I'm concerned.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Irving's leanings towards sex, wrestling, and writers probably started with his famous The World According to Garp . In this book, if I remember correctly, a nurse takes care of a brain damaged Technical Sergeant Garp dying from combat. She becomes pregnant and delivers to the world: T.S. Garp! What an imagination and story! Mr. Irving is currently working on his fourteenth novel due out in 2015.
The narrator and main sexual deviant is Billy Abbott, nee William Francis Dean, Jr, son of an homosexual father who departs his family early on for a relationship with a fellow sailor and sodomite. I might be too harsh on these two gentlemen, but they didn't offer much guidance to young Billy. Billy grows up with his divorced mother in the small town of First Sister in Vermont where he eventually attends the all boys school Favorite River Academy and meets many remarkable people. One of the characters is the public librarian, Miss Frost. What he learns from her (or him) is an education to say the least! The wrestler Kittredge and his mom pose a unique challenge to Billy's maturity during his four years at the academy. Only his friendship with Elaine Hadley and Grandpa Harry keep Billy on a compos mentis path. He experiences "wrong" crushes on other males during his school years while trying to find the ripened way to adulthood. His talks with his stepfather, Richard Abbott are familiar and comical at times. John Irving's character development is so good that I felt sympathy for every person in this tale.
The real melancholy part of the novel is Billy life during the 1980s when he meets that lethal disease AIDS! Obviously, many of his homosexual friends are infected. Since this novel takes Billy's life from boyhood through his late sixties, the reader kind of figures out who is going to be affected by this disease, although there are some surprises in this phase of the novel. Who else did I like in this story? How about Aunt Muriel, Uncle Bob, and Billy's European tour companion, Tom Atkins. This novel might not be Irving's best, but it's the most desolate that I have read by him. I think the theme of the book is summed up when Miss Frost says to Billy: "My dear boy, please don't put a label on me - don't make me a category before you get to know me."
One small criticism I have for this novel is the monotonous fact that the main character always becomes a successful writer. It's the reason I don't read John Grisham anymore; how many of The Summons or The Brethren can you read before your mind spazzes out! John, this was a palatable read, but next time drop the wrestling, the New England setting, the writers, and Da Bears, as Mike Ditka would say. Overall, I liked the book, but it was not your very best. Lets try a sci-fi or fantasy book next. Can you write one? Of course, I'm jesting. I know you will not write a book of that kind. That's okay because I'll read your next tale of New England anyway. John Irving is still the number one artsy writer of our time as far as I'm concerned.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Irving's leanings towards sex, wrestling, and writers probably started with his famous The World According to Garp . In this book, if I remember correctly, a nurse takes care of a brain damaged Technical Sergeant Garp dying from combat. She becomes pregnant and delivers to the world: T.S. Garp! What an imagination and story! Mr. Irving is currently working on his fourteenth novel due out in 2015.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
11/22/63
Stephen King touched on horror with It,
tickled us with fantasy in Lisey's Story , emotionally stirred us with the apocalyptic The Stand, dealt with science fiction in Under the Dome, and now he challenges the great Harry Turtledove with this alternate history epic novel! Wow, is there any author more versatile than Stephen King? Maybe his next project is a Broadway play or musical! This man can write, and I'm a big fan. I could have read this 849 page novel in two or three days, but I wanted to savor it like a fine wine. Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this novel also contains a little of H.G. Wells' The Time Machine .
Everybody my age remembers where they were when JFK was assassinated. I recall being in the back of a pickup as a young Marine in Camp Lejeune returning from some minor detail when a sergeant came out of headquarters and to paraphrase said, "The President has been shot, and we are all on alert". If you had the opportunity to go back in time to save JFK's life, would you? What would you have to sacrifice to accomplish this paradoxical feat? If you achieved your goal and returned to the present time, what would have changed? Did he win reelection, and because of it, change politics as we know it? Is the world safer or in chaos? This is the premise of the story: what would happen if you stopped or killed Lee Harvey Oswald before he had the chance to assassinate JFK? This time travel theory is better known as the Butterfly effect, where a minor change in the past can cause major changes in the future.
The narrator of this novel is Jake Epping, a teacher from Lisbon Falls, Maine. How strange is it for a Stephen King book to be set in Maine? Just Kidding. Anyway, he is called to Al Templeton's Diner, Jake's favorite eatery. Having recently seen Al, Jake is stunned to find the cook older and sick with lung cancer. He learns that Al has a mysterious time travel portal in his pantry! The year is 2011, but he discovers that Al has been in the past as long as four years although only two minutes have gone by in current time. Al tells Jake that when you go through the time portal, you come out in 9/9/1958! Al had the idea to stay there till 11/22/63 and stop Lee Harvey Oswald from killing JFK, but he got cancer and had to return to the present time. Now Al wants Jake to take his mission and go back in time and find out if Oswald acted alone and if he did, eliminate him.
As you would assume, Jake does go back to 9/9/1958 and starts a new life in the past. Jake finds new friends and surly enemies in his quest to track Oswald and his family. The characters he meets for the most part are lovable and memorable, such as, Deke Simmons, Ellen Dockerty, and the love of his life, Sadie Dunhill. Since he makes most of his money betting on sporting events that he already knows the results of, he meets menacing bookies and perilous New Orleans mobsters. The main problem he faces is the past itself. The past opposes Jake in his effort to stop Oswald because it is unfavorable for the future: the Butterfly effect in action. What happens as 11/22/63 approaches is stunning and sorrowful. Well done, Stephen King. I didn't see this ending coming! This was a highly delectable novel with a felicitous conclusion. I highly recommend this alternate history epic.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Stephen King states that the author of Invasion of the Body Snatchers , Jack Finney, wrote the best time travel novel, Time and Again . Stephen King has written 49 novels and has sold over 350 million copies. While walking on the shoulder of Route five in Maine, King was struck from behind by a minivan on 6/19/99. During the frustration of recovering from his severe injuries, he almost gave up writing. Luckily for his many fans, he reconsidered.
Everybody my age remembers where they were when JFK was assassinated. I recall being in the back of a pickup as a young Marine in Camp Lejeune returning from some minor detail when a sergeant came out of headquarters and to paraphrase said, "The President has been shot, and we are all on alert". If you had the opportunity to go back in time to save JFK's life, would you? What would you have to sacrifice to accomplish this paradoxical feat? If you achieved your goal and returned to the present time, what would have changed? Did he win reelection, and because of it, change politics as we know it? Is the world safer or in chaos? This is the premise of the story: what would happen if you stopped or killed Lee Harvey Oswald before he had the chance to assassinate JFK? This time travel theory is better known as the Butterfly effect, where a minor change in the past can cause major changes in the future.
The narrator of this novel is Jake Epping, a teacher from Lisbon Falls, Maine. How strange is it for a Stephen King book to be set in Maine? Just Kidding. Anyway, he is called to Al Templeton's Diner, Jake's favorite eatery. Having recently seen Al, Jake is stunned to find the cook older and sick with lung cancer. He learns that Al has a mysterious time travel portal in his pantry! The year is 2011, but he discovers that Al has been in the past as long as four years although only two minutes have gone by in current time. Al tells Jake that when you go through the time portal, you come out in 9/9/1958! Al had the idea to stay there till 11/22/63 and stop Lee Harvey Oswald from killing JFK, but he got cancer and had to return to the present time. Now Al wants Jake to take his mission and go back in time and find out if Oswald acted alone and if he did, eliminate him.
As you would assume, Jake does go back to 9/9/1958 and starts a new life in the past. Jake finds new friends and surly enemies in his quest to track Oswald and his family. The characters he meets for the most part are lovable and memorable, such as, Deke Simmons, Ellen Dockerty, and the love of his life, Sadie Dunhill. Since he makes most of his money betting on sporting events that he already knows the results of, he meets menacing bookies and perilous New Orleans mobsters. The main problem he faces is the past itself. The past opposes Jake in his effort to stop Oswald because it is unfavorable for the future: the Butterfly effect in action. What happens as 11/22/63 approaches is stunning and sorrowful. Well done, Stephen King. I didn't see this ending coming! This was a highly delectable novel with a felicitous conclusion. I highly recommend this alternate history epic.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Stephen King states that the author of Invasion of the Body Snatchers , Jack Finney, wrote the best time travel novel, Time and Again . Stephen King has written 49 novels and has sold over 350 million copies. While walking on the shoulder of Route five in Maine, King was struck from behind by a minivan on 6/19/99. During the frustration of recovering from his severe injuries, he almost gave up writing. Luckily for his many fans, he reconsidered.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Thunderstruck
Erik Larson juxtaposes a murderer and an inventor and makes it work! This author will never run out of ideas as witnessed by this historical non-fiction book, an exemplar of this likable genre. I'm a big fan of this kind of book because I get a good dose of history while thinking I'm reading a novel. Erik Larson is the foremost author of this genre as far as I'm concerned.
The book begins slowly as Larson builds up the backgrounds of Gulielmo Marconi, the father of wireless telegraphy, and London's famous murderer, Dr. Hawley Crippen, who becomes as notorious as Jack the Ripper. ( By the way, if you are having trouble with Marconi's first name, it's phonetically pronounced (Goo-yee-ail-mo.) The reader finds out about Marconi's struggles to obtain dominance in wireless communication while fighting numerous competitors, such as Oliver Lodge and William Preece of England and the powerful Telefunken Company of Germany. The trials and tribulations of Marconi starts out as somewhat of a cognitive challenge but becomes absorbing later in the book, especially when women enter his life.
On the other hand, the life of 5' 4" meek Dr. Crippen was a delight from the start. Here we have a homeopathic doctor who switches medical fields as often he needs to better his station. His second wife Belle, who desires to be a opera diva, spends his money faster than he can make it. She dominates his life, consumes his assets, ridicules him and constantly threatens to leave him. One day she does leave him, or does she? Enter Ethel Le Neve, erstwhile his employee, now his future wife. Dr. Crippen can't explain Belle's disappearance well enough for her stage friends. They don't believe that Belle went to America to help a sick relative. Enter Chief Inspector Walter Dew of Scotland Yard to investigate. This is the cusp of the book where the reader gets a sense of how the stories of Marconi and Crippen will intersect. And believe it or not, they do!
I enjoyed how Erik Larson told both stories in different years (basically 1894 to 1910), alternating chapters between the doctor and the inventor, then climaxing in the year 1910. This is a well written original idea that only Larson could come up with. Every time I read a Larson book I come away with historical knowledge along with literary gratification. It is noteworthy to mention that Larson states in a note to readers that: "This is a work of nonfiction. Anything appearing between quotation marks comes from a letter, memoir, or other written document." That is a bold and confident statement that makes this reader a big fan.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Dr. Crippen's murder case has been the subject of many plays, books and movies. Two movies that included elements of the case are Rope and Rear Window. Also very interesting is that the White Star Line invited the Marconies to be their guests on the Titanic! Luckily, Marconi canceled a few days before the voyage because he wanted to sail on the Lusitania to take advantage of that ship's public stenographer. Beatrice Marconi canceled on the eve of departure because her son Giulio became ill with fever. One wonders what would have happened to wireless telegraphy so early in it's development had Marconi died at sea.
The book begins slowly as Larson builds up the backgrounds of Gulielmo Marconi, the father of wireless telegraphy, and London's famous murderer, Dr. Hawley Crippen, who becomes as notorious as Jack the Ripper. ( By the way, if you are having trouble with Marconi's first name, it's phonetically pronounced (Goo-yee-ail-mo.) The reader finds out about Marconi's struggles to obtain dominance in wireless communication while fighting numerous competitors, such as Oliver Lodge and William Preece of England and the powerful Telefunken Company of Germany. The trials and tribulations of Marconi starts out as somewhat of a cognitive challenge but becomes absorbing later in the book, especially when women enter his life.
On the other hand, the life of 5' 4" meek Dr. Crippen was a delight from the start. Here we have a homeopathic doctor who switches medical fields as often he needs to better his station. His second wife Belle, who desires to be a opera diva, spends his money faster than he can make it. She dominates his life, consumes his assets, ridicules him and constantly threatens to leave him. One day she does leave him, or does she? Enter Ethel Le Neve, erstwhile his employee, now his future wife. Dr. Crippen can't explain Belle's disappearance well enough for her stage friends. They don't believe that Belle went to America to help a sick relative. Enter Chief Inspector Walter Dew of Scotland Yard to investigate. This is the cusp of the book where the reader gets a sense of how the stories of Marconi and Crippen will intersect. And believe it or not, they do!
I enjoyed how Erik Larson told both stories in different years (basically 1894 to 1910), alternating chapters between the doctor and the inventor, then climaxing in the year 1910. This is a well written original idea that only Larson could come up with. Every time I read a Larson book I come away with historical knowledge along with literary gratification. It is noteworthy to mention that Larson states in a note to readers that: "This is a work of nonfiction. Anything appearing between quotation marks comes from a letter, memoir, or other written document." That is a bold and confident statement that makes this reader a big fan.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Dr. Crippen's murder case has been the subject of many plays, books and movies. Two movies that included elements of the case are Rope and Rear Window. Also very interesting is that the White Star Line invited the Marconies to be their guests on the Titanic! Luckily, Marconi canceled a few days before the voyage because he wanted to sail on the Lusitania to take advantage of that ship's public stenographer. Beatrice Marconi canceled on the eve of departure because her son Giulio became ill with fever. One wonders what would have happened to wireless telegraphy so early in it's development had Marconi died at sea.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
THE BATTLE of the CRATER
Gingrich and Forstchen have written one of the most meaningful Civil War novels to date. It reveals the Union generals' blunders and also reports hereto unknown information about the brave United States Colored Troops (USCT). After reading this historical novel, I wondered how the Union won the war? The missteps and bobbles by General Meade and General Burnside are mind boggling! Sending thousands of troops to their meaningless death is unconscionable if not criminal. Why would leadership send wave after wave of Union soldiers against entrenched Confederate troops only to be slaughtered like sheep?
The novel is narrated by a Harper's Weekly artist and illustrator James Reilly. He is also a friend of and spy for Abraham Lincoln. Reilly's job at the front lines is to sketch what he sees and listen for officer and troop reactions towards the war. Shortly after the Union debacle at Cold Harbor, Virginia, Reilly meets up with the 28th USCT of the 4th Division, 9th Corps. They are led by Sergeant Major Garland White under white Colonel Russell and Colonel Pleasants. After laboring as a burying detail at Arlington, Virginia, the black unit is finally going to see action near Petersburg, Virginia. Once there, battle hardened sergeants train them daily. The plan by Col. Pleasants is to tunnel beneath the Confederate lines to their fort and blow it up while the colored troops charge the shocked Johnny Rebs and continue their attack all the way to Richmond, thus ending the war. The plan is approved by an enthused but shaky Gen.Burnside and begrudgingly by his disobliging superior Gen. Meade. Just before the operation, Gen. Meade changes everything! You will have to read all 364 pages to learn the unpleasurable results of his decision.
This is the third novel I have read from authors' Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen, and it is by far their best. The empathy I felt for all the characters is a direct result of the authors excellent prose and character development. The black Sergeant Major Garland White was a real person and had actively recruited blacks for the famous 54th Regiment of Massachusetts as seen in the movie Glory . Do I recommend this novel? Does a one legged duck swim in a circle? You betcha!
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Robert E. Lee died five years after the war at age 63. He was not arrested or tried and remained a respected West Point graduate. Ulysses S. Grant also died at age 63 in 1885 after serving two terms as President of the United States. He lost all his wealth in a 1884 swindle, but had his memoirs published by Mark Twain after he died and was able to give his family some financial security. If you are interested in these men read: Lee: The Last Years and Grant's Final Victory.
The novel is narrated by a Harper's Weekly artist and illustrator James Reilly. He is also a friend of and spy for Abraham Lincoln. Reilly's job at the front lines is to sketch what he sees and listen for officer and troop reactions towards the war. Shortly after the Union debacle at Cold Harbor, Virginia, Reilly meets up with the 28th USCT of the 4th Division, 9th Corps. They are led by Sergeant Major Garland White under white Colonel Russell and Colonel Pleasants. After laboring as a burying detail at Arlington, Virginia, the black unit is finally going to see action near Petersburg, Virginia. Once there, battle hardened sergeants train them daily. The plan by Col. Pleasants is to tunnel beneath the Confederate lines to their fort and blow it up while the colored troops charge the shocked Johnny Rebs and continue their attack all the way to Richmond, thus ending the war. The plan is approved by an enthused but shaky Gen.Burnside and begrudgingly by his disobliging superior Gen. Meade. Just before the operation, Gen. Meade changes everything! You will have to read all 364 pages to learn the unpleasurable results of his decision.
This is the third novel I have read from authors' Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen, and it is by far their best. The empathy I felt for all the characters is a direct result of the authors excellent prose and character development. The black Sergeant Major Garland White was a real person and had actively recruited blacks for the famous 54th Regiment of Massachusetts as seen in the movie Glory . Do I recommend this novel? Does a one legged duck swim in a circle? You betcha!
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Robert E. Lee died five years after the war at age 63. He was not arrested or tried and remained a respected West Point graduate. Ulysses S. Grant also died at age 63 in 1885 after serving two terms as President of the United States. He lost all his wealth in a 1884 swindle, but had his memoirs published by Mark Twain after he died and was able to give his family some financial security. If you are interested in these men read: Lee: The Last Years and Grant's Final Victory.
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