Several years ago I embarked on a self-improvement plan to read as many Pulitzer Prize winning novels as possible. After making my way through five or six, I realized there existed a common thread. Even though the quality of writing was superb, the plots were depressing, and the characters seemed to ride a track of bad fortune. Those of us who read for a temporary escape from reality should steer clear of award-winning fiction. (in my humble opinion)
Although not quite as troubling as The Color Purple or Grapes of Wrath, Jonathan Franzen's latest best seller, Freedom, A Novel, follows the path of those literary works considered serious literature. The plot, however, is almost nonexistant, containing little conflict to be resolved, only following the lives of some rather ordinary people.
Married couple, Walter and Patty Berglund, met while attending college in Minnesota during the radical 60's. Having little in common, they hook up because their roommates are dating. Patty is playing basketball on scholarship, and Walter is focused on graduating while supporting himself.
Walter is a man of causes. Ironically, two of those he supports are population control and feminism, while Patty only desires to be a stay-at-home mother. They produce two children and Patty immerses herself in their up-bringing. Walter is secretly disappointed Patty hasn't done more with her life.
The book follows the couple's lives from childhood to retirement. Even though there is no earthshaking excitement or passionate love affairs, the book actually works. A talented writer can make a tale involving the most mundane subject readable. Once started, this book is hard to put down. As the couple matures and changes through the years, a different slant on their personalities emerges. They both make some bad choices which affect their marriage, and move in directions which are not always favorable to personal contentment.
This novel is also chock-full of political and social ideology. Exactly how the author views these radical viewpoints is difficult to ascertain. I sense a little tongue-in-cheek feeling as he portrays the passion people bring to the causes they support.
Whether this book will actually be considered for a Pulitzer is not for me to say. (the committee hasn't called asking for my opinion) But Franzen certainly is a gifted writer, and has done well describing a period of time familiar to most of us. It is lengthy, covering a span of 60 plus years, so allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy it. On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate it a 9.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Red Queen by Phillipa Gregory
The norm for historical fiction usually involves a real event seen through the eyes of completely fictional characters. However the works of Phillipa Gregory follow the historical characters themselves, reading more like a enhanced and intriguing biography. She carefully researches each book, often visiting the places where the action actually took place.
In The Red Queen, Gregory recounts the rise of the Tudor family to the throne of England. Margaret Beaufort, born into the Lancaster clan, believes herself chosen by God to do great things. As a child, she fantasizes herself an equal of Joan of Arc, selected to lead an army for Christ. However at the age of twelve she is forced into a marriage to Edmund Tudor, and within a year produces a male heir, hoped by many to be in line for the crown. Although Margaret is not allowed to raise her son Henry, she becomes fananically ambitious for his royal future.
The glaring theme of this novel is the deception, violence and shrewd bargaining of the parties hoping to put their chosen on the throne of England. The rivalry between the houses of Lancaster and York becomes bloody and tragic. As the heirs to the throne slowly die off, Margaret's son moves into a situation where the crown becomes a genuine possibility.
An bit of irony evolves, as Margaret berates the brutal actions of the Yorks, while justifying her own equally cruel activities with the knowledge that she is chosen by God to do his will.
Also an interesting sidenote is the plight of women in the 15th century. Margaret passionately resents the fact that females are considered property with no rights, with all decisions concerning their lives made by others. She realizes if her son becomes king, she will then be in a position of power and influence.
Phillip Gregory is a brilliant author, making history fascinating and exciting. The Red Queen should definitely be on your must read list, along with all her previous works. On a scale of 1 to 10 I rate this one a 9, and possibly some of her earlier books would rate even higher.
In The Red Queen, Gregory recounts the rise of the Tudor family to the throne of England. Margaret Beaufort, born into the Lancaster clan, believes herself chosen by God to do great things. As a child, she fantasizes herself an equal of Joan of Arc, selected to lead an army for Christ. However at the age of twelve she is forced into a marriage to Edmund Tudor, and within a year produces a male heir, hoped by many to be in line for the crown. Although Margaret is not allowed to raise her son Henry, she becomes fananically ambitious for his royal future.
The glaring theme of this novel is the deception, violence and shrewd bargaining of the parties hoping to put their chosen on the throne of England. The rivalry between the houses of Lancaster and York becomes bloody and tragic. As the heirs to the throne slowly die off, Margaret's son moves into a situation where the crown becomes a genuine possibility.
An bit of irony evolves, as Margaret berates the brutal actions of the Yorks, while justifying her own equally cruel activities with the knowledge that she is chosen by God to do his will.
Also an interesting sidenote is the plight of women in the 15th century. Margaret passionately resents the fact that females are considered property with no rights, with all decisions concerning their lives made by others. She realizes if her son becomes king, she will then be in a position of power and influence.
Phillip Gregory is a brilliant author, making history fascinating and exciting. The Red Queen should definitely be on your must read list, along with all her previous works. On a scale of 1 to 10 I rate this one a 9, and possibly some of her earlier books would rate even higher.
Friday, September 3, 2010
The Overton Window by Glenn Beck
How providential that I finished the latest novel by Glenn Beck just as he becomes embroiled in controversy by scheduling a Restoring Honor rally on the same day as a gathering of those honoring the 47th anniversary of Martin Luthor King's I Have a Dream Speech. But controversy is nothing new to the conservative TV and Radio show host. His views on the powers that influence and control our country incite high emotion from his followers and critics alike.
Beck's latest best-selling work, The Overton Window, not only gives us a good thriller, it compels readers to think about our world in a disturbing way.
Noah Gardiner, bright and well educated, is the son of a immensely successful public relations magnate. Noah has only known an existence of wealth and privilege, and he finds difficulty in taking life seriously.
Noah's attention is caught by a female employee of his firm tacking a flyer to the company bulletin board. His attempt to engage her in conversation doesn't meet with much success, so he agrees to attend the meeting she is advertizing. What he hears at a gathering of a group of determined patriots called Founders Keepers causes him to question the views he has always held about who controls our country, and how their influence actually affects the masses. He becomes involved with a group that hopes to avert a terrorist attack that could change the world forever.
As one makes their way into the heart of this novel, the story-line suddenly becomes secondary to the revelations that begin to pound on the mind concerning how the public is influenced and mentally lead to certain viewpoints. The term "Overton Window" is an actual phenomenon that slowly influences society into accepting a formerly unacceptable concept. Beck uses real events and people to demonstrate how this influence occurs.
This book is mind-boggling and alarming. The content is complex and not always easily assimilated. As you make your way to the conclusion, you may be more concerned about what is happening to society than how the book's characters end up. Rather than have a reviewer give an opinion on this novel, everyone should read it and come to their own determinations. Beck states in his introduction that this book will make you 'think', and with that I would agree.
Beck's latest best-selling work, The Overton Window, not only gives us a good thriller, it compels readers to think about our world in a disturbing way.
Noah Gardiner, bright and well educated, is the son of a immensely successful public relations magnate. Noah has only known an existence of wealth and privilege, and he finds difficulty in taking life seriously.
Noah's attention is caught by a female employee of his firm tacking a flyer to the company bulletin board. His attempt to engage her in conversation doesn't meet with much success, so he agrees to attend the meeting she is advertizing. What he hears at a gathering of a group of determined patriots called Founders Keepers causes him to question the views he has always held about who controls our country, and how their influence actually affects the masses. He becomes involved with a group that hopes to avert a terrorist attack that could change the world forever.
As one makes their way into the heart of this novel, the story-line suddenly becomes secondary to the revelations that begin to pound on the mind concerning how the public is influenced and mentally lead to certain viewpoints. The term "Overton Window" is an actual phenomenon that slowly influences society into accepting a formerly unacceptable concept. Beck uses real events and people to demonstrate how this influence occurs.
This book is mind-boggling and alarming. The content is complex and not always easily assimilated. As you make your way to the conclusion, you may be more concerned about what is happening to society than how the book's characters end up. Rather than have a reviewer give an opinion on this novel, everyone should read it and come to their own determinations. Beck states in his introduction that this book will make you 'think', and with that I would agree.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen
Tess Gerritsen has found her niche writing medical thrillers. Although she loved Nancy Drew as a child and wanted to write books like those, she attended medical school and practiced medicine in Hawaii. Her Rizzoli and Isles series has been developed into a TNT television show and she continues to turn out quality crime novels.
Her latest best-seller of the Rizzoli and Isles series is a combination suspense thriller, medical crime shocker, and romance.
Medical Examiner, Maura Isles, heads west for a medical conference in the mountains of Wyoming with serious misgivings about her current romantic relationship with a Catholic priest. She meets up with a fellow M.E. she knew in college and agrees to accompany him, his teen-aged daughter, and another couple on a cross country skiing jaunt.
Soon, however, things begin to go terribly wrong. A heavy snowfall causes them to veer off the main road and become dangerously lost; eventually becoming stranded in a ravine. They manage to stagger through the deep snow where they find refuge in a lonely setting of abandoned cabins The place is eerily forbidding and Maura soon finds evidence of a possible assualt. It becomes evident that some religious cult had occupied the settlement, and Maura can only speculate on their whereabouts.
Meanwhile FBI friend Rizzoli becomes concerned about Maura and flies to Wyoming to determine what has transpired. The insuing search, and Maura's desperate attempt to stay alive while unknown adversaries doggedly track her through the wilderness, will keep you glued to your recliner.
This is an amazingly well-written novel, and I somehow know that if it were made into an equally well-produced movie it would have your heart racing. The characters are skillfully created and it is deviously difficult to figure out who is on the side of justice and who has their own dangerous agenda. I don't know what caliber doctor Tess Gerritsen was, but she is definetly a talented writer. On a scale of 1 to 10.I rate "Ice Cold" an 8.
Her latest best-seller of the Rizzoli and Isles series is a combination suspense thriller, medical crime shocker, and romance.
Medical Examiner, Maura Isles, heads west for a medical conference in the mountains of Wyoming with serious misgivings about her current romantic relationship with a Catholic priest. She meets up with a fellow M.E. she knew in college and agrees to accompany him, his teen-aged daughter, and another couple on a cross country skiing jaunt.
Soon, however, things begin to go terribly wrong. A heavy snowfall causes them to veer off the main road and become dangerously lost; eventually becoming stranded in a ravine. They manage to stagger through the deep snow where they find refuge in a lonely setting of abandoned cabins The place is eerily forbidding and Maura soon finds evidence of a possible assualt. It becomes evident that some religious cult had occupied the settlement, and Maura can only speculate on their whereabouts.
Meanwhile FBI friend Rizzoli becomes concerned about Maura and flies to Wyoming to determine what has transpired. The insuing search, and Maura's desperate attempt to stay alive while unknown adversaries doggedly track her through the wilderness, will keep you glued to your recliner.
This is an amazingly well-written novel, and I somehow know that if it were made into an equally well-produced movie it would have your heart racing. The characters are skillfully created and it is deviously difficult to figure out who is on the side of justice and who has their own dangerous agenda. I don't know what caliber doctor Tess Gerritsen was, but she is definetly a talented writer. On a scale of 1 to 10.I rate "Ice Cold" an 8.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
The Rule of Nine by Steve Martini
Steve Martini has authored several best sellers featuring defense attorneys Paul Madriani and Harry Hines, along with their investigator Herman Diggs. The latest in the series, "The Rule of Nine", takes up from the previous book in which the firm is involved in a dangerous plot in Costa Rica, where a terrorist master-mind known as Thorn is supposedly killed.
However Thorn is alive and well and sweet-talks young government worker Jimmie Snyder into giving him a tour of a restricted area in a Washington government building. Later Jimmie is found murdered, although clumsily set up to look like suicide. Madriani's business card is found in Jimmie's pocket, and the FBI is quickly asking a lot of questions.
Jimmie's attorney father soon approaches Madriani to assist him in determining what really happened to his son. There appears to be a link to a ruthless murder-for-hire criminal known as Liquida. As the firm begins to put the pieces together about a terrorist conspiracy in America, Liquida begins to target the attorneys and their families.
When it becomes known that the plot involves bombs with enormous ramifications if activated, and that a highly ranked American politician is involved, Madriani takes to the road to quash the threat.
The author does an excellent job of grabbing your attention in the first pages and keeping you rivited in this nailbiter. This is a great thriller for those who appreciate adventure packed fiction. Reserve yourself a quiet weekend, as it is hard to put down. On a scale of 1 to 10 I rate it a 7.
However Thorn is alive and well and sweet-talks young government worker Jimmie Snyder into giving him a tour of a restricted area in a Washington government building. Later Jimmie is found murdered, although clumsily set up to look like suicide. Madriani's business card is found in Jimmie's pocket, and the FBI is quickly asking a lot of questions.
Jimmie's attorney father soon approaches Madriani to assist him in determining what really happened to his son. There appears to be a link to a ruthless murder-for-hire criminal known as Liquida. As the firm begins to put the pieces together about a terrorist conspiracy in America, Liquida begins to target the attorneys and their families.
When it becomes known that the plot involves bombs with enormous ramifications if activated, and that a highly ranked American politician is involved, Madriani takes to the road to quash the threat.
The author does an excellent job of grabbing your attention in the first pages and keeping you rivited in this nailbiter. This is a great thriller for those who appreciate adventure packed fiction. Reserve yourself a quiet weekend, as it is hard to put down. On a scale of 1 to 10 I rate it a 7.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Little Girl Blue, The Life of Karen Carpenter by Randy Schmidt
Earlier this month I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Cordell book signing of local graduate Randy Schmidt and his newly published biography of Karen Carpenter. I am a proud owner of a signed copy of "Little Girl Blue", and was given permission by Randy to review it. I have fond memories of Randy during his teenaged years when he hung out with my daughter and son-in-law.
"Little Girl Blue" was a labor of love for Randy, as he had developed a passion for the Carpenters and their music as a young man. The book has been years in the making, as he carefully researched and documented each portion of Karen's life, tediously digging up facts and scheduling interviews.
The end result is an interesting and factual account of the rise of the Carpenter's to fame, and the insuing problems that beset them, with of course the main emphasis being on Karen and her tragically short life.
Randy deals tactfully and without sensationalism on the issues of Karen's relationship with her mother, her unfortunate marriage, and her sudden death at the age of 32 after struggling with anorexia.
Whether or not you were a fan of the Carpenters and their unique brand of music, this is a fascinating book, made more so as the author is a home-grown boy. "Little Girl Blue" is available at all major book stores and on Amazon.com.
.
"Little Girl Blue" was a labor of love for Randy, as he had developed a passion for the Carpenters and their music as a young man. The book has been years in the making, as he carefully researched and documented each portion of Karen's life, tediously digging up facts and scheduling interviews.
The end result is an interesting and factual account of the rise of the Carpenter's to fame, and the insuing problems that beset them, with of course the main emphasis being on Karen and her tragically short life.
Randy deals tactfully and without sensationalism on the issues of Karen's relationship with her mother, her unfortunate marriage, and her sudden death at the age of 32 after struggling with anorexia.
Whether or not you were a fan of the Carpenters and their unique brand of music, this is a fascinating book, made more so as the author is a home-grown boy. "Little Girl Blue" is available at all major book stores and on Amazon.com.
.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Millennium Trilogy by Steig Larsson
The "Millenenium Trilogy" is an enormously successful series of novels by Steig Larsson. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and the latest best-seller, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest all were published after the author's sudden death. Originally written in Larsson's native Swedish, they have been translated into many languages and read by millions world-wide.
The books are all set, for the most past, in Sweden. and feature two main characters.
Mikael Blomkvist is a journalist and co-owner of news periodical Millenenium.
Lisbeth Salander is perhaps the most extraordinary fictional person ever created. After a physically and mentally abusive childhood, she has become a emotionally detached, anti-social, deeply disturbed, yet brilliant young women.
The first novel, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, begins with Mikael coming out on the losing end of a libel trial, after he publishes an article disclosing illegal dealings of a powerful corporation. When his findings are found doubtful he is declared guilty and sentenced to 3 months in prison. Shortly after, he is convinced by an elderly gentleman to investigate the disappearance of his young niece some forty years before. The very strange Lisbeth eventually finangles her way into the case and the odd couple perform the impossible and actually solve the mystery, but not before putting their own lives in danger.
In The Girl Who Played With Fire, Lisbeth disappears, partly to distance herself from Mikael, with whom she imagines herself in love. When her legal guardian (who sexually assaulted her) is murdered along with a young couple, she is suspected in the crime. Mikael desperately tries to make contact with her, so she can aid in his quest to clear her name. Many events in Lisbeth's past life start to make sense, but in an attempt to manufacture her own brand of justice, she is shot and critically wounded.
The last of the trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, finds Lisbeth recovering from her wounds, and clearing her name. Now she and Mikael must bring down a powerful criminal organization masterminded by her biological father. There is danger lurking on every corner.
Each of these novels is lengthy and lavishly detailed, probably deserving to be reviewed individually. However, since each feeds on the subsequent book, I chose to discuss them as a unit. Often a book translated from another language can be a bit ragged, with plot and dialogue not always flowing smoothly. This is not the case with the Larsson works. Each one is immediately intriguing and spellbinding. The background of the Swedish culture and government also makes for interesting reading
Be forewarned; these books contain sexually explicit sections, some brutal and perverted. Also Swedish profanity must translate easily into English ,as there is some rough language.
This said, these are three amazing works of fiction and have sold millions of copies in 40 languages. Each numbers about 600 pages, so allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy. On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate them as a group a 9.
The books are all set, for the most past, in Sweden. and feature two main characters.
Mikael Blomkvist is a journalist and co-owner of news periodical Millenenium.
Lisbeth Salander is perhaps the most extraordinary fictional person ever created. After a physically and mentally abusive childhood, she has become a emotionally detached, anti-social, deeply disturbed, yet brilliant young women.
The first novel, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, begins with Mikael coming out on the losing end of a libel trial, after he publishes an article disclosing illegal dealings of a powerful corporation. When his findings are found doubtful he is declared guilty and sentenced to 3 months in prison. Shortly after, he is convinced by an elderly gentleman to investigate the disappearance of his young niece some forty years before. The very strange Lisbeth eventually finangles her way into the case and the odd couple perform the impossible and actually solve the mystery, but not before putting their own lives in danger.
In The Girl Who Played With Fire, Lisbeth disappears, partly to distance herself from Mikael, with whom she imagines herself in love. When her legal guardian (who sexually assaulted her) is murdered along with a young couple, she is suspected in the crime. Mikael desperately tries to make contact with her, so she can aid in his quest to clear her name. Many events in Lisbeth's past life start to make sense, but in an attempt to manufacture her own brand of justice, she is shot and critically wounded.
The last of the trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, finds Lisbeth recovering from her wounds, and clearing her name. Now she and Mikael must bring down a powerful criminal organization masterminded by her biological father. There is danger lurking on every corner.
Each of these novels is lengthy and lavishly detailed, probably deserving to be reviewed individually. However, since each feeds on the subsequent book, I chose to discuss them as a unit. Often a book translated from another language can be a bit ragged, with plot and dialogue not always flowing smoothly. This is not the case with the Larsson works. Each one is immediately intriguing and spellbinding. The background of the Swedish culture and government also makes for interesting reading
Be forewarned; these books contain sexually explicit sections, some brutal and perverted. Also Swedish profanity must translate easily into English ,as there is some rough language.
This said, these are three amazing works of fiction and have sold millions of copies in 40 languages. Each numbers about 600 pages, so allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy. On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate them as a group a 9.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)