Disturbingly moving, Strout paints a portrait of the side of small-town American life rarely shared. Her characters could be living next door or, like...moreDisturbingly moving, Strout paints a portrait of the side of small-town American life rarely shared. Her characters could be living next door or, like Olive Kitteritdge herself, teaching at the neighborhood school. Her themes penetrate deep into the psyche and touch fears ultimately inescapable by us all.(less)
Reading BIRD BY BIRD is a like inviting over to a party a neurotic friend who everybody loves for the first fifteen minutes and then by the end has ma...moreReading BIRD BY BIRD is a like inviting over to a party a neurotic friend who everybody loves for the first fifteen minutes and then by the end has made everyone wonder why they were friends with her at all- then in retrospect is ultimately glad that she came as the party was somehow made better by her zany sense of humor and antics.
Anne Lamott’s instructions on writing and life is aimed at would-be authors. As a reader you are a student in her class, and she takes you on a journey through all of the trials and joys she has experienced in her own life as a writer. Her anecdotes are touching and very personal- even outright hilarious at times. Writers or would be writiers will appreciate her point of view and the light-hearted tone she takes in sharing her struggles.
The only downfall to her method is that her voice does grow weary once the novelty of her insecure sarcasm as worn off. It also seems that her advice will apply mostly to other writers who share her same personality- that is emotional and full of self-doubt. I surmise that many male authors will view her work as over-the-top in its delivery. I know this reader did. I found myself rolling my eyes in the second half and wishing, for goodness sakes, that she would go ahead and jump off that cliff after all so that I wouldn’t have to read about her wanting to so, again, after someone told her one of her stories sucked. Okay. So she didn’t really want to jump off of a bridge- she had another method of suicide in mind just as permanent. But the metaphor is sound. (Anne, if you read this review, please know that I am simply following your advise and writing what I feel, even if I have forgotten how to point with the sword. Please don't jump of that cliff on my account!)
This being said, this reader thoroughly enjoyed her take on writing and found her anecdotes very poignant and relevant. This is a must read for anyone who loves writing or has felt the frustration one feels when learning the truth of the life of an author. Rich and full of texture, Lamott’s words will inspire and warm the heart. Just be ready for a hefty helping of self-pity along the way.
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The Riftwar Saga was, by far, my favorite series growing up. Feist's Midkemia is imaginative and compelling. His characters do not just tell a story, ...moreThe Riftwar Saga was, by far, my favorite series growing up. Feist's Midkemia is imaginative and compelling. His characters do not just tell a story, but they live history. I look forward to visiting this world again through Kingdom Besieged.(less)
Go to Amsterdam. Visit her house and stand in small hidden room. Close your eyes and listen to the same church bells she heard. The experience will sh...moreGo to Amsterdam. Visit her house and stand in small hidden room. Close your eyes and listen to the same church bells she heard. The experience will shake you to the core and change your life.(less)
I know there is a large fan base for THE HUNGER GAMES, and I must admit I found it an interesting read, but I am having a hard time saying that I real...moreI know there is a large fan base for THE HUNGER GAMES, and I must admit I found it an interesting read, but I am having a hard time saying that I really, really liked it. No. I just liked it.
Katniss Everdeen is a young girl who sacrifices herself to save her little sister by participating in The Hunger Games in her place. A fight to the death, The Hunger Games is a method of controlling the population in this futuristic world. Can she survive? Knowing that this is but the first in a series, the ending is never really in doubt. It is the method of survival that is intriguing. Blessed with survival skills and an uncanny ability with the bow and arrow, Katniss struggles to outsmart her opponents and the game makers themselves. Throw in a love interest which promises to be the classic two-boys-love-the-same-girl but she cannot choose between them, and you have an interesting tale.
What I did like was the imaginative dystopian world, however barbaric it seems. There is an interesting juxtaposition between advanced technological sophistication and rustic survivalism. The rich control and manipulate the poor. Why is not entirely clear in this first installment, but will certainly become more evident later.
The most troubling aspect of the story is characterization. Katniss coms across as a naive teen girl with a stubborn streak and the uncanny instinct to survive. The love interests are before her eyes, yet she is blind to the young men. Really? How many sixteen year old girls are blind to love, especially one as beautiful and cunning as Katniss? The teens I know of this age are very aware of their beauty and interest they garner from young men. But our heroine leaps from page to page in wide eye wonder. To be honest, I found Katniss to behave more like a thirteen year old, not sixteen.
I would recommend the book to anyone wanting a good action story, though I find myself looking forward more to the coming movie than the second book in this series- there is little hunger here for what happens next.
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