**spoiler alert** Not exactly the kind of story I usually read but it is good to read "beyond" one's immediate pleasures--and this novel by Oates is a...more**spoiler alert** Not exactly the kind of story I usually read but it is good to read "beyond" one's immediate pleasures--and this novel by Oates is an example of why that's a good idea. And I know I will return to Oates every once in a while, since I enjoy her distinct voice and style.
The title "The Falls" is well chosen, as it covers the layered "falls" herein. On the surface it is, obviously a reference to the Niagara Falls, where just about the whole story takes place, but it also covers the various kinds of "falls from grace" and disappointments taking place throughout the story. It is a tale dripping with pain, mourning and sadness.
Oates is known for her stories evolving around the myriad aspects of "the American Dream." I'd say that goes for this story too, although it generally takes a backseat and lets the more generic topic of family/relationship elements take center stage. We follow a family and what happens to it in the years 1950 to 1978 (with the 1960s mostly left a blank). All the way through with the woman Ariah as the revolving point.
I greatly admire the way Oates gives us the story chronologically by seamlessly jumping "on the shoulder" of each character, at a crucial moment in their life. Telling things from that character's point of view for a while, in that person's unique voice & through that person's perception. That is a masterstroke! It starts with Ariah and her first husband's suicide on their honeymoon--then we see things from his perspective, up to the suicide at the Niagara Falls--then from his second husband, the wealthy Dirk Burnaby... And after his tragic death (officially an accident at the Falls, but really a hit orchestrated by powerful companies and individuals who dislike him forcing a trial case against them & their heavy polution of the area) we jump to the mid-to-late '70s, where we follow their three children. Who all one way or other have the shadow of their father's death hovering--plus their estranged mother's power over them.
This story examines family ties and what can go terrible wrong, and the consequences thereof. It also tells a story of modern industry ruining a natural reserve (the Niagara Falls) and the people living there, be that physically, morally and whatnot.
Ariah, in my opinion, is mad--and descends deeper and deeper into it, in avoidance of emotion and attachments to people, incl. her own children; and general denial of a lot of things. How this is portrayed is quite remarkable.
The only "but" I really have to this story is that too many characters and incidents are "left hanging", having no real bearing on the story and its advancement as a whole, which annoys me. A little tidying up here would have been nice. To a certain degree I can understand why we get to see things from the perspective of the suicidal husband (after all, his act is the pivotal spin for what happens to Ariah and, hence, the family we then follow), but a character like the mysterious, strange Polish guy, Mr. Pankowski--what is that all about, really? We're never told. I even suspect he may even be Dirk himself! (His body is never found, you see.) But who knows? Adding color, and introducing persons as it happens in real life, is all fine, but it needs to be important to the story. Elements like these may have been intended as important (enough) to the story, but if so I fail to see a number of the relevances.
There are times, however, where I recognized tidbits of information, so I am sure much of my complaining is simply due to my limited knowledge about a lot of things, regardless of advancement of the story itself. Here is one I did get: Ariah at some point remarks that she liked Elvis' singing, if not his style (rock'n'roll). At first this reference seemed offbeat to me, but then I figured that since it was less than a year since Elvis died (in real life and in the story's timeline) it actually made a kind of sense that Elvis would be a person who one--even one like Ariah--would refer to when talking about singing; his death was still fresh enough in people's mind. From a real-life consciousness perspective it made sense.
All in all it was a wonderful read, well worth my time. No doubt about it.
(Started reading this one today, August 16. Ended September 29.)(less)
**spoiler alert** I have never really read this giant of a suspense/horror/fantasy/sci-fi writer who is so famous for having written Psycho. But now I...more**spoiler alert** I have never really read this giant of a suspense/horror/fantasy/sci-fi writer who is so famous for having written Psycho. But now I have obtained a number of books with his stories, so I can catch up:-)
April 25, 2009
"Frozen Fear":
A very short, but delicious supernatural tale where the distorted psyhological angle of the narrator is what makes it an interesting read; after all this revenge tale is essentially a rewrite of a classic theme. But thanks to Bloch's obvious writing skills (and insight into human nature, I think) it nonetheless works, even today.
April 26, 2009
"Almost Human":
Something in the way it was written made this story sound a little outdated to me. Even so it was a charming story about a robot with a mind/soul who is a fast learner--and more so than the unsymphatetic thug who teaches him many mean things about life suspects.
And the "love" part in the end is darkly twisted.
"Terror in the Night":
A mad woman frantically knocks on your door one night, telling you a paranoid tale of conspiracies against her and about an asylum working to actually get the patients ill. The one she just ran away from. She's gotta be lunatic, gotta be wrong. Right?
Right?;-)
"Constant Reader":
Probably the strangest, surreal sci-fi story I have ever read--but I liked it very much! As a confessed bibliophile, how can I not?;-)
A spaceship team of explorers try to find out if there's life on planet 68/5, and even though data indicate that there isn't soon something (beginning with a weird blackout) indicates that indeed there is intelligence on the planet...
Throw in that the only book reading guy in the story is also the one that connects the dots (although a little too easily) because he is the well-read guy of the group, add spices of Gulliver's Travels, The Odyssey and the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, then you can imagine why I enjoyed this tale so much.
April 27, 2009
"Lucy Comes to Stay":
I have a suspicion this story illustrates Bloch's mastery of the aspects of the mentally ill that Psycho showcases so shudderingly well. Not only is there a sureness in the way it's all written (even from the first person perspective of the insane narrator) but the believability is also impressive. And despite that I early on saw through the "twist" of the story it still held my interest all the way to the end; an end that closes like this [SPOILER ALERT:]: "After a minute, I began to laugh, too. And then the two of us were laughing together, we couldn't stop even when the doctor went away. We just stood there against the bars, Lucy and I, laughing like crazy."
Brilliant!
April 30, 2009
"The Shadow from the Steeple":
This was a fun read. Not so much because of the story (although it's entertaining enough) but because it's a homage to a game Lovecraft and other writers had among themselves in some of their stories, Bloch included.
In 1935 a teenage Robert Bloch killed off Lovecraft in the tale "The Shambler from the Stars." Lovecraft, who always enjoyed pokings and insider fun in tales, was charmed by this and killed off Bloch later the same year, in a very cosmic manner, in "The Haunter from the Dark," now a classic HPL story often highlighted as one of his best stories.
In "The Shadow from the Steeple" a friend of Robert Harrison Blake (HPL's fictive name for Bloch, in his story) tries to unearth what actually happened back then. He is especially--understandably--curious as to what really happened with the thing referred to as "the Shining Trapezehedron." When he finally manages to get in contact with one of the remaining witnesses to the events back in 1935, Dr. Ambrose Dexter, we learn that things have not ended as it was originally reported, whether by the official records or by the accounts of HPL;-)
Bloch seamlessly weave a tale where facts (e.g. that HPL wrote "Haunter" + that he died in 1937, right before the narrator--also a clever version of Bloch himself, I suspect--could visit him) and fiction blend so it's hard to tell which is which if one doesn't know beforehand. Doing this is the gentle homage from a writer who by the time of this story (ca. 1950) has established himself as an author in his own right to a mentor and inspiration now dead more than ten years before. It is fun how he changes a few facts to make the plot fit consistently with the earlier tales (e.g. now the place Blake lived is no longer HPL's apartment, as in the original story, but they are neighbors!), and explaining it (e.g. HPL changed a few facts in his story to create a higher fictive tension, and he didn't want to include himself, and his own part in the horrors, in his own story:-P).
Weird? Perhaps, but it doesn't read that strange, I can tell you. All this is only for those "in the know," really, and it all works well in the tale, even without this knowledge. A tale that is told straight and clearly. And while I didn't "buy" how the narrator suddenly--more or less out of the blue--deduced the connection of everything (SPOILER: Nyarlathotep from HPL's poem of the same name has a hand in this too!), I nonetheless felt entertained in a cozy manner.
That's all the author intended, I think:-)
Later same day;-):
"The Past Master":
A man appears, not out of the blue but from the ocean, naked and with odd questions re. the greatest artworks in history. What's this all about?
Through eyewitnesses' own accounts we learn what's going on, and when we reach the conclusion of the tale it has taken a surprising turn, where sci-fi elements lurk in the background and the US fear of Communism in the 1950s more than lurk in the fore of everything.
Very interesting and surprisingly gripping tale.
"I Like Blondes":
Hehe. Well, as the mysterious narrator says, "it's a matter of taste" and while this tale wasn't the best in the collection it was still entertaining enough. And the appearance of a UFO on the roof was a laugh.
Later still, same day;-):
"The Bogey Man Will Get You":
On a holiday the teenage girl Nancy so much wants to impress the handsome, eloquent man named Philip. But something seems odd... And after a while the suspicion arises: Is he a vampire?
Her mother doesn't believe her, of course, but Nancy is determined to demonstrate she's right, and it's not just because he turned her down one night.
In the end Philip convinces her that he's not a vampire, which he really isn't. Just a shame he's a werewolf!;-)
Nice little shocker.
May 2:
"A Good Imagination":
Warning: If you're married to one of Bloch's characters, do not cheat on your spouse! It is inevitable that your life will come to a horrible end--and one that also involves a lot of psychological horror; as the narrator says: "It's all a matter of knowing how to use your imagination."
I liked this one very much, and it was great that it turned out to be less obvious than I thought. And there are also nods to Poe.
May 3, 2009
"Dead-End Doctor":
A Twilight Zone-like story with sci-fi elements. We learn what happens to the poor, last psychiatrist on Earth now that there is no longer use for one with that profession, and the robots have taken over just about all kinds of work.
Thoughtful story. I liked it.
May 24, 2009
"The Thinking Cap":
A little psychedelic, but okay story. A writer has the famous writer's block and he is at an all-time low in his life. A woman enters his life, offers him a device he can put on his head and which is guaranteed to have him write successful stories. He accepts--and he becomes a successful writer.
Of course, no gift is without a price. He ends up trying to regain his own life, and not be so dependant on the "thinking cap," which includes sessions with a psychiatrist. Our protagonist discovers, though, that psychiatsts aren't always right;-) I liked the ending very much. It wasn't a surprise, but it was still handled in a way that satisfied.
The "dream scenes" (or whatchacallit) were weird and psychedelic but worked well. I am wondering if Bloch writes from experience here--both in terms of the infamous writer's block "syndrome" and having trippy dreams-that-can-be-turned-into-succesful-stories?
As always--more reviews to come, as I complete the stories;-)(less)
**spoiler alert** Conceptual sharks, literally drowning in a vortex of concepts suddenly appearing in a confined room, a frantic battle for the Self &...more**spoiler alert** Conceptual sharks, literally drowning in a vortex of concepts suddenly appearing in a confined room, a frantic battle for the Self & precious memories already slipping away for good, a whole living place (house? Apartment? Who knows?) made up of paper and words. An off-hand mentioning of Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu" one single time (and without giving away why it's mentioned--but I think I got it; very clever of the author). Letters from yourself in the past trying to help you in the totally unknown present & future. Shadows of a terrible tragic and romance--perhaps the key to understanding it all in the end?
What's not to like?:-D This novel is without question an oddball, but of the most exquisite kind, if you ask me. Besides the wonderful writing and play with words in there, the "illustrations" are also of fascination, as is the empty spaces... Or is that the unSpaces?
I won't say it's a perfect novel--not everything makes the sense I suppose it is meant to--but that doesn't matter. It's a great read, with great thoughts, ideas, images, characters--and a talent for writing that is rare. That's good enough for me:-)(less)
(There's not much spoiler in this review, but some might think so, so I've decided to hide the review behind the spoiler warning, to be on the safe si...more(There's not much spoiler in this review, but some might think so, so I've decided to hide the review behind the spoiler warning, to be on the safe side.)
It took me a while to get into this story. This is in part my own fault, since I am only reading my books right before sleeping these days, so I am at times a little too sleepy to really grasp things. Add to that that the author takes his time building the futuristic world he wants to share with us, the readers -- presenting everything fairly detailed -- and you may understand why it is not "an easy read" at first.
That said, I salute Bacigalupi for doing it. Doing it this particular, meticulous way not only helps the reader to see the strange setting but also to make it extremely believable. I could smell things in this dark version of Bangkok, Thailand, and it was easier for me to navigate between the diverse, fairly large cast of characters as well as political plays going on. So his approach is ultimately the right one.
When the world building has been done properly he even manages to shift things a bit, so we get to know the characters a little closer, creating an intimacy often lacking in stories like this. I must say I am very impressed.
That Bacigalupi also knows -- and expertly uses this knowledge -- the social code of Thai people makes everything so much more commendable. It's not that he rubs it in our face but it permeates everything and is the final touch to making it all so incredibly believable. (And yes, it is very believable that in the distant future the Thai will have this code, since they already have an ancient tradition of which they are very proud of; of course they will have it long into the future as well.)
Why am I not rating this story 5 stars, then? Well, there were a few things here and there I don't think received enough attention. I'd have prefered for the story to be longer, so many of the things that are going on (or are hinted at happened in the past) could be unfolded better. This is particularly striking when comparing the first half of the novel (the slow world building) with the last part (fast moving on many levels, but with just about as much new information crammed in everywhere). I got the feeling the original ms. was longer and that an editor had requested that it be cut down. A shame, really.
**spoiler alert** A word of warning: I've tried to avoid spoilers but a few sneak in anyway -- and at least one hints at a major event -- so if you re...more**spoiler alert** A word of warning: I've tried to avoid spoilers but a few sneak in anyway -- and at least one hints at a major event -- so if you really do not want to know before you read the book stop reading this review now.
This is a good novel, and with an all-out love story at the heart of the tale. And that part works very well. Not only is this realistic, it is also very moving. Well done, Mr. King.
Unfortunately, for me, the other matter at the heart of the story -- the time travel thought experiment -- didn't work as good. In fact, it annoyed me now and then. Now, I know that I can't expect more hardcore scientific explanations, or even more detailed philosophical explanations, to such matter in a story by Stephen King. And that's normally a good thing because with King we usually get just enough information to get things to move smoothly forward, without bugging down the story's flow in technicalities. That's really an admirable trait. But here, in 11/22/63, there's just too much that is... not only superficially explained, but also are quite huge improbabilites and, seemingly, random "reasons" or, if you prefer, "rules" to time travelling.
Some may not care one bit (one of my friends recently read the story, and she gave it 5 stars exactly because she didn't find this part important at all), but there are some weird "guardians" on the other side of the "timehole" (The Green Card Man or whatever) -- that, it turns out, seem to know what's going on yet cannot do anything besides talking to the protagonist and whine? Really? And time "harmonizes itself"? Really? Why? And -- more importantly, since I can accept the idea of "harmonizing" as such -- why does things end up in the harmony the way they do? Almost everytime with the exact same thing, person or event, just in new dressings somewhere else in the new timeline. Huh? And how on Earth does the protagonist (and Al before him) manage to recognize this pattern -- to the point of foreseeing things?
And the recognition at the end, in the love story...? Arh c'mon. Very romantic but isn't this stretching things too far?
When too much of such oddities pop up in a story they demand to be explained, I think. A few -- fair enough, it's not important. But this crosses the line -- and it is never explained in any coherent, believable way.
That said, King is still a master storyteller. Most of the story takes place back in time, from 1958 to 1963, and even when I found too much daily conundrum taking up the pages (and not being important to the Oswald Lee & Kennedy plot), which happened a lot, I remained curious and stayed onboard. I cared for the main characters and I wanted to see how everything turned out.
Many readers probably (still) expect a King novel to be a horror story. Well, this is not a horror story. A few, well-placed horrific, gory scenes, yes, but that's it. It's not exactly science fiction either (although with the time travel as an important element, this comes closer than the label "horror"). And it's close to realism, yet not quite. If it's any one thing, I suppose it can be labelled "an alternative history" story. But it's really neither-nor... or both-and;-) And I commend King to keep writing independently on what labels are "proper" or what's expected of him. It shows, in my opinion, that he cares. He loves writing.
If I were to rate the novel on the love story and King's ability to draw believable characters alone I'd give it 5.
Take that as a warning or as a recommendation, at your leisure.(less)
**spoiler alert** In several ways this was an odd read. Some thing I liked very much and some things I did not like that much.
A few years ago a review...more**spoiler alert** In several ways this was an odd read. Some thing I liked very much and some things I did not like that much.
A few years ago a reviewer called Pearl "the literary Dan Brown," and I can see why. Of course it's not really that simple, but the point is clear enough. Brown has cliffhangers after each chapter, all of it evolving around a mysterious plot where the protagonist races against time to solve the case at hand by figuring out fitting the jigsaws to the overall puzzle--with people trying to kill him, a woman tagging along the ride etc., etc. The same goes for Pearl, at least in this novel, which is the only one I have read by him so far.
There's nothing wrong with building a story on those well-proven formulas, in my opinion. It's more a matter of how you do it, and, as a result, how it works.
Pearl has clearly done a lot of research for this book. The time, the kind of people and positions, the book industry in particular (I didn't know the copyright laws were so, well, "wild west-like" in the US, did you?), and Dickens' last US adventure. All of it very fascinating and something that helps tremendously building a believable and constantly fascinating world in which the characters walk around.
Unfortunately the characters never come across as living people but stay stock characters of sorts; stay flat, one-dimensional. Also unfortunately, the research shows its head frequently, often getting in the way of the storytelling, in my opinion.
I don't mind stock characters or one-sided/one-dimensional characters per se, as should be evident from my reading lists and reviews. It all depends on what is important for the story, in my opinion. So, for example, when an author decides to have a romance (the protagonist Osgood and Rebecca, who travels with him to England in search for the lost chapters of Dickens' last, unfinished novel) you need more than write that they are interested in each other--you also need to give the reader an emotional impact; something I found lacking. Yes, on the intellectual level it was clear what was going on, but it didn't resonate, there was no emotional punch. Part of the problem here, I think, is because the research element gets in the way, creating a distance between me, the story and the characters. Interesting and fascinating as the research truly was--how much the author knew about the times, setting etc.--it also prevented me from getting more "into" the characters and their situation. The only exception being Tom Branagan (especially the US scenes) and the insane Dickens stalker, Louisa Parr Barton--there was something that worked perfectly!
(This review will be expanded in a day or two...)(less)
I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't. There are some okay ideas, and some of the scenes are fairly well executed -- hence the two star rati...moreI really wanted to like this book, but I didn't. There are some okay ideas, and some of the scenes are fairly well executed -- hence the two star rating -- but on the whole I found the prose dull and the story not engaging at all.(less)
Didn't like Ellis' famous American Psycho one bit. I found it ridiculously boring and "oh let's see how gross we can make an essentially crappy book"...moreDidn't like Ellis' famous American Psycho one bit. I found it ridiculously boring and "oh let's see how gross we can make an essentially crappy book"...
But this book is brilliant! Now I understand why Ellis is so celebrated, and if he continues down this road I will be the first to run out and purchase his books in the future:-)
A brilliant, sharply intelligent satire of how rich people live (in the US) and how their kids are drugged for conveniency (often happening in reality, rumor has it), it is also a strange hybrid novel between a horror/ghost story, Ellis' personal biography (he is the star of this book, being the narrator) and a gripping story about a lost man trying to find a way in a world he doesn't understand; on one hand still struggling to come to terms with his own, estranged father and trying to find a way to break through a similar estrangement with his own son...
A "literary" book that is equally plot driven doesn't come better.
Oh, and, yes, infamous Patrick Bateman is inhere too;-)(less)
Although an entertaining read, this thriller wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped.
[WARNING: SPOILERS]
My main problem with the story is the climatic endin...moreAlthough an entertaining read, this thriller wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped.
[WARNING: SPOILERS]
My main problem with the story is the climatic ending. After a straight narrative, competently plot driven staying with the main characters, Herbert breaks the general style with an interlude of scenes where we all of a sudden see what happens to other persons in the local. Although supposed to add to the climatic sea storm breaking in over the area, it was to me an annoying break from what was really important to the story. And way too long.
The idea with the mysterious and fatal accidents surrounding the protagonist's life was interesting enough but the actual revelation was somewhat lacklustre, in my opinion (even if some fascinating, almost Lovecraftian descriptions of the indescribably popped up here). It was also too obvious what was going on.
It's been more than 10 years since I last read a Koontz book... 'Tis gonna be interesting...
LATER: Okay, now I've read it. And all in all it's a pretty...moreIt's been more than 10 years since I last read a Koontz book... 'Tis gonna be interesting...
LATER: Okay, now I've read it. And all in all it's a pretty good yarn. A thriller-horror type story where Koontz deftly entwines pshychology and elements of the occult to fine, fairly believable effect. And the ending is more satisfying than I remember from several of his other stories. That's great:-)
Unfortunately the plot was very obvious early on and it seemed incredible that the characters had to wade through 400 pages before realizing what was going on... But then again, they are supposed to live in a "real life" scenario, so it's probably true they wouldn't consider the occult implications as fast as the reader; most people in the real world wouldn't either. Nonetheless, for the reader (me) it was unnecessary; could have been executed better.
Dean Koontz, like Stephen King, spends considerable time developing his characters, and more so than many in this kind of mainstream fiction. That's a good trait for a writer, and it helps establishing a sort of emphatic link with the characters, so the reader is the more horrified/shocked/etc. whenever something happens to them. And I did like the characters, Dan the Cool Cop, Laura the Caring Mother, Melanie the Poor Kid and so on. But it annoys me that Koontz feels a need to pour syrup on top of it all--so we end up with clicheed relations (of course Dan falls in love with Laura, and of course he is such a good spotter of character that he can see their flaws at a distance, even if he's never met them before). Changed a good thing to a rather sour experience:-(
I'd still recommend the novel, though. Just beware its flaws.(less)
It was interesting reading this again after so many years. And on the whole I still enjoy it a lot.
It is one of the collection of novels that I refer...moreIt was interesting reading this again after so many years. And on the whole I still enjoy it a lot.
It is one of the collection of novels that I refer to as Stephen King's "feminist stories" (Dolores Claiborne and Gerald's Game are two others), and in this one we follow the wife of a wife abuser, how suddenly she runs away and what happens in the months that follow.
(view spoiler)[Okay, so it's sort of a cliché that her husband is a psychopat cop? It still works, in my opinion, and that's what matters. (hide spoiler)]
Besides the very realistic theme of wife abuse King also weaves mythic elements into the tale, which, to me, took some time to adapt to. It was quite a change, fairly sudden. But when I had adapted to that it worked like a charm, in fact adding tot be fabric of the tale.
A good book and very well written. And without doubt an important story, dealing with life in a Sibirian labor camp, as told by one who knew.
The munda...moreA good book and very well written. And without doubt an important story, dealing with life in a Sibirian labor camp, as told by one who knew.
The mundane details, no matter how realistic, become rather boring, though. And since this is a very detailed account of one day only I never felt the story really grabbed me.
I second Stephen King's remark: "one gorgeous read"!
This story has it all: Suspense, plot (& sub-plots), romance, thrills, horror, and a gripping...moreI second Stephen King's remark: "one gorgeous read"!
This story has it all: Suspense, plot (& sub-plots), romance, thrills, horror, and a gripping narrative from page one. And that most beautiful, poetic language--you can't help but savour it with a blissful smile (and occasional shudder). [Kudos to translator Lucia Graves for making this transition work.]
And if you're just a tiny bit bibliophile you can't help but love it. For instance, who can resist the title of the First Chapter?: "The Cemetery of Forgotten Books."
And this particular hardcover edition is a marvel all on its own too!!! You must hold it in your own hands to know what I am talking about.
If you only read one book a year--make sure this is the one this time!(less)
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