In 2006, I began to reread The Loved Ones. Which was smart because I was living in LA at the time, and this book really must be read only after living...moreIn 2006, I began to reread The Loved Ones. Which was smart because I was living in LA at the time, and this book really must be read only after living in LA for a time. It's delicious in every possible way. From the descriptions of wealthy home backyard landscaping to the little status symbols of cabin class, Waugh nails everything. It's a joy.(less)
I loved this book. It ranks up there alongside "Everything is Illuminated" as a Jews in America/Back in the Homeland story. It's beautifully & hau...moreI loved this book. It ranks up there alongside "Everything is Illuminated" as a Jews in America/Back in the Homeland story. It's beautifully & hauntingly written. I'd never come across such a detailed description of a pogrom. Absolutely horrific. Lots of general history on why Jews emigrated from Russian Poland in the late 1800s, which I enjoyed as that's when my relatives were coming over. Lots of info about why Galveston, Texas was such a big port of entry--always wondered about this as paternal grandmother's family went this route.
The daily trudge to the "lost & found" in NYC to see if the son had turned up--heartbreaking. The mother's fixation on Charles Lindbergh--kinda perfectly ironic, all things considered.
I finally got my dad to read it & he liked it too, so I was happy. We both agreed that the very short second part of the book could easily have been excised. It's a different story entirely.(less)
Yeah, I know I read this right before Xmas last year, because I was raving about it, and then my dad and Brother Ben had a conversation about who want...moreYeah, I know I read this right before Xmas last year, because I was raving about it, and then my dad and Brother Ben had a conversation about who wants to read a woman's point of view & my brother blogged that the book was like a Lifetime Movie of the Week.
Anyway, I loved this book. It was so much like life in LA, and so much like life when you're f-ing depressed as all get out. I loved it also because it was written not by someone in my generation, but by someone in an older generation & it is affirming to find out that someone else from a completely different time period has the same problems with the shit as you do.
Also has highly accurate description of a morose, useless sexual encounter, such as is to be had in LA on regular basis.(less)
I can't really write a review about this book because I know the author, and it was a little too close for comfort to read stuff I knew was pretty tru...moreI can't really write a review about this book because I know the author, and it was a little too close for comfort to read stuff I knew was pretty true to life. I felt just awful reading all the awful details I'd only previously known about in a general sense.
Heroin addiction is horrible. I felt so much pain reading about how scared the main character is everytime she shoots up that she's going to get an infection or disease from a dirty needle. Talk about extreme anxiety. i just wanted to hug the author long and hard and let her know I really felt badly about everything she'd been through and that I'd been selfish to not try to help.
Kudos to her for writing this book. It's been a long, painful journey & I hope she writes much more to exorcise the many demons she's been fighting.(less)
I bought this at Boston's Back Bay Station while waiting for the train to NYC. It was a bad time for me. I'd just spent a week looking at possible apa...moreI bought this at Boston's Back Bay Station while waiting for the train to NYC. It was a bad time for me. I'd just spent a week looking at possible apartments. I had no idea what to do with my life. I had a terrible cold & crazy fatigue.
This book was a good escape. I'm sure it will make an excellent movie, although they'll have to dumb down the history parts. But action-wise it certainly will be entertaining.
The whole idea of bringing back Tsars to Russia is an interesting one. The book did a good job of showing how religious faith never died out during all the years of communism. The execution of the Tsar's family was nicely fleshed out, and didn't seem far-fetched at all. I liked the idea of the "raven". Unfortunately, they'll probably cast Denzel Washington or Jamie Foxx in that role, when it should go to a better actor like Terrence Howard.
Anyway, this is a nice thriller if you're into historical thrillers. The print is super-small though, so maybe a large-print addition would be better.(less)
This book needed a good edit. Far too long for such a relatively simple story. I lost interest in the girl's group of supposedly intriguing friends, a...moreThis book needed a good edit. Far too long for such a relatively simple story. I lost interest in the girl's group of supposedly intriguing friends, and also, I thought it was quite obvious who "Socrates" was, so the ending was no surprise.(less)
Charlaralotte
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Books:
read-in-2006
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