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Not Bukowski's best but there are glimmers of the greatness that would come after this collection. It almost feels like he is searching for his voice in these works as they jump back and forth from being surreal to the realistic no nonsense poems that would come later in his life. Some of the poems actually have an ee cummings feel to them which is interesting in and of itself but I would only recommend this one to a die hard Bukowski fan. ]]>
Ted Kennedy's booming voice is heard distinctively in his memoir. Though at times, his treatment of his family members borders on hagiography, I guess it is to be expected. He holds no such reservations on himself, explaining his feelings on Chappaquiddick, getting kicked out of Harvard for cheating on a Spanish test, and some of his other short comings. He also takes an astute look at the history of this country specifically from when his brother John was elected president in 1960 to the election of Barack Obama in 2008. Kennedy gives his opinions on the legacies of Jimmy Carter, Reagan, both Bushes, and Bill Clinton. He also details the pain that he has suffered in the loss of so many people that were dear to him. Never forced and always pleasant to read, the Senator writes in great prose and stays true to the voice of a great Irish storyteller. In the closing pages, he inspirationally details his battle with the disease that would eventually take his life and sets the course for the rest of us Americans to heed his call to make a better life for every human being in this country. One of the most effective senators in recent history and truly, a Great American. One of the best books of the year and it was published by Twelve, the great publisher of another fine book for this year, "Columbine." ]]>
It could be argued by some critics that Updike is someone who did a lot with a lot. This verbose novel is a difficult but rewarding read into a few weeks of the lifeo f Rabbit Angstrom, a former star basketball player in high school now in his twenties and staring down the barrel of banality. Written as a response to Kerouac's "On The Road", this novel is powerful and poetic in it's prose. I look forward to the three novels that follow. ]]>
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Joe
added a quote:
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." — Albert Einstein
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." — Albert Einstein
Joe
added a quote:
"The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits." — Albert Einstein
"The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits." — Albert Einstein
bookshelves: to-read
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Anthony Burgess' masterpiece that was turned into a classic Stanley Kubrick film. It is written in total dialect that Burgess invented. The book is difficult at times but well worth the trouble. It tells the tale of young Alex, a hooligan who causes more than his fair share of trouble until he is caught and put into a government experiment. In this experiment, he becomes deathly ill any time thoughts of sex or violence enter his mind. Burgess' story was extrememly controversial at the time and still is today, but it brings up strong questions on how government can limit our freedoms. It was incendiary when it was first published as it still is now. The questions that it now pauses seem more relevant is today's fundamentalist society. ]]>