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August 09
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Jason
added:
No Country for Old Men (Paperback)
by Cormac McCarthy
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in August, 2008
Jason said:
"In reading "No Country for Old Men", fans of the movie who go to the source material will either be happy or dismayed.
Happy in that the movie follows the book to a T. The dialogue at times is verbatim and the action and pace is rarely di...more
In reading "No Country for Old Men", fans of the movie who go to the source material will either be happy or dismayed.
Happy in that the movie follows the book to a T. The dialogue at times is verbatim and the action and pace is rarely different, and when it is, it's barely noticible. This may anger some, who are looking for answers to some of the questions they had from the movie. While the book occasionally expounds upon or makes more clear a few scenes that may have left you wondering, for the most part, the ambiguity remains and I liked it that way.
In "No Country", Anton Chigurgh is a symbol, of all that is evil and senseless and unstoppable in the world. He embodies everything that Sheriff Bell has been feeling and fearing for some time now - that the world he came from no longer exists and maybe never did, that there are forces out there that defy reason, defy law, and have no regard for either. The book offers no more information on Chigurgh than the movie and I think that works. For if there was a thirty page chapter on Chigurgh's life, his troubled childhood and the tumultous, tragic events that created the character we've come to know, he'd cease to be the terrible phenom and would instead be something we could analyze, even sympathize with, and that's not the point.
Even Moss's motivations aren't always clear. When he comes upon the money in the desert, he just takes it. There are no long, wordy passages of his inner turmoil over his actions and their implications for the future. It's merely something that happens to him and he reacts. The future will take care of itself.
McCarthy's writing still is both simple and rich. He never uses quotation marks, his chapters are small, his characters largely undeveloped and his prose crisp and to the point. And yet readers who are paying attention will never miss and beat and feel they're not getting something. His world is not lacking in detail, even if his prose is. He paints a vivid picture of the universe these characters inhabit and they feel as real as any other I've read.
A worthy read, for fans of the movie and people who've never seen it.
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August 07
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Jason
added:
The Brothers K (Paperback)
by David James Duncan
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in August, 2008
Jason said:
"The Brothers K is at times, overly long and burdened and bogged down with far too many subplots and minor details, and was difficult to get through, as many readers could relate to, when you have a stack of other books begging to be read.
But the...more
The Brothers K is at times, overly long and burdened and bogged down with far too many subplots and minor details, and was difficult to get through, as many readers could relate to, when you have a stack of other books begging to be read.
But the character development was so rich and they were people that I cared about enough to make it to the end and I was glad I did.
The novel is the story of the Chance family, and follows them through roughly two decades of ups, downs, triumphs and tragedies. As I mentioned before, the characters are rich and detailed, and each posess their own unique voice, which is comendable on the part of the writer, for even when the Chance boys and girls are still just children, their characters and little idiosyncratic personalities are all well flushed out.
There is Papa Chance, a burnt out old baseball player now killing himself slowly working in a mill. Mama Chance the relgious zealout, who tries to rule the family with an iron hand, but as such things go, the harder she squeezes, the more children fall through her fingers, and then the children themselves, three boys and two girls, and the chronicle of the seperate directions each of their lives take would be too voluminous to recount here.
And that's my main critique of the novel. There is almost too much character development. The three boys part ways and the book follows each of them (occasionally flashing back to their parents and sisters as well), and I found some of their stories overly long if not all together uninteresting, and wanted to get back to the story of the family itself and thier relationship, which is the heart of the novel and is the point you know all along you'll end back up with.
The boys' stories are important, true, but the author weaves in so many little moments, so many anecdotes and stories that don't serve to move the novel along but rather stops it so they can occur that it occasionally gets annoying.
But other than a little gratuitous and possibly self indulgent writing on the part of the author, The Brothers K is a good book, you do care about these characters and their struggles and are very curious to see how they end up.
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July 24
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Jason
added:
The Man Called CASH: The Life, Love and Faith of an American Legend (Paperback)
by Steve Turner
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in July, 2008
Jason said:
"This "authorized" biography is a quick but informative snapshot of Cash's life. For someone like me, who's main source of information about Johnny Cash comes from the film "Walk the Line", it provides insight and dispells many of ...more
This "authorized" biography is a quick but informative snapshot of Cash's life. For someone like me, who's main source of information about Johnny Cash comes from the film "Walk the Line", it provides insight and dispells many of the myths and misconceptions about the man you may have garnered from the movie or on your own.
And yet I felt there was something missing from it as well, though what I find it hard to put my finger on. Part of it may be because it isn't that long and does move quickly, that at times I felt like it lacked substance. Cash and his life move before the reader quickly, which is a nice alternative to some biographies that plod along endlessly, the author plugging his or her own interpretations and psyche into the mind of their subject.
While I don't feel there are any major gaps in this book, I do feel that more could have been given, the detail a bit more rich. But still worth a read for anyone who wants to start to learn more about this American legend. ...less
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July 17
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Jason
added:
From the Angel's Blackboard: The Best of Fulton J. Sheen (Paperback)
by Fulton J. Sheen
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in July, 2008
Jason said:
""From the Angel's Blackboard: The Best of Fulton J. Sheen", is a marvellous collection of snippets from the Bishop's prolific writing career and excerpts from his famed television show "Life is Worth Living" from over the years.
...more
"From the Angel's Blackboard: The Best of Fulton J. Sheen", is a marvellous collection of snippets from the Bishop's prolific writing career and excerpts from his famed television show "Life is Worth Living" from over the years.
The topics of the book vary by chapter, and are as diverse as they are poignant and relevant. They reflect the depth of Bishop Sheen's wisdom, his amazing knowledge of such a variety of topics, and his overall compassion and love of humanity. The book touches on everything from the temperment of teenagers, to psychology, philosophy, charity, happiness, and the overall human condition.
While it is clear that Bishop Sheen's writings and talks are all seen through the veil of the Catholic faith, he rarely "preaches" in they way critics of that sort of thing would find objectionable. Of course there are references to "Our Blessed Lord", "The Blessed Mother", and God throughout the book, one should rarely feel they are being catechized, for Bishop Sheen, like most great orators and teachers throughout history, has the gift of speaking right to the heart, mind, and soul of the individual, and readers will likely feel, as I often did, that a chapter on a particular topic was being addressed directly to me.
A fine book, especially for anyone curious about Bishop Fulton J. Sheen and his teachings. ...less
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June 09
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New comment on Matt's review of
Earthbound
(see all 3 comments)
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May 22
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Jason
added:
The Dead Zone (Paperback)
by Stephen King
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in May, 2008
Jason said:
"The Dead Zone, one of Stephen King's earlier classics, follows one Johnny Smith, a regular guy with an amazing talent, a type of psychic ability that enables him, upon touching people, to know things about them, about their past, present, or even fut...more
The Dead Zone, one of Stephen King's earlier classics, follows one Johnny Smith, a regular guy with an amazing talent, a type of psychic ability that enables him, upon touching people, to know things about them, about their past, present, or even future.
It starts when Johnny's a boy and has an accident while playing on the ice and is blown wide open when he's in a near fatal car accident as an adult. After four years in a coma, Johnny wakes up with his abilities much stronger than they ever were. A series of chance encounters, ranging from something simple like helping a lady find a lost wedding ring to saving lives, Johnny soon attracts much unwanted media attenion, which causes him to go on the road, reminiscent of David Banner in the old Hulk TV series, traveling from town to town, trying to avoid these supernatural encounters but somehow always managing to fall right into them, preventing him from ever living a "normal" life.
His dark gift eventually leads him to Greg Stillson, an up and coming politician who's rise to power is juxtaposed with Johnny's recovery and misadventures in the "Dead Zone". After shaking his hand at a political rally, Johnny envisions Stillson someday and President and leading the country into an apocalyptic nuclear war. Johnny is now faced with the horrible burden of this knowledge and dilemma ... how can he stand by and let this man get elected if he knows it will mean millions will die from it, tackling big issues like "If you could go back in time and kill Hitler, would you? Should you?"
The Dead Zone is a fun read and does ask some poignant questions about power and responsibility. I have heard it suggested that Johnny's power and sudden fame was a cathartic exploration of the author's, who'd, at the time of this books original publication, had just made it big with some of his mega bestsellers such as Carrie and Salem's Lot. It is also by far the most political of King's books, featurinig cameos from several well known political figures of the day.
The novel is flawed, possibly due to King's Freshmen's status as a novelist when he originally wrote it. The first hundred pages or so, the main character is in a coma and it follows his parents around mostly, bobbing between them and Stillson.
His sudden obsession with politics and with Stillson himself is sudden and awkward when it first starts. There's little build up to it, only subtle hints here and there. Seasoned readers and watchers of movies will of course know that some type of confrentation between the two men must be coming, but little in the book prepares you for it.
That being said, the character of Johnny Smith is sympathetic and even tragic, more so than most of King's characters in other books. Here's a man who's vision for himself, his life and his future is snatched away from him in a blink of an eye, never to be realized.
Once Johnny accepts his mission to stop the election of Greg Stillson, there is suspense and drama and you do want to get to the end to see how it all plays out.
It is a worthy read, especially for fans of King and his early fiction. ...less
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May 15
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Jason
marked as to-read:
Plan of Attack (Paperback)
by Bob Woodward
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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May 06
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Jason
marked as to-read:
Brave New World and Brave New World Revisited (P.S.)
by Aldous Huxley
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Jason
added:
An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963 (Hardcover)
by Robert Dallek
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Jason said:
"There are certain figures through the annals of history that are larger than anything they may have accomplished in their public life and larger than life in general. John F. Kennedy is no exception and is in fact a prime example of such a figure.
...more
There are certain figures through the annals of history that are larger than anything they may have accomplished in their public life and larger than life in general. John F. Kennedy is no exception and is in fact a prime example of such a figure.
The Kennedy family and their political dynasty is the stuff of American legend, enduring in popularity to this very day. People are still fascinated with the young charismatic president, cut down before his time, with his glamerous and perfect wife. The Kennedy story has something for everyone. Glamor, glitz, triumph over adversity on one hand and sex, lies, scandal and betrayal on the other.
Having not lived through the Kennnedy years nor the turbulent sixties themselves, the character of John F. Kennedy to me has always been someone faceless in a school box or portrayed on a movie screen. He is someone I've always wanted to know a bit more about, especially as the last decade has progressed and I have increasingly felt similarities between his era and ours. If you substitute the Red Scare of Communism with the Global Threat of Terrorism and the social upheavals of the civil rights movement with the struggle for rights for the gay and lesbian community, clashes over abortion and other hot topic issues, the times don't seem all that dissimilar.
I picked a good book here, as "An Unfinished Life" gives an exhaustive yet readable portrayal of not only John, but his powerhouse political family and the rocky times in which he lived. Meticulously researched and presented, it provides all those little details that someone like me, having come around a lot later, would have missed having not lived through the Kennedy presidency.
All the stuff you'd want is here. The Bay of Pigs fiasco. The Cuban Missle Crisis. The Berlin Wall. Vietnam, Kennedy's political campaigns, Nixon, Johnson, and all the rest. (I was also intrigued to see the fathers of some of today's biggest political movers and shakers play supporting roles, such as Al Gore Sr. and George Romney)
This book also doesn't shy away from Kennedy's now famous womanizing and other deep character flaws. It also delves deeply into Kennedy's often debilitating health problems, again, something that someone of my generation was not aware of.
Like any good biography, this one doesn't go out of it's way to scandalize and demonize nor canonize it's subject. It presents the man as what he was and what many of us are. Deeply complex, often highly contradictory, and susceptible to all the same human failings and temptations that you are I are. That this one happened to be the scion of a wealthy family and the President of the United States couldn't change that. ...less
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April 24
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Jason
added:
Dandelion Wine (Paperback)
by Ray Bradbury
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Jason said:
"This turned out to be a very charming book. It's one of Bradbury's most famous, and deservedly so. In it, he shows an intuitiveness to the human condition not always seen in hiw work.
Dandelion Wine primarily follows the summer adventures of one...more
This turned out to be a very charming book. It's one of Bradbury's most famous, and deservedly so. In it, he shows an intuitiveness to the human condition not always seen in hiw work.
Dandelion Wine primarily follows the summer adventures of one Douglas Spaulding and his younger brother, and the various rituals that mark summer for them in the fictional setting of Green Town, Illinois. These rituals, such as the making of Dandelion Wine (is there such a thing by the way?), running in the green grass bare foot for the first time, the Fourth of July, etc, are marked with a degree of finality for the boys, as they, especially Douglas, come to the realization that they're growing up, that not only are they alive but that some day they'll die, like several other characters do throughout the book.
I say primarily because the book does jump characters a bit from time to time to various other personalities of the town. Like many of Bradbury's books, it at times feels like a series of short stories stitched together, but there is a cohesion between these "sub stories". They all fit well into the themes of youth, age, life and death. Some of these stories are even touching and beautiful - such as the one about the old man who the kids refer to as the "Time Machine" because of his ability to transport them to bygone eras through his stories - or perhaps the most moving, and the very one that convinced me that I loved the book, is about a thirty year old man and ninty-five year old woman who meet suddenly and fall into a sort of love, but with the heartbreaking understanding that the tragic irony of time of life for them to meet prevents their union from being possible, so they promise to meet eachother younger in another life some day.
Bradbury has been criticised for being overly sentimental and rightfully so, for Dandelion Wine is at sometimes so sickenly sweet and sentimental that it could make a post modern cynic hurl. But there is a beauty is the sentiment of this book, for Bradbury, though writing about a twelve year old boy in the midwest in summer 1928, captures many of those same feelings, emotions and experiences that many boys and girls feel during summer, whether it's during the season itself like the characters of the book or after years of reflection.
He juxtaposes the young and old characters brilliantly, and paints a wonderful dichotomy of their experience. All of this forms the backdrop of Douglas's summer, where he learns about life, death, and love, in a fine read that re convinced me that Bradbury is an American master in his own right who should continue to be read by fans a students for years to come. ...less
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