Doug Lewars's Blog, page 29

Tilly's Moonlight Garden

Tilly's Moonlight Garden by Julia Green

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

This is a children's book so I gave it a rating of three because, while I didn't care for it, it wasn't written for me. I'm not certain whether it's good or bad.

It certainly seems consistent with modern children's literature so that's something to consider. I think this book would be very appealing to parents. I have some doubts about its appeal for children. The children I know like a bit more spice to their stories. This author keeps the tension level very low. There is some, but overall it seemed quite bland. Frankly I think what children like, and what adults believe is good for them are two radically different things. If you're a parent, go for it. If you're a child, you're not likely reading reviews on Goodreads so it doesn't matter.

Having discussed the book, I'd like to point out this book is very useful for authors and not just authors of children's literature. Study it carefully scene by scene. The author provides a Master Class in how to put a story together. While I can't recommend it for children, I can recommend it for authors.



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Maskerade

Maskerade by Terry Pratchett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

This was an excellent riff on opera, musical theater in general, and specifically, The Phantom of the Opera. It was amusing with plenty of digs at the genre in general. Terry Pratchett also had fun with a certain genre of best sellers. We also see Nanny Og as more than just a sidekick to Granny. Overall it was a splendid romp and I highly recommend it.



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Is There Bacon in Heaven

Is There Bacon in Heaven?: A Memoir by Ali Hassan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

There are quite a few chuckles in this book as might be expected since the author is a comedian. In addition, he describes some of the complexities of being a Pakistani Muslim in Canada. The pacing is good. He keeps things moving right along. I recommend it.



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Mexican Gothic

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

This book was recommended to me and I expected to hate it so it came as a pleasant surprise to find it quite enjoyable. It's a definite page turner. The person who recommended it told me it was the only book worth reading from the list making up the CBC Canada Reads competition. I have concluded over time the people putting together the long list have literary tastes which are the polar opposite of my own so I figure if a book even makes the long list much less the short one I'll dislike it. Somehow this one slipped through, possibly because it had 'Mexican' in the title and the author was clearly of Mexican descent. In any event it was unanimously booted from competition in round one so it couldn't be all bad.

I looked at some of the reviews of people who disliked it. Many seemed to find the pacing too slow and the book boring as a result. It does move slowly but this is gothic horror. It's supposed to build gradually. Still, if you want ghosts jumping out from every doorway look elsewhere. Others objected to the setting claiming it had nothing to do with Mexico. Certainly it was far from what most people think of. There were no deserts nor cacti. The story takes place in a bleak mansion amid cold rain and mist, but the author wanted to show there was more to Mexico than sand. This is part of the Baja. Perhaps many readers don't know much Geography. I admit to being a little surprised at first but a quick search on the internet provided me with sufficient climate information to make sense of the setting. Another object is the one-dimensionality of the characters. Agreed, those readers who read books for character analysis might do better elsewhere.

The themes involve lust, incest, power, and a dash of eugenics. I was expecting more of the latter but that theme didn't go far.

I did have a few complaints. There were a number of editing gaffs. The author telegraphed too many of her plot points. It doesn't take much intelligence to figure out where the incessant focus on fungi is headed. Likewise the 'no smoking' rule makes it pretty obvious how things will end. Still, I thought these were minor objections.

Some people complain while the story is set 1950, the action and dialogue might have come from 2020. I doubt many of these critics were alive in 1950; however, unless they were expecting references to Elvis and chrome mag wheels there wasn't all that much difference at a casual level. Plus the house seems locked in time. The protagonist is a socialite and I thought the author might have made a little more of this. She dealt with the situation better than I expected she would given her background so there might be a bit of a criticism there.

In general if you like cold rain and mists, a gloomy decaying mansion, servants who act almost like zombies, a diabolical master and a couple of good graveyard scenes I think this book might be for you.

One minor postscript: For those who think the idea of fungi being problematic is ludicrous, I have two words - 'black mold'. Even as you read this there may be tiny pockets in the walls of your residence slowly, imperceptibly, poisoning the air you breath. It's far more common than you would like to believe.




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Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

I loved this book but after reading some of the negative reviews I realize it's not for everyone. It is a brilliant satire of the 19th century upper class, yet if you look a little closer you can see plenty of parallels to life today.

The main criticism seems to be the pacing is too slow and the book is boring. I disagree but that's neither here nor there. If you like lots of action, fights, car chases, shooting and maybe a couple of bombs exploding this book is not for you. Likewise if you insist of empathizing with the characters you're probably better off with something else. These characters are not fully developed because Thackeray was using them like puppets to satirize class and the obsession with money. Some individuals thoroughly dislike the character of Becky. She starts with nothing and exploits other peoples high opinions of themselves to reach the top. True, she comes crashing down but whether up or down she shrugs and moves on. I found her quite entertaining. I also fully sympathized with the kind and generous character of Dobbin. Personally I suspect those who dislike him - and there are a few - might do well to stand in front of a mirror for a while, but this will never happen.

In general, if you crave action or deep character development forget this book. On the other hand, if you enjoy cutting satire and have sufficient background to see how it might generalize to more modern times - think Hollywood, music idols, influencers - you will probably like it.



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Interesting Times

Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

I doubt it's possible for Terry Prachett to have written something I didn't like and this was no exception. The pacing was good, the plot twists and turns interesting, and the characters amusing. He enjoyed the idea of playing with humans like pieces on a chessboard and this book is a game between Fate and Chance. Fate normally beats the other gods without two much difficulty but these two are pretty evenly matched. In the process the author takes digs at traditional oriental society both Japanese and Chinese which he intermingles with gay abandon, but his real target is blind obedience whether to a lord, a cause or a myth. In this book Rincewind is the principle character. I like him because he appreciates the advantages of living a sedentary lifestyle even if such a life forever seems out of reach. If you enjoy the wit of Terry Pratchett then I quite recommend this book.



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Far From the Madding Crowd

Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

Hardy is not for everyone. Some people find the pacing far to slow. Hardy was much given to LONG descriptive passages and if you don't like that you won't like this book. I found this one a little more cheerful than Tess or Jude.



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Facing Reality

Facing Reality: Two Truths about Race in America by Charles Murray

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

The author states his case pretty clearly. What isn't clear, and what he believes irrelevant, are the reasons behind the differences between races. Some people claim the root causes are sociological while others suggest they are genetically based. This is a hot-button issue. As a result it will not can cannot be researched effectively or at all. More importantly, from the perspective of the author, is our response to these differences. His argument is that by adopting identity politics we will increase polarization in North America and that in turn will lead to a re-balancing of power which will negate democracy. Exactly what form of autocracy will replace it isn't clear, perhaps a cross between the Chinese single party system and Russia with its facade of democracy although one carefully orchestrated by the Kremlin.

I'm not convinced he has analyzed the situation correctly. Identity politics involves more than classification by race. Friction exists between the sub-groups within EVERY demographic. Pick a demographic - age, religion, ideology, culture, language, gender, sexual orientation, level of education, socioeconomic status - you name it. Within you will find the various subgroups, perhaps not at war, but certainly viewing one another with considerable skepticism verging on dislike.

Social media makes a difficult situation worse. Within any number of demographic echo-chambers there are increasingly harsh criticisms of the 'other'. Like heating water in a closed container pressure builds up over time. Attempts to ameliorate this generally have a reverse effect. Some platforms do their best to eliminate the worst of the vitriol thereby moving it to smaller platforms which become enclaves for extreme views. As a result, most people are probably unaware just how vicious the mood is becoming among some groups within the populous as a whole.

The author's only recommendation is to give up group identities and treat people as individuals. This sounds very good but implementation would mean massive changes in government policies which would generate a huge media, and social-media backlash.

Frankly, after reading this book I feel rather pessimistic about the future of North American society. Given the increased friction among groups combined with physical stresses such as global warming and you have all the elements needed for a massive disaster.

The good news I believe is there exists an incredibly large number of people who are more intent on living their lives than tearing everything apart and perhaps sheer inertia will keep things progressing on a more or less even keel.



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Lords and Ladies

Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

This book isn't a humerous as some of Terry Pratchett's but there are a few smiles and chuckles between its covers. it's quite fast paced and a little more like an adventure than some. It loosely - VERY loosely - follows Midsummer Night's Dream and adds a bit more romance than the other books. I quite enjoyed it but I've never come across a Discworld book I didn't like and I doubt I ever will. In addition, I think the witches' books are my favorites.

Some critics have mentioned he has gone light on satire in this work but I disagree. He uses the elves to criticize a very stratified society. On the surface he's attacking Feudalism but that's long gone and I think his real targets are those elements in our society who seem to think they are the elite - Lords and Ladies so to speak to whom the rest of the world should kowtow. The ultra rich are part of this group but it extends to certain politicians and the cult of Hollywood.

One thing I found a little disappointing was the lack of explanation for Esme's refusal of Mustrum's proposal when they were young. It was clear they loved one another then and still did in this book.

I quite enjoyed the character of Casanunda - a word play on Casanova - and hope he lived up to Nanny Og's expectations.

In general this was an excellent book and if you like Terry Pratchett books in general I think you'll quite enjoy this one.



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The Hunting Party

The Collected Works of Anton Chekhov: Plays, Short Stories, Diary & Letters (Unabridged): Three Sisters, Seagull , The Shooting Party, Uncle Vanya, Cherry ... Ward No. Six, Swedish Match, Nightmare, Be by Anton Chekhov




*** Possible Spoilers ***

This doesn't get a star rating because Goodreads doesn't list what I actually read which was The Hunting Party, the only full-length novel by Anton Chekhov. After finishing a couple of works by Tolstoy I found the start of this one a little flat. As the story progresses it improves but it doesn't really get going until the second half. The climax is quite impressive but the denouement less so. Ultimately this is a murder mystery but long before the murder takes place the reader has a pretty good idea who the murderer will turn out to be. In general I still think it's a good book and well worth reading.



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