The play on the "double" theme. Reminded me a lot of Nabokov's Despair. (But not nearly as good.)
The Bad:
Hated the main character. An analysThe Good:
The play on the "double" theme. Reminded me a lot of Nabokov's Despair. (But not nearly as good.)
The Bad:
Hated the main character. An analyst, for goodness sakes. I can only hope that was part of the joke--and not the obvious one: an analyst who thinks his wife has been replaced by a double. But, rather, that he's old fashioned? Out of place? Whatever. I still didn't really see why he was an analyst beyond the obvious--which bugged me.
The novel's conceit--life story within a complaint letter to American Airlines. All the complaints were spot on and really depict the indigniThe Good:
The novel's conceit--life story within a complaint letter to American Airlines. All the complaints were spot on and really depict the indignity of modern air travel perfectly.
The ending. No spoilers for me, but if this novel had ended any differently, I would have been writing a complaint letter.
The Bad:
The novel's protagonist is one of those 20th century characters I recently complained about on the blog (http://kidslitinformation.blogspot.co...). Alcohol problem: check. Estranged from ex-wife and child: check. Failed writer: check. Eastern European roots: check. Enough already!...more
Top-notch fiction for girls and boys ages 8 and up. While this book is, on the surface of things, about going on a super-secret space mission, it's reTop-notch fiction for girls and boys ages 8 and up. While this book is, on the surface of things, about going on a super-secret space mission, it's really about what it means to be a good dad. ...more
For a good comfort mystery read, you can't beat Reginald Hill. Child's Play is one of my favorites: Wield comes out of the closet, crazy inheritance sFor a good comfort mystery read, you can't beat Reginald Hill. Child's Play is one of my favorites: Wield comes out of the closet, crazy inheritance schemes are afoot, Dalziel is his charming Fat Man self....more
This is an entertaining mystery, but not as good as other Robinson's I've read. A low-level misogyny bothered me throughout the book, as it seemed mosThis is an entertaining mystery, but not as good as other Robinson's I've read. A low-level misogyny bothered me throughout the book, as it seemed most "powerful" women had some sort of issue: one was promoted above her abilities, one was developing alcoholism, one was a prude, etc, etc. My generous appraisal is that Robinson was trying very hard NOT to be misogynistic, but wasn't entirely successful in his endeavors.
Also, it revisits an old mystery in ways I'm not sure would make sense if you hadn't read the previous book....more
Some writing issues in this one (sentences repeated wholesale here and there), but a fascinating memoir nonetheless. Carolyn Jessop's story is amazingSome writing issues in this one (sentences repeated wholesale here and there), but a fascinating memoir nonetheless. Carolyn Jessop's story is amazing account of life in the FLDS and her escape from them with EIGHT children. ...more
An interesting book, well written. I was intrigued by the Russian themes in particular. At times the "young literary men" were difficult to distinguisAn interesting book, well written. I was intrigued by the Russian themes in particular. At times the "young literary men" were difficult to distinguish one from the other, but still a good contemporary read....more
A mediocre academic becomes a "person of interest" in a Unabomber-like case. I loved this novel: It's part mystery, part middle-aged exploration of onA mediocre academic becomes a "person of interest" in a Unabomber-like case. I loved this novel: It's part mystery, part middle-aged exploration of one's failings, and has a wonderful redemptive story arc....more
A sweeping "War and Peace" type novel on the Vietnam war. Beautifully written and very sad.A sweeping "War and Peace" type novel on the Vietnam war. Beautifully written and very sad....more
Dare I say it? Okay, here it is: This book manages to be cute, witty, and wise at the same time. A quick one-hour read of a novella that makes you smiDare I say it? Okay, here it is: This book manages to be cute, witty, and wise at the same time. A quick one-hour read of a novella that makes you smile when you read its final lines and mark a few wonderfully smart passages along the way. A perfect gift book....more
I LOVED this book. Part psychological thriller, part philosophical mediation on the nature of evil, "The Exception" is a page-turner from beginning toI LOVED this book. Part psychological thriller, part philosophical mediation on the nature of evil, "The Exception" is a page-turner from beginning to end. My favorite adult read of 2007....more
This review was originally posted on my blog at Big A little a
Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose tells the tale of one famous John Singer Sargent painting frThis review was originally posted on my blog at Big A little a
Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose tells the tale of one famous John Singer Sargent painting from the perspective of a young girl named Kate: "The summer I was five, John Singer Sargent came to visit us. He wasn't a famous artist then. But he painted a picture in our garden that became quite famous. Here is how I remember what happened..."
Kate, the daughter of painter Ned Abbey, was chosen to model for the painting, which Sargent wished would "make people simply rave with pleasure." Kate is initially reluctant about posing--an artist's daughter, she knows it can be tedious and painful--but soon is proud of being part of such a beautifully conceived work. She poses tirelessly, wearing an itchy blond wig, while artists and authors socialize at her bustling home in Broadway, England.
One day, just as Sargent has completed his sketches of Kate and sets up a large white canvas "far too big to put on an easel," guests arrive to the house:
"I remember Mr. Frederick Barnard (another artist!) coming through the gate in his straw hat. He was followed by his wife and two daughters, Polly, aged eleven, and Dorothy (nicknamed Dolly), who was seven. I saw that Polly and Dolly both had fair hair and beautiful curls. Mr. Sargent saw it too.
Things then happened very fast. Within minutes I was standing off to once side and Polly and Dolly were holding the lanterns between the rose bushes."
Ouch.
Hugh Brewster's Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose: The Story of a Painting is a marvel for the 7-12-year-old reader. Kate's voice is a compelling guide through the years it takes to create a masterpiece. Through Kate we learn about John Singer Sargent and his work, what it takes to compose a large-scale painting like Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, about artistic circles in late 19th-century England, and about Impressionism. Brewster illustrates this wonderful picture book for older readers with Sargent's own paintings and sketches, photographs and postcards from the era, and photographs of relevant objects, like flags and tennis rackets. Brewster also has included biographical information about the real-life Kate, her family members, and visitors the Abbey home as an appendix. Published by Kids Can Press, the production value of Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose is excellent, so children will appreciate Sargent's lush, light-infused paintings fully. Brewster's skill at combining the fictional (in Kate's voice and presentation of daily life) and the real (everything else) is masterful--a model for this increasingly popular technique for presenting history and biography to children. ...more
The early reader must be the most difficult book of all to write. To create something new, something real from so few words of such limited complexityThe early reader must be the most difficult book of all to write. To create something new, something real from so few words of such limited complexity is a challenge not every writer can meet. Sure, there are masters of the genre. Cynthia Rylant comes immediately to mind. But, it is unusual to come across a new(ish) author writing for the newly reading who writes with as much honesty and emotional depth as does Michelle Edwards.
Stinky Stern Forever is the fourth volume of The Jackson Friends series--a series of short chapter books designed for school-aged children working on reading fluently on their own. Jackson Magnet is a school populated by children of many different backgrounds and family situations. Our narrator, Pa Lia Vang, decorates her snowflake with Hmong patterns, for example. A boy named Vladmir Solbokin returns from ESL to Mrs. Fennessey's classroom. Another child, Bridgett, doesn't have a mother living at home. Mrs. Fennessey's class also has a resident bully, a boy named Matthew--or Stinky--Stern.
Stinky likes to tease the other kids in the class and make a scene. On the day Stinky Stern Forever begins, Stinky Stern ruins Pa Lia's snowflake with a glob of glue. Then, after school, Stinky Stern is hit by a van when he runs into the street without looking. Pa Lia witnesses the accident and wonders, "Will Stinky be okay? He is so quiet. So still."
Stinky isn't okay. Stinky dies. When Pa Lia returns to school the next day, Mrs. Fennessey tells her class the news and asks the children to share their stories about Matthew Stern. Pa Lia, a quiet, observant child, finds she can't speak right away. She feels confused because she didn't like Stinky Stern. She listens to her classmates' stories--some good, some bad, some funny--and draws, creating pictures of what Stinky loved in life. Finally, after listening to all the children in her class, Pa Lia admits, "'I was so mad at Stinky yesterday. He tried to ruin my snowflake. I was still mad at him when I saw the accident.'" Speaking the truth out loud, Pa Lia realizes, "a heavy bird had just flown from its nesting spot on her heart." Pa Lia is finally able to say what hurts her so much: "'Stinky, get up. This is not funny, I thought. But I knew he couldn't get up. And that was sadder and hurt more than anything Stinky ever said or did to me.'"
Wow. Consider the words Edwards uses here--short words most first graders can read on their own. Despite this limitation, she manages to create a story that is interesting, important, and relevant to children. And, because Stinky Stern Forever is for children, it ends on a positive and hopeful note. The children of Mrs. Fennessey's classroom celebrate their unique, multi-faceted classmate through story and conclude by showering his desk with their beautiful snowflakes.
Stinky Stern Forever is a book you can share with any child experiencing a loss. However, I also think it will be appreciated by children who haven't experienced directly the death of a friend or classmate. We adults, more experienced in loss and death, are easily traumatized by the death of a child, even if that death is fictional. Children, on the other hand, may appreciate Edwards' message here--that everyone has value, everyone has a story and a talent, everyone is loved by someone. Even Stinky Stern.
This one kept me guessing to the end. Hill clouds our view of "the fat man" (Dalziel) and makes us wonder if he's corrupt after all. Pascoe is as smarThis one kept me guessing to the end. Hill clouds our view of "the fat man" (Dalziel) and makes us wonder if he's corrupt after all. Pascoe is as smart and shrewd as ever....more
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