Coac McCartney's No Country for Old Men is a quick but intense read. For those that saw the Cohen brothers' movie first (as I did years ago), the bookCoac McCartney's No Country for Old Men is a quick but intense read. For those that saw the Cohen brothers' movie first (as I did years ago), the book is as bleak and violent as the movie was. Chigurh is probably up there with The Joker as one of the most evil, conscience-free bad guys in literature. He kills willfully and without a shred of remorse before slinking back into the woodwork unseen and uncaught. Moss is a tragic, but heroic character who gets caught up with something far beyond his abilities (which are great to say the least) to control. Bell is precisely how he was portrayed in the film: tired, old, jaded.
The writing is typically devoid of quotation marks but full of wonderful descriptions: "It was a big redtail...Any small thing might venture to cross. Closing in on the prey against the sun. Shadowless. Lost in the concentration of the hunter." (P. 45). This attention of Bell for the dead hawk mirrors his attention to the various victims of the cartel and Chigurh. "Anything can be an instrument, Chigurh said. Small things. Things you wouldn't even notice. They pass from hand to hand. People don't pay attention. And then one day there's an accounting. And after that nothing is the same." (P. 57). This is sort of the leitmotif of the entire novel. Nothing is ever the same. Moss and the hitchhiker: "What do I gotta do for it? You don't gotta do nothin. Even a blind sow finds a acorn ever once in a while." (P. 233) Moss never asks for help and yet throws himself into what he knows is a deadend quest - for a goal he is not even aware of, other than knowing that he will never reach it.
The last time we see Chigurh with Carla Jean, he again leaves her fate to the toss of a coin: "I only have one way to live. It doesn't allow for special cases. A coin toss perhaps. In this case to small purpose. Most people believe there cannot be such a person. You can see what a problem that must be for them. How to prevail over that which you refuse to acknowledge the existence of." (P. 260)
As in most of McCarthy's novels, there is not really a moral to be found here. There is inescapable evil in the world and at some point you place yourself on one side or the other. When you straddle the line as Moss did, things usually do not come out well. Nonetheless, it is powerful reading and of course was made into an epic film. Hard to forget...more
This was a fascinating story (if somewhat terrifying) about LA in the 90s (seen from the 70s) and the future is grim. In a lot of ways, PKD's predictiThis was a fascinating story (if somewhat terrifying) about LA in the 90s (seen from the 70s) and the future is grim. In a lot of ways, PKD's predictions have not bourne out: we don't have scattersuits and no one was using cassette tapes anymore because of the CD. However, the long-term effects of hard drug use are not that off mark. I suspect that Substance D (or "death" as it is known on the street) would today be some kind of crystal meth like Heisenberg's on Breaking Bad, but ingestible with tablets. Its widespread use and devastating impact on users is certainly not understated. That being said, there is also a narrative about spies and counter-spies and how governmental institutions dehumanize agents and occasionally sacrifice then willingly. The overall feeling of the book was kind of like Fight Club meets Naked Lunch or something. I felt it was a great read and prefer it over "Electric Sheep" from PKD.
I really enjoyed how he described the scramble suit using cubist painters, that was a nice touch. I also saw an interesting parallel to Fight Club with the split personality of the protagonist.
I felt that his descriptions of people freaking out on LSD or D, particularly the bug episode, were extremely well done. I can't help but think that DFW's descriptions of addiction and delirium in Infinite Jest and The Pale King were at least partially inspired by PDK although DFW said he had never taken the hard stuff.
I also have owned Linkletter's animated film of the book since the DVD was released and - although I have not watched in in several years - I recall it being quite faithful to the book and that the animation was groundbreaking at the time. I highly recommend both that one and A Waking Life by Linkletter (and Slacker of course!)...more
I read this just after the movie came out when I was 7 or 8 years old. I remember loving it but preferring the wonders of the silver screen. I curiousI read this just after the movie came out when I was 7 or 8 years old. I remember loving it but preferring the wonders of the silver screen. I curiously never went back to read it again. Perhaps I will someday......more
I read this when it came out and I was a restless teenager. I never saw the movie. I only gave it three stars because I remember it being exciting butI read this when it came out and I was a restless teenager. I never saw the movie. I only gave it three stars because I remember it being exciting but still considered it pulp fiction. Perhaps the topic of assassinated Supreme Court justices over environmentalism will become a more relevant topic soon and it merits a re-read? Or not. ...more
I remember when Grisham books were all the rage and surely read this one back in the day but honestly, I remember almost nothing about it. I believe iI remember when Grisham books were all the rage and surely read this one back in the day but honestly, I remember almost nothing about it. I believe it was your typical adult thriller but with almost no sex (this was the 80s after all) and just the typical jumping the shark kinds of hijinks. I know it because both a film and a TV series based on the idea of toxic waste by powerful companies and the way they attack whistleblowers and that is all great but I honestly don't recall being blown away by the quality of the writing itself. ...more
In the second volume of The Vicomte of Bragelonne, we are still in the reign of Louis XIV but now getting into intrigues around Fouquet and his fatalIn the second volume of The Vicomte of Bragelonne, we are still in the reign of Louis XIV but now getting into intrigues around Fouquet and his fatal ego as well as the Man in the Iron Mask (sometimes used as the subtitle for this book). These will once again present a gordian knot for our heroes that will cause anguish and lead them into the final chapter of their adventures. A page turner that will keep you up late on many successive nights, guaranteed....more
Most people unfortunately stop reading Dumas after either Count of Monte Cristo or Three Musketeers. Some do brave Twenty Years Later, but many are scMost people unfortunately stop reading Dumas after either Count of Monte Cristo or Three Musketeers. Some do brave Twenty Years Later, but many are scared off by the sheer size of the three volume Vicomte ("Vice-Count" or aristocratic rank just under Count and over Baron) of Bragelonne. That is rather unfortunate because for me, it is the pinnacle of Dumas' art. He used ghost writers in much (some would say too much) of his work, but most scholars agree that the lion's share of Vicomte is in Dumas' own hand. And no wonder since he was so invested in these characters. They reminded him of his father (who was screwed over royally by Napoleon despite years of service) and the époque of the Sun King and he achieved some of the most convincing and charismatic characters in French literature. The noble Athos, the innocent and brave d'Artagnon, the titanically strong Porthos and the scheming Artemis - just the names invoke awe and nostalgia. And they are all so unforgettable. In Three Musketeers, they are just cocky young musketeers in some crazy adventures. In Twenty Years later, they are more mature and a bit more developed. But in the Bragelonne series, we have living, breathing characters that grow old and see their friendships strained as they face historical events and their own aging with indifference, misery or opportunity. I can think of few books with four protagonists that are so carefully drawn and so perfectly matched and who have such exciting perilous adventures. This is truly my all-time favorite from Dumas. This first volume happens soon after Louis XIV takes the throne and includes the drama of Louise de la Valliere which is based on historical incidents. A love triangle develops that will have a huge impact on our four heroes. ...more
In the annals of revenge stories, The Count of Monte Cristo has to be at the very top. The betrayal, imprisonment, reappropriation of identity and theIn the annals of revenge stories, The Count of Monte Cristo has to be at the very top. The betrayal, imprisonment, reappropriation of identity and the final stroke of revenge are so perfectly depicted here that it is breathtaking. Dumas' finest work (besides the d'Artagnan cycle in my humble opinion), there is ne'er a dull moment in this classic of epic proportions....more
Capote has a mesmerizing way with words. His description of the aptly named Holly Golightly is splendid and the character herself is a sort of blend oCapote has a mesmerizing way with words. His description of the aptly named Holly Golightly is splendid and the character herself is a sort of blend of Daisy Buchanon and Madame Bovary. The friendship of the narrator Paul/"Fred" with Holly is beautifully and painfully described as are the parties and lovers that she entertains. I must see the film now...(see below) The atmosphere of the book is a sort of bohemian yet preppy post-Beat decadence but with a tragic sexism that poisons Holly's relationships with everyone except the narrator. She is both an actor and a victim of her status as a sex object - this is what transports this story from something banal to something more complex and enduring.
The Diamond Guitar is a tender story of unrequited love as well, albeit homosexual love and longing and disappearance.
House of Flowers is a vivid depiction of a Haitian whorehouse, the Champs-Elysées and the sadomasochistic love of Ollite for Royal that leads her to an indifferent fate at the House of Flowers.
A Christmas Memory is a heartbreaking tale of camaraderie between a young boy and an older woman and their dreams of surpassing their humble existence.
Each of these stories of love, loss, and hope against hope that avoid sentimentalism in their cold rendering of events. It is more the external elements (the weather in New York, the changing seasons at the farm, the bee prophecy and the wind respectively) that color the psychology of the characters and their ambiguous fates. I loved these stories and will read more of Truman Capote's work.
I started watching the movie with the amazing Audrey Hepburn as Golightly and George Peppard as "Fred" and find it captures the essence of the relationship between these two characters. However, why did they have Mickey Rooney do that ridiculous (and perhaps racist) imitation of Yunioshi, why not just have a Japanese actor. The other annoying thing about the movie is the comic spin that it puts to the book which while at times somewhat humorous was for the most part darker and more layered than depicted by Blake Edwards.
I read this one to my kids this year. Of course, they had seen the Disney classic and loved the character. What was surprising in the book was that PoI read this one to my kids this year. Of course, they had seen the Disney classic and loved the character. What was surprising in the book was that Poppins comes off as far more bizarre, detached and haughty than she does in the film. It isn't that she doesn't adore the kids, but she also doesn't hesitate to put them in their place and sometimes her anger is more about her own station in life than some misbehavior of the children. There are of course adorable moments and funny incidents in this loose collection of stories that are not really a continuous narrative but some random adventures. The kids enjoyed the book but have not insisted that I grab another copy. Maybe the written version is just a tad bit more mature than the movie version? Up to you to decide I suppose, but as an adult, it is an entertaining read particularly for parents of young kids....more
AWESOME! I mean seriously, the movie will be coming out soon as I write this in late Feb 2017, but I read the comic in English translation over 20 yeaAWESOME! I mean seriously, the movie will be coming out soon as I write this in late Feb 2017, but I read the comic in English translation over 20 years ago and LOVED it. I also read the sequel and watched the associated anime that it inspired. It is a fantastic universe in a sort of dystopian future that poses the same basic questions as the I Robot series by Asimov - how will artificial intelligence change human kind and at what moment is an android sentient. A MUST READ before the movie comes out - or after you watch it.
This is truly one of the greatest mangas. I have the Kodansha Bilingual version and as much as I find it entertaining that Masamune Shirow leaves a ton of editorial explanations of his drawings and ideas (and excuses sometimes for shortcuts he takes in the story), the type is really really really tiny. That being said, Bantu is a total badass and Major Motoko Kusanagi is an extremely sexy cyborg built over a human body with those human memories buried in her as her "ghost". Her adventures as a super agent are fun and engaging as well as sexy and occasionally quite violent - NSFW and 18+ for the most part. The anime was excellent, let's hope the live action version lives up to the hype as well. They will surely not be able to cover the variety of adventures in this volume so it will be interesting to see whether they use the anime as a basis or go off on a different story altogether. There are many possibilities which is one of the things which is so great about this manga.
The film - like the anime - is a sort of prequel to this volume. But it is absolutely amazing! ...more
I was a kid when I read this book and am giving it 4 stars because being a young naïve child of the Cold War, it was exciting and certainly showed usI was a kid when I read this book and am giving it 4 stars because being a young naïve child of the Cold War, it was exciting and certainly showed us putting on over on the "bad guys". Those to young to remember need to recall this was in the bad old USSR days before Gorby and Glasnost - the time of the show The Americans. I suppose if I reread it now, it would sink into ignominy like the other books I read as a young reactionary WASP growing up in the slowing latinified Miami of the TV show Miami Vice and all (all that Tom Clancy Republican propagandistic crap, etc.). Admittedly, I also LOVED the movie with Clint Eastwood. Well, let me keep my childhood memories of this and feel snobbishly comfortable knowing I grew up since then and my reading taste improved infinitely and the world changed since then (well, unfortunately not all that much...)...more
One of my all time favourite books, Les Liaisons dangereuses is a tour de force written entirely in letters. It is the only literature that nobleman LOne of my all time favourite books, Les Liaisons dangereuses is a tour de force written entirely in letters. It is the only literature that nobleman Laclos every wrote but he hit a grand slam with this one. Intrigue, sex, betrayal - it is a gripping story told in the margins between the written word and the gaps between the letters. Hard to describe without spoiling the pleasure of potential readers, suffice it to say that the movie (as awesome as Uma and Close and Malkovich were in the 1988 film version) is not even close to as exciting and gripping as the original....more
If you watched the movie, you should definitely read the book, they are actually quite different. The world Baum creates is just as colorful and creatIf you watched the movie, you should definitely read the book, they are actually quite different. The world Baum creates is just as colorful and creative as that on screen - just more so. An essential book to enjoy with your kids!...more
In this, her 5th novel, Amélie Nothomb because a Franco-Belgian literary superstar. She describes with graphic intensity the tribulations of a young pIn this, her 5th novel, Amélie Nothomb because a Franco-Belgian literary superstar. She describes with graphic intensity the tribulations of a young protagonist "Amélie" working in a Japanese firm in Tokyo. It is funny and witty and was made into a film with Sylvie Testud playing Amélie. I loved the film and read the book afterwards finding it pretty good. I have not been entirely won over by Nothomb who has become a book factory - a book a year every year with over 100000 sales each time and yet I feel that her stories are highly repetitive after this particular book. Perhaps folks with challenge this assumption in the comments, but I feel she because a commercial product after this book which is kind of off-putting for me. That being said, this is a short masterpiece of fiction from 1999 and the film is also excellent....more
This is a beautiful book about a personal and physical journey in Nepal by Peter Matthiessen. It is also a spiritual journey where the goal becomes coThis is a beautiful book about a personal and physical journey in Nepal by Peter Matthiessen. It is also a spiritual journey where the goal becomes completely interiorized by the author as it progresses. A wonderful book for meditation on higher values in these times of, well, no values. ...more
The second and unfortunately often neglected story in the d'Artagnon cycle from Dumas is 20 Year Later. This takes place during the regency of Louis XThe second and unfortunately often neglected story in the d'Artagnon cycle from Dumas is 20 Year Later. This takes place during the regency of Louis XIV (when the king is too young to take the throne - and here Louis is 5 when Louis XIII dies in 1643 and Richelieu rules in place of Queen Anne until Louis takes over in 1661) and with the background of Le Fronde (a failed coup d'état that haunted Louis XIV all his life and was one of the reasons for his paranoia and his concentration of power in the palace of Versailles). Against this backdrop, our four heroes who are split over political differences and alliances have to eventually come together and save the kingdom. It is a far more mature book than Three Musketeers and the character studies are absolutely stupendous. From being little more than cardboard cutouts, Dumas breathes life and realism and ambition and spirit into d'Artagnon, Porthos, Athos and Aramis and they become - for me - his most unforgettable characters (and some of the best ones ever in French literature IMHO). A must read....more
I have scant memories of this thriller that was quickly turned out as a movie by the Hollywood machine. I think it was entertaining and at the time aI have scant memories of this thriller that was quickly turned out as a movie by the Hollywood machine. I think it was entertaining and at the time a bit of a renegade book in the US which did not really have this kind of lawyer thriller fiction at the time if my memory serves (Law & Order was not yet on TV - lots of cop shows, not so many lawyer ones) so I have no idea now, 30 years later how interesting this book would be to re-read......more
Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is a tale of terror as well as a warning. The dystopian future she describes in "Gilead" which appears to be cenMargaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is a tale of terror as well as a warning. The dystopian future she describes in "Gilead" which appears to be centered in Boston (due to the reference to Mass Ave and the town of Salem) is chillingly misogynistic where women are reduced to strict categories: Martha for housework and cooking, Jezebels (easy to guess, right?), Eyes, Angels (soldiers for the state), infertile Wives and potentially fertile Handmaids. It is beautifully written with lots of flashbacks of "Offred", the protagonist's name, of how things devolved into the horrors of her present. It is disturbing because it exposes the politics of reproduction and male sexuality taken to extremes of violence that are shocking and, yet, probably seemed one possible future during the Reaganite 80s when she wrote the book and now feel like the world of which Michael Pence in particular and perhaps Paul Ryan but most definitely Steve Bannon must dream. Could things so change as quickly as she describes in the book? Let us hope not. #resist
It is certainly the most explicitly feminist dystopian book I have ever read. It was thought-provoking cover to cover.
All in all, a very well-written feminist text that should serve as a clarion call for defending women's rights to maintain control over their own bodies and lives now and forever.
Drumpf's sexist, violent tweet against Morning Joe and the escalating attacks against reproductive freedom are moving the American experiment dangerously towards Atwood's Gilead. #resist
Apparently, there are also changes at the CIA that bring the spectre of Gilead a little closer. In another note, I just got Mona Eltahawy's Headscarves and Hymens which is also on subject.
Any of my review readers want to tell me whether the Hulu show about this book is worth my time or not? ...more
Although rated as a children's book, there is some real terror at the beginning as well as a murder. This is a classic and wonderful tale of pirates tAlthough rated as a children's book, there is some real terror at the beginning as well as a murder. This is a classic and wonderful tale of pirates that has been made into innumerable films and features characters that have entered deeply into the imagination of children that now they have heard of the characters but have no idea what book they came from and almost assume that they were historical figures. Perhaps the best screen adaptation I have enjoyed of Treasure Island is the prequel series called Black Sails that happens before Flint hides his treasure. That however is definitely NOT for kids as there is loads of sex, violence and language. Treasure Island on the other hand, features some scary scenes at the beginning but once the ocean adventure is underway, it is pure joy to read - even as an adult....more
What else can be said about Macbeth. An infinite amount of movies and theatre productions have been made of this most tragic of tragedies, most horrifWhat else can be said about Macbeth. An infinite amount of movies and theatre productions have been made of this most tragic of tragedies, most horrific of horror stories - complete with witches and murder. Lady Macbeth is one of literature's ultimate evil women and she can never manage to wash the blood off her hands - such a fantastic psychological illustration of guilt has never been surpassed until perhaps Raskolnikov's dialogs with Sonya in Crime and Punishment. A must-read and one of the greatest Shakespeare plays among so many titanic, staggering works....more
Steinbeck's classic East of Eden is a masterpiece and one of his finest books. It tells the history of Steinbeck's own family, the Hamiltons, and thatSteinbeck's classic East of Eden is a masterpiece and one of his finest books. It tells the history of Steinbeck's own family, the Hamiltons, and that of the Trask family. The epic is set in Steinbeck's native Salinas Valley in California and the beauty of the region is described in endless, passionate detail. The characters are all beautifully drawn and the story is captivating.
I'll add some quotes here before returning the book to the library, but it was extremely pleasurable to read cover to cover.
For example, concerning faith: "The proofs that God does not exist are vert strong, but in lots of people they are not as strong as the feeling that He does." (P.69) Concerning monsters: "I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents...To a criminal, honesty is foolish. You must not forget that a monster is only a variation, and that to a monster the norm is monstrous." (P.71) On progress: "in our time,, mass or collective production has entered our economics, our politics, and even our religion, so that some nations have substituted the idea collective for the idea of God. This in my time is the danger." (P.131) On racism and dumbing down, Lee: "If I should go up to a lady or gentleman, for instance, and speak as I am doing now, I wouldn't be understood...Pidgen they expect, pidgin they'll listen to. But English from me they don't listen to, and so they don't understand it." (P.161)
Time flies: "The clock struck nine deliberate strokes and they were swallowed up." (P.449) Frustration with time scheduling: "One thing late or early cab disturb everything around us, and the disturbance runs outward in bands like waves from a dropped stone in a quiet pool." (P.530)
East of Eden uses a plethora of Biblical analogies starting with that in the title referring to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden - here Adam is expulsed from his home (though it was hardly a paradise) and thrust into the hell of a senseless war. Like veterans of other senseless wars, he comes back to a civilization that does not appreciate or understand what he lived through and he lives maladjusted for most of the rest of his life. His conflict with his brother Charles (Note: most of the major conflicts involve character names starting with an "A" (Adam, Aron, Abra) with character names starting with a "C" (Charles, Cal, Catherine)) is epic and sets many of the books major themes into play: rivalry over sex and power, jealousy, favoritism. There are many parallels throughout the book to Biblical stories and repetitive behaviors. This begs the question on whether anything is learned? I would say that despite the tragedy at the end, Lee does give us a sense of progress by taking the long view. It is significant that the last word in the book spoken by Adam is that which Lee and his Chinese scholars worked on together from Hebrew: Timshel "thou mayest".
Steinbeck was a masterful writer who beautifully evoked the Salinas Valley of his youth populating it with endearing and occasionally frightful characters that bring history alive. I would have to reread Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, but East of Eden is certainly one of Steinbeck's best if not the very best. ...more
One of the greatest works exposing the horrors of racism in the south, and, of course, one of the emblematic films of the 50s with perhaps Gregory PecOne of the greatest works exposing the horrors of racism in the south, and, of course, one of the emblematic films of the 50s with perhaps Gregory Peck’s greatest performance and Robert Duvall’s big screen debut, To Kill A Mockingbird was recently banned in a US state because it was deemed “too controversial (https://www.washingtonpost.com/gdpr-c...). It is an epic novel by Harper Lee who was a close friend of Truman Capote and helped him during his work on In Cold Blood. There are truly few books that pack such a lucid and powerful punch as Mockingbird. Rather than being banned, it should, as it was in my high school in the 80s, be required reading along with the film. Little can better prepare teens for the harsh realities of racism and close-mindedness than Lee’s masterpiece. A critical and important classic....more
I recall reading this as a kid when I was just starting to read adult books. I recall the irresponsible Martians and the lonely tricycle on the side oI recall reading this as a kid when I was just starting to read adult books. I recall the irresponsible Martians and the lonely tricycle on the side of the road and how that twisted the mind of the protagonist. The hotel is described with terrifying realism and the denouement was absolutely spell-binding. I think that the movie did a great job (although you need to read the book to understand some of Nicholson's hallucinations) although the book's ending was even more exciting than the Hollywood version. I read a handful of King books (The Stand, Carrie, etc) but this was my favourite before abandoning the genre. Perhaps one of these days I will go back and read it again....more
What makes The Hobbit such a seminal work in the fantasy genre? Is it the nine hours of over-budget, sensorially explosive movies by Peter Jackson? NoWhat makes The Hobbit such a seminal work in the fantasy genre? Is it the nine hours of over-budget, sensorially explosive movies by Peter Jackson? Nope. Is it a complex tale of multiple human kingdoms slaughtering each other for an Iron Throne with buckets of blood and guts and plenty of sex? Nope. Is it simply wonderful writing. As simple and boring as that. Does that mean that I was incredibly disappointed in the movie adaptation (not to say abortion)? Yep. Does that mean I don't love Game of Thrones (books and TV shows)? No, they are great too. But the seminal work, the Divine Comedy that created the language and inspiration for George R.R. Martin as Dante created Italian from the common vernacular in Florence and Ravenna, was The Hobbit. The book, even for a slow reader is most likely able to be finished in 1/3 the time that Peter Jackson spent telling the story in 70mm film. Unlike Peter Jackson's version, there are no orcs and the element of danger is more psychological than psychical: Bilbo Baggins is battling his fears and his provincialism and growing up. The Hobbit should be read as the Odyssey of Middle Earth - a voyage of self-learning and maturation that is more about the monsters in Bilbo's imagination than those encountered in his baptismal voyage into the unknown with Gandalf. Gandalf. Honestly, would there EVER have been a Dumbledore had there not been a Gandalf? Did any Tolkien reader not NOT picture Gandalf when Rowlings talked about Gandalf in the first Harry Potter book?
Bilbo does encounter some monsters and even outsmarts Smaug the Dragon (wow, I mean what a perfect name for a dragon! More evocative than Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion in my opinion - and again would they even have existed had Smaug not preceded them?) and he saves Middle Earth before returning to the Shire. He is not the same person he was before leaving. He is Ulysses without a Penelope waiting for him (unless his pipe is secretly called Penelope in his expanded imagination).
In literature, there is nothing quite like the Hobbit in its simplicity and beauty and its symbolic voyage: we are of course introduced to the elves, the humans, the dwarves...but they are all on the outskirts of the story. The Hobbit is about one small hobbit fighting his greatest fears...and winning. ...more
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