I have read or listened to a couple of books recently. Two of them are for my book group. The others are just for pleasure - although I consider reading (or listening to) a book one of the greatest pleasures in the world.
In January the book club discussed The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst. The overall consensus was that it was well-liked and enjoyable. It is the view of a marriage from the husband whose wife died when she fell out of tree. He is trying to come to terms with the fact that she was mentally ill and committed suicide. The only witness to her death was their dog, Lorelei (great name for a dog). Therefore, he feels he must get Lorelei to tell him exactly what happened. It is the story of a breakdown and the coming back from a great loss. It does also tell the story of some very sick people who believe dogs actually can talk (communicate like humans) by surgically altering their vocal cords, jaws, etc. Luckily, that part is not a large part of the story. I enjoyed it. I thought it had interesting characters and character development. The main character was not interest in surgically altering his dog, so the way he was trying to teach her was both sad and funny. The book was a fast read, too.
In February we will be discussing Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult . Let me begin by saying that when my girlfriend, Sally, read Picoult's My Sister's Keeper she called me up and said, "Girl, you got to read this book!" She went on to say the ending would "knock me on my ass!" Well, I did read (actually listened to) My Sister's Keeper. It was an awesome book and, yes, the ending blew me away. When the surprise twist came at the end I actually pulled my car over. I couldn't believe it.
So, I looked forward to Plain Truth. It is about an Amish girl who delivers a baby in the family barn, which is later found dead and the high powered, burned out lawyer who defends her. While I enjoyed the basic story, learning more about the Amish and liked most of the characters, I found the story turned sluggish and I got a little bored. The "surprise ending" was no surprise. All throughout the book I kept thinking, "why isn't she (the attorney) asking the obvious question." So, when the question was answered, by a character volunteering the information, I was more angry at the author than surprised at the story punch. Duh! A good attorney would have asked this question from the beginning. Oh, well . . . it will be interesting to see what the book group thinks.
I listened to, or tried to listen to Half Moon by Alice Sebold. Having loved her book, The Lovely Bones, again I looked forward to this book. The story is about a woman in her late 40s who has been caring for her elderly mother all of her life. One night she snaps while caring for her now 88 year old mother and smothers her to death. The next 24 hours examines the daughter's life with the domineering mother, the actions she takes and her relationship to others around her. Now, I really can't relate to a "mother from hell." I had a warm and loving mother. So, maybe this had do with not relating to the main character at all. I wanted to slap her upside the head and yell "SNAP OUT OF IT." Therefore, I stopped after the 5th CD and skipped to the last CD and listened to the last few minutes of the book. The whole thing irritated me. I really didn't like the main character and since she narrated the book, I didn't care for the book. Also, the "reader" of the book on CD had a monotone, bored voice. This didn't help.
As for Pillars of the Earth? I'm well over half way through and still plugging along. I still am enjoying it. And, I will finish it. Really!
In January the book club discussed The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst. The overall consensus was that it was well-liked and enjoyable. It is the view of a marriage from the husband whose wife died when she fell out of tree. He is trying to come to terms with the fact that she was mentally ill and committed suicide. The only witness to her death was their dog, Lorelei (great name for a dog). Therefore, he feels he must get Lorelei to tell him exactly what happened. It is the story of a breakdown and the coming back from a great loss. It does also tell the story of some very sick people who believe dogs actually can talk (communicate like humans) by surgically altering their vocal cords, jaws, etc. Luckily, that part is not a large part of the story. I enjoyed it. I thought it had interesting characters and character development. The main character was not interest in surgically altering his dog, so the way he was trying to teach her was both sad and funny. The book was a fast read, too.
In February we will be discussing Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult . Let me begin by saying that when my girlfriend, Sally, read Picoult's My Sister's Keeper she called me up and said, "Girl, you got to read this book!" She went on to say the ending would "knock me on my ass!" Well, I did read (actually listened to) My Sister's Keeper. It was an awesome book and, yes, the ending blew me away. When the surprise twist came at the end I actually pulled my car over. I couldn't believe it.
So, I looked forward to Plain Truth. It is about an Amish girl who delivers a baby in the family barn, which is later found dead and the high powered, burned out lawyer who defends her. While I enjoyed the basic story, learning more about the Amish and liked most of the characters, I found the story turned sluggish and I got a little bored. The "surprise ending" was no surprise. All throughout the book I kept thinking, "why isn't she (the attorney) asking the obvious question." So, when the question was answered, by a character volunteering the information, I was more angry at the author than surprised at the story punch. Duh! A good attorney would have asked this question from the beginning. Oh, well . . . it will be interesting to see what the book group thinks.
I listened to, or tried to listen to Half Moon by Alice Sebold. Having loved her book, The Lovely Bones, again I looked forward to this book. The story is about a woman in her late 40s who has been caring for her elderly mother all of her life. One night she snaps while caring for her now 88 year old mother and smothers her to death. The next 24 hours examines the daughter's life with the domineering mother, the actions she takes and her relationship to others around her. Now, I really can't relate to a "mother from hell." I had a warm and loving mother. So, maybe this had do with not relating to the main character at all. I wanted to slap her upside the head and yell "SNAP OUT OF IT." Therefore, I stopped after the 5th CD and skipped to the last CD and listened to the last few minutes of the book. The whole thing irritated me. I really didn't like the main character and since she narrated the book, I didn't care for the book. Also, the "reader" of the book on CD had a monotone, bored voice. This didn't help.
As for Pillars of the Earth? I'm well over half way through and still plugging along. I still am enjoying it. And, I will finish it. Really!
6 comments:
Oh, I hate that when the *obvious* answer is, well, obvious! I spent several hours on my treadmill a few years ago, talking back to a John Grisham novel where the main character was driving around with sacks of money in his trunk. Hey - you're supposed to be a lawyer & you never heard of offshore banks???
As for Jodi Picoult, I have read two of her books & they were both very good: Keeping Faith, and Nineteen Minutes. Nineteen Minutes was such a shocker!
Currently reading The Children by David Halberstam, 700+ pages of the history of the early Civil Rights Movement. Sounds boring, I know, but it's exciting!
I'll try both of the Picoult books you recommended. I think she is very good, but, to me, missed the mark in "Plain Truth" as I found the plain truth very obvious! Ha! Read "My Sister's Keeper." You will love it and it might give you ideas for a sermon or two.
Half way through "1000 Splendid Suns" on CD. Very powerful and I am really enjoying it. I have a feeling the storyline for the two central characters gets much worse before it gets better, though. Can you imagine any of the church ladies in a berka?
Just put myself on the reserve list for "My Sister's Keeper," audio version. I have looked at this in the library before - I think there was a famous case a few years ago where a couple went through having a vasectomy reversed so they could have a child to provide stem cells to cure another child's illness? Lots of medical/ethical problems there!
So... I finished listening to My Sister's Keeper this past week. I thought it was good, overall.
I did like the exploration of ethical issues & what a slippery slope that family was on! Yes, I could see both sides frequently - but felt that there was only one way the story could end. (Unfortunately, then Picoult had to throw a twist into the ending.)
I even liked the multiple voices, and I usually hate multiple voices for an audio book.
I did not like the ending - I felt manipulated and a little robbed by it. It is not a sin to end a book with some pieces unresolved! I also thought the recurring queries about the attorney's service dog went on way too long & the romantic subplot was occasionally intrusive.
You mentioned that Plain Truth has a surprise ending, too. So does Nineteen Minutes. I wonder if I'd have felt the same about My Sister's Keeper's ending, if I'd not previously read Nineteen Minutes?
You're right about the service dog and romantic subplot, but I still liked the ending. I also loved the different voices, and of course, the father was a very cool firefighter, and you know I have a soft spot in my heart for anyone who works for a fire department! As one woman in my book discussion group said (when we were talking about how the book "should" or "could" have ended and what the characters "should" or "could" have done: "IT'S JUST A NOVEL!"
I try to remind myself of that in a lot of books that I read. Picoult seems to really like throwing in a twist, instead of leaving some unanswered questions.
Yep - props for the father. He seemed to be the only sane one at times! And it is just a novel. I wonder what a therapist would do with Picoult's tendency to want to wrap things up neatly at the end of her books, though?
I'm currently listening to Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (3rd in a series) and reading (ha!) A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell (historical novel). Have a great week!
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