Th 12/30/10
This is a very fine novel which features a dystopian ecological view of the world in the near future. Brunner's projection is of an earth where the seas are so filled with trash and pollution that they are covered with a thin sheet of dirty plastic substance, the air quality is so bad that filter masks are required, and everyone suffers from various ailments and allergic reactions tied to the ecological nightmare. The structure of the book is a bit unwieldy, however this allows one to skim through large sections without loosing the gist of the tale. The story concerns about a dozen different characters and story lines which are cross-cut with advertisements, songs, and newspaper articles of that time period. The primary focus is the plight of Austin Train who is a world renown 'eco-terrorist' who is underground, and at odds with the establishment. The Powers That Be are trying to promote the fiction that 'enemies of the state' are the cause of the world's dire straits, and 'The Trainites' are trying to get out the word that all of the ecological problems are the fault of the state. Somewhere in my collection I have Brunner's, STAND ON ZANZIBAR, and this novel deals with the consequences of over population. And, if I can find it, I will certainly give this a second read.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Views on Books Read
Impressions on books recently completed
Th 10/28/10 THE GREAT DERANGEMENT by Matt Taibbi
A very enjoyable and educational read. Just how much bullshit can the American public be expected to absorb before we all collectively Lose Our Shit!! Both The Left and The Right are bristling with righteous indignation and rage, but it is all misdirected at the wrong targets. The media has failed miserably to keep the nation informed, and The Internet only added to the confusion.
Favorite Concept: "You don't get elected to break the law, you get elected to change the law so that no law is broken".
Mo 11/1/10 DOG BLOOD by David Moody
An innovative twist on the Zombie Genre. Set in the UK in the near future, it tells the story of how, in one instant, the world's population is randomly divided between 'The Haters', and 'The Unchanged'. 'Haters' are filled with an all consuming rage, and must kill any of 'The Unchanged' within reach. What makes this tale different is that the story is told primarily from the point of view of a 'Hater'. Dan McCoyne is desperately trying to locate his five year old daughter who became a 'Hater' like him. The novel is kind of a 'road picture' through the devastation of a world in transition. The book has been optioned by the director of PAN'S LABYRINTH and should make a dandy feature film. Maybe I've been reading too many books about American politics, but it certainly reminds me of our Blue State vs. Red State dichotomy in this country. And, tomorrow is Voting Day!!!
We 11/3/10 HELLA NATION by Evan Wright
"Hella" means "Harsh", and this book is a collection of a dozen essays which were published mostly in The Rolling Stone magazine. The author is an ex-alcoholic/drug fiend who got his start working for Larry Flynt at Hustler magazine. All of the pieces are written in the style of 'Gonzo Journalism', in that, the author is very much a part of the expository information. This is fairly effective and tends to highlight the 'marginal' figures covered in the book. Faves include..... "Piss Drunk"-a look at radical skate punk culture, an essay on The Taxi Dancing Phenomenon, an overview of, The 'New' American Nazi Party, and a look at an Internet con artist, Seth Warshavsky, a piece which offers a 'behind the camera' look at an American Porn factory, and biographical sketch of an extreme right-wing American talent agent by the name of Pat Dollard. An enjoyable read, and easy to pick up, and check out a segment, and then, go right on to something entirely different.
Sa 11/6/10 A JUDGEMENT IN STONE by Ruth Rendell
One Sunday evening on Valentine's Day, Eunice Parchmand and Joan Smith shotgun to death four members of the Coverdale family as they watch an opera on television. Ruth Rendell delves deep into the psychological nuances of the two cracked killers, and Rendell demonstrates that one illiterate character who interacts with one psychotic character can only end in a disaster. When Rendell sets up this thesis, then the rest of the novel becomes, more or less, "A Count Down to Mass Murder". This book is the basis for Claude Chabrol's excellent film noir, "La Ceremonie". Chabrol treats the material as a Murder Mystery, whereas Rendell informs the reader about the killings in the first paragraph. A compelling set of circumstances makes for an excellent read, and I can't help but wonder how Patricia Highsmith would have handled this collection of interesting characters and bizarre plot?
Mo 11/8/10 HORNS by Joe Hill
A wry look at the nature of Good and Evil, and one possible way of looking at the personality of the Devil and what part he really plays in the cosmic scheme of things. An enjoyable, and fast read, and Joe Hill reminds me of Steven King in a couple of ways. First, they are both from the Northeast, and secondly, they both are more 'story tellers' than 'serious writers'. But, don't get me wrong, both guys can write and tell a story like nobody's business. HORNS takes place in contemporary New Hampshire and is kind of a love story which takes a turn for the worse. There are psychotics, alcohol abuse, weed smoking, and the lead character, Ignatius Perrish, becomes a Demon. This one was hard to put down, and the plot raced along, and several chunks of the book were quite philosophical.
Fr 11/12/10 ONCE WERE COPS by Ken Bruen
Michael Patrick O'Shea was a member of the crack Irish police force known as, The Guards. He has recently traveled to NYC as part of a police exchange program to become one of New York City's finest. He is ambitious, perceptive, intelligent, and, soon we find out, that he is also a gruesome and psychotic serial sex killer. Ken Bruen's writing style is clipped, face-paced, and staccato. The novel is a long series of short paragraphs that are wonderfully descriptive, and are largely composed of punchy dialog. The story is propelled by these short bursts, and this is his signature narrative style. It is very different from most crime authors, and it might take a bit to get used to his approach, but, by and large, it works most effectively.
Su 11/14/10 SHANK by Roderick Anscombe
Dan Cody is doing life without the possibility of parole for the murder of his wife. He claims that she was HIV Positive, and he was saving her from future misery, however, we only have his word on the matter. This novel is told in the first person by Mr. Cody, and he proves to be a truly 'Unreliable Narrator', in that the reader can never fully ascertain whether one is listening to a psychopath, or someone who has been wronged by fate. He claims that he is now in a mutual love affair with the prison nurse, Carol, and she has orchestrated an escape so that they can start a new life. And, they only need to get at a stash of several hundred thousand dollars which Dan may or may not be able to recover. A crazy plot, but the book is absorbing to the bitter end. This type of a story is better manifested in Jim Thompson's POP 1280, or Mark Hudson's THE MUSIC IN MY HEAD. A self-deluding, or pathological liar who tells the tale always makes for a disorienting and engrossing read.
Mo 11/15/10 THE HARVARD PSYCHEDELIC CLUB by Don Lattin
The subtitle of this book is especially revealing; "How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America"....
That about sums up the thesis of the book. I was familiar with Ram Dass(Richard Alpert) and Tim Leary, but I was unfamiliar with Weil and Smith's role in this historical change in America's consciousness. Timothy Leary is "The Trickster". He even said that one gets, "The Timothy Leary that one deserves". He was both liar and extreme truth teller, and it kind of depends on the 'prism of the viewer' as to how one sees this interesting and confounding character. Ram Dass (Richard Alpert) was the son of wealth and power and he became the 'Religious Seeker' of the bunch. A closeted bisexual, and kind of a curmudgeon especially as he got older, he helped to promote the various Eastern Theories that became so prevalent in the decades to follow. Huston Smith was The Teacher. This man was a life-long student of religious thought, and became a prolific author who profiled the world's major religions, and in the 50's he even had a show on TV about basic concepts in Eastern Thought. And, finally, there is Andrew Weil. He was a ring leader of a conspiracy to have Leary and Alpert ousted from Harvard for their drug experiments on the Harvard campus in 1962. Weil was working for The Crimson, and broke a story about their experiments to expand human consciousness by using psychedelic drugs. What Weil failed to mention in his article, is that he too was part of the nefarious'drug ring/conscious expansion plot'. I don't think that Alpert ever really forgot or forgave Andrew Weil. However, Weil went on to become one of the most notable health, diet, food, and aging experts in the country, and, many years later, he was also a proponent for drug reform. The book was very even-handed, and presented a balanced and fair depiction of these men, and I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in this particularly volatile time in American history. I especially loved the presentation of Leary and Alpert's, 'Good Friday Experiment' of 1962 with the divinity students on the Harvard campus. Twenty students, and ten got the LSD, and ten got a kind of 'speedy' placebo. However, within an hour, it was completely obvious who got the 'real' stuff. And, all during the experiment, they were downstairs in the chapel basement listening to the Easter church service which was going on upstairs. Wild....
Tu 11/16/10 "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH KANSAS?" by Thomas Frank
Another fine political book from the author of THE WRECKING CREW. In this book Frank uses what has happened in Kansas as a possible political outcome for the rest of the country. It seems that Conservative Republicans have captured the flag within the Republican party in Kansas and in most other areas of the country, and now things are just shifting to the Right, and then, farther to the Right. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has rejected their traditional base (union members, the poor, and the idealistic), and have sucked up to corporate interests (Business Friendly!!). The Cons have successfully focused every issue around Non Winnable Cultural Issues such as , Abortion, Gun Control, "Filth In General". And, much to the dismay of Intelligent America (the half dozen of us that are left), it looks like America is willing to sacrifice everything in order to pursue the fantasy of Red State middle-American righteousness regardless of the economic fallout.
Th 11/18/10 A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD by Jennifer Egan
Jennifer Egan probably employs one of the most innovative styles that I have read in a long while. The story is basically about a former punk rocker who later became a record executive by the name of Bennie Salazar, and a kleptomaniac former employee of his by the name of Sasha. The story weaves, and backtracks, and changes points of view numerous times. Each chapter might start in a completely different era, and feature a character who only played a minor role in the previous part of the novel. In the end, you get an overview of the time between the birth of American Punk Rock through approximately 2009. Various detailed insights by many different characters are presented, and each character might or might not be aware of the other characters' motivations or activities...kind of like "Real Life". It is not as confusing as it sounds, but I should have reread the novel, and tried to put the various pieces into a comprehensive Big Picture. But, it really isn't necessary since each chapter can almost be read as a very well written 'stand alone' short story.
Sa 11/20/10 ROCK AND ROLL WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE by Steve Almond
This book is a look at the author's experiences in the field of professional writing while fueling his addiction to all forms of music, popular and otherwise. He advances the thesis that there are people who are, what he calls- "DF's", ( Drooling Fanatics). These are people who are far beyond mere 'fan-hood', but individuals who put music, and all things connected to it, above every other aspect of their lives. I thought his test to determine if you might be one of these people was kind of clever. It consists of two questions; #1. Do your friends and family think that you have too many records?, #2. Do you think that you have too many records? If you answered 'Yes' to #1, and 'No' to #2, you just might be a DF. This book is not made to taken too seriously, and Almond has an honest love of the obscure, but also an appreciation of the mundane. He is a big fan of Styx's, PARADISE THEATER which he defines as 'An American Classic'. I would agree that this is 'American', but I'm not so sure about the second assumption. The man will defend his taste to the bitter end, and readily admits that there are no 'right' or 'wrong' answers when dealing with what turns you on. The book also includes his experiences working for various publications, 'zines', and magazines all around the country, and this was equally as fascinating as his ruminations on music.
WE ARE THE UGLY, BUT WE HAVE THE MUSIC Leonard Cohen
Mo 11/22/10 THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA by Philip Roth
THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA is a fictional account of a 'Possible History' of the United States. In this fictional universe, the author, Philip Roth depicts Charles Lindbergh beating FDR in the 1940 presidential election. Lindbergh runs as a 'Peace Candidate', and wins by signing a pact with Hitler to keep Americans out of, "Another European War". And, this scenario might have happened since there actually was a very dominant Isolationist and pro National Socialist movement in the US at that time, and Charles Lindbergh was an extremely popular proponent of this point of view. Roth's family lived in the Newark, New Jersey area during the 30's and 40's, and the book is really a beautiful and heartfelt account of how this 'Historical Possibility' would forever change their lives. There was not one point of view within the Hebrew community about Lindbergh's ascent to ultimate power. Many believed that National Socialism's anti-semitic policies could never take hold in The Land of The Free, whereas, many emigrated to Canada in fear of what might happen. After finiishing the novel, it is impossible not to wonder what would happen if an international totalitarian movement were to manifest in 21st Century America. I think Fascism would receive a much more positive reception today than it did in the 1930's. Mussolini once said that, "Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." And, isn't this the goal of America's conservatives, and the agenda of Fox News? Of course, these days we blithely call it, "Business Friendly".
We 11/24/10
The Quants: How a New Breed of Math Whizzes Conquered Wall Street and Nearly Destroyed It by Scott Patterson
I read over half of this book, and skimmed the final part. It was rather technical, but I think I understood the basic points. The stock market is impossible to accurately predict, but this collection of computer nerds and math geniuses thought that it might be possible, and for many years, they were able to do the impossible. The greatest financial minds in world of finance were convinced that the secrets of the market had been cracked . I don't think that there was any criminal intent, in fact, although they were certainly greedy, I feel that they were only interested in seeing just how far their formulas and calculations would take them. I would recommend Matt Taibbi's articles in The Rolling Stone on the financial crisis of 2006 for information on the people who were really trying to game the system. Several books about the 'junk bond meltdown' of the late 80's, such as THE PREDATORS BALL' reminded me of this book. After completing "The Quants" it is clear that the federal government has not introduced enough guidelines to prevent this calamity from reoccurring. And, I guess that just shows that America has the best government money can buy, and Wall Street has enough cash to run the show.
THE STONE THAT NEVER CAME DOWN by John Brunner
Finished Thanksgiving Day 2010
This is a novel written in 1973, and has always been a favorite of mine, and this is probably the third or fourth time that I have read this fine book. Although the tale is set primarily in England, it describes a dystopia in which poverty, inflation, unemployment, and disillusionment are rampant around the world, and WW III seems just around the corner. And, to make matters worse, members of a right-wing political/religious group, The Campaign Against Moral Pollution (Godheads), are armed with crosses which they use as weapons to demand alms and obedience from anyone they can shake down. However, the entire world might change dramatically for the better if a mysterious new drug known as VC is allowed to to spread throughout mankind. There don't appear to be any negative side effects, and the drug drastically increases the individual's natural empathy, and grants total and complete access to one's memory. After being infected, a person's natural filters and prejudices are dismantled, and one is truly free to experience what it means to be human for the rest of their life. The novel describes how this change effects numerous individuals, and ends at kind of a 'dawning of a new age for mankind'. The characters are not that carefully delineated, but the storyline is so compelling that this can be overlooked. And, I think the book authentically demonstrates that the political and social status quo would be violently opposed to anything of this nature since their power lies in fear and divisiveness. I would recommend this book to anyone who understands that some of the best science fiction is more about adventurous storytelling than excellent writing.
Sa 11/27/10 THE 13TH HOUR by Richard Doetsch
This novel is a fresh addition to the Time Travel Genre. The book opens with the lead character, Nick Quinn, being interrogated by the police for the brutal murder of his wife. Quinn didn't do it, most of the police force is crooked, and involved in a multi-million dollar home invasion, and the crash of a commercial jet liner is also woven into the plot. And, next we learn that Quinn is in possession of a watch which allows him to relive the last twelve hours-running backwards, one hour at a time. He has twelve hours to change the course of history, and save his wife's life. The novel begins with Chapter 12, and finishes with Chapter 1. All kinds of possible histories are uncovered, explored, and avoided, yet no serious breaches of, "The Time Continuum Conundrum" are violated, but unfortunately, we never find out how that watch came to be. At times the book gets a bit confusing, but I guess that is the nature of these kinds of tales. According to the author's website this novel will be made into a film, and I am anxious to see if they can pull it off successfully.
Su 11/28/10
Dark prophecy : a Level 26 thriller featuring Steve Dark / Anthony E. Zuiker with Duane Swierczynski
This is the second novel in a series about Steve Dark who is a member of an elite government task force specializing in serial killers. The book is fast paced, if a little flat and mundane. Most of the characters seem rather ordinary for this genre, and the killings by The Tarot Card Killers are not as frightening as one would expect. I thought the most compelling aspect of the book is how deeply involved in our private lives the government has become after the events of September 11,th 2001. The book has a link to a series of video clips at You Tube which add an additional element to the story, but adding more 'bells and whistles' can't save a novel if the magic is not on the page.
Tu 11/30/10 BABYLON NIGHTS by Daniel Depp
This is the second crime fiction novel by Johnny Depp's half brother, and it's a fairly interesting expose of Hollywood, and the mean streets of contemporary Los Angeles. And again, he features the, "Hollywood Stunt-Man/Cowpoke/PI", David Spandau. This time out, Spandau has been employed to protect a slightly over the hill (she's 43) starlet from a psychotic stalker. And, she needs PI Spandau to accompany her to France where she has been invited to be a judge at the Cannes Film Festival. The characters are fresh and engaging, and the action is fast paced. I hope that this series continues for many more novels.
We 12/1/10 NEMESIS by Philip Roth
Roth revisits, Weequahic, New Jersey, the setting of his novel, THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA. NEMESIS deals with a polio epidemic which raced through this Jewish community near Newark in the late summer of 1944. The tale focuses on the life of Bucky Cantor, a young man of 23 who seems to have it all. He is a physically fit college graduate, and is employed as a PE teacher, and during the summer months he runs the community playground. Although he was unable to join the service at the outbreak of WWII due to poor eyesight, everyone in the community, both young and old, hold him in high esteem. Just a few days before the community playground is closed during the epidemic, his girlfriend convinces him to come away to a camp resort in Pennsylvania and take a job with her. Although he feels guilty about deserting his charges, he soon succumbs to the beauty of the rural setting. However, within a couple of days, the plague has followed him to this rustic oasis, and he is stricken with polio along with several other residents of the camp. Up until this point the novel has been told in the third person, and then, it goes into first person mode. Actually, the novel is the first person account of one of the children who had contracted the disease earlier in the summer. Now, it's 1971 and these two middle aged men, meet, and discuss those life changing events. Bucky has lost it all, and essentially he has been crushed by life. The book really ends on a sad note, as the reader empathizes with Cantor's complete loss of promise. NEMESIS is a short, yet powerful novel.
Fr 12/3/10 JUST KIDS by Patti Smith
Patti Smith provides a touching portrait of her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe many years before either of them were famous. The bulk of the book covers the time between The Summer of Love-1967, and the end of the 80's. Smith and Mapplethorpe were lovers and artistic collaborators during this time where they lived below the poverty level in lofts and apartments in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of their lives in The Chelsea Hotel. JUST KIDS is almost a fable about two individuals who gave it All For Love, not necessarily for the love of each other, but for the love of their respective Arts.
Dark prophecy : a Level 26 thriller featuring Steve Dark / Anthony E. Zuiker with Duane Swierczynski
This is the second novel in a series about Steve Dark who is a member of an elite government task force specializing in serial killers. The book is fast paced, if a little flat and mundane. Most of the characters seem rather ordinary for this genre, and the killings by The Tarot Card Killers are not as frightening as one would expect. I thought the most compelling aspect of the book is how deeply involved in our private lives the government has become after the events of September 11,th 2001. The book has a link to a series of video clips at You Tube which add an additional element to the story, but adding more 'bells and whistles' can't save a novel if the magic is not on the page.
Tu 11/30/10 BABYLON NIGHTS by Daniel Depp
This is the second crime fiction novel by Johnny Depp's half brother, and it's a fairly interesting expose of Hollywood, and the mean streets of contemporary Los Angeles. And again, he features the, "Hollywood Stunt-Man/Cowpoke/PI", David Spandau. This time out, Spandau has been employed to protect a slightly over the hill (she's 43) starlet from a psychotic stalker. And, she needs PI Spandau to accompany her to France where she has been invited to be a judge at the Cannes Film Festival. The characters are fresh and engaging, and the action is fast paced. I hope that this series continues for many more novels.
We 12/1/10 NEMESIS by Philip Roth
Roth revisits, Weequahic, New Jersey, the setting of his novel, THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA. NEMESIS deals with a polio epidemic which raced through this Jewish community near Newark in the late summer of 1944. The tale focuses on the life of Bucky Cantor, a young man of 23 who seems to have it all. He is a physically fit college graduate, and is employed as a PE teacher, and during the summer months he runs the community playground. Although he was unable to join the service at the outbreak of WWII due to poor eyesight, everyone in the community, both young and old, hold him in high esteem. Just a few days before the community playground is closed during the epidemic, his girlfriend convinces him to come away to a camp resort in Pennsylvania and take a job with her. Although he feels guilty about deserting his charges, he soon succumbs to the beauty of the rural setting. However, within a couple of days, the plague has followed him to this rustic oasis, and he is stricken with polio along with several other residents of the camp. Up until this point the novel has been told in the third person, and then, it goes into first person mode. Actually, the novel is the first person account of one of the children who had contracted the disease earlier in the summer. Now, it's 1971 and these two middle aged men, meet, and discuss those life changing events. Bucky has lost it all, and essentially he has been crushed by life. The book really ends on a sad note, as the reader empathizes with Cantor's complete loss of promise. NEMESIS is a short, yet powerful novel.
Fr 12/3/10 JUST KIDS by Patti Smith
Patti Smith provides a touching portrait of her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe many years before either of them were famous. The bulk of the book covers the time between The Summer of Love-1967, and the end of the 80's. Smith and Mapplethorpe were lovers and artistic collaborators during this time where they lived below the poverty level in lofts and apartments in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of their lives in The Chelsea Hotel. JUST KIDS is almost a fable about two individuals who gave it All For Love, not necessarily for the love of each other, but for the love of their respective Arts.
Su 12/5/10
The Beautiful Cigar Girl: Mary Rogers, Edgar Allan Poe, and the Invention of Murder by Daniel Stashower
In late July of 1841 Mary Rogers, a beautiful and charismatic clerk in a Manhattan tobacco shop was found drowned and murdered over the river in New Jersey. The book is about how authorities attempted to solve the crime (they didn't), how the plethora of newspapers put their spin on the murder and what it might mean to the citizens, and how the career of Edgar Allan Poe was affected by this horrible incident. The best part of the book was learning about Poe. At the time, he was best known for his reviewing skills, however, he saw himself as an undiscovered poet. And, THE MURDERS ON THE RUE MORGUE was the first crime fiction novel ever written. "The Ape Did It". "Allan" was a family name of the Scottish man who adopted him after his mother died of tuberculosis. This man finally rejected him, and although Poe was raised fairly wealthy and schooled in England, in the end, the Scotsman threw him out without a penny. Poe battled penury and alcoholism all of his life. When 'The Raven' was released he finally got some of the praise that he wanted for his poetry, but, as with most of the advantages of his life, he quickly blew it.
Mo 12/6/10
Lost in the Meritocracy: The Undereducation of an Overachiever by Walter Kirin
An extremely bright guy tells of his adventures at Princeton during the 80's. By the end, he realizes that there is a difference between "acting smart", and really "understanding". The book was well written, but Kirin comes off at times just a tad too smug. One can certainly see how the character in UP IN THE AIR came to be. The very meticulous, isolated brainiac who literally has his head in the clouds is very much a salient part of Kirin's character. For a slim book it worked, but any longer, and I think it would have become egotistical overkill.
We 12/8/10 GONE TOMORROW by Lee Childs
From the moment I picked it up, it was hard to put down. A possible suicide bomber on a Manhattan subway, a terrorist cell of Afghanistan's finest Evil Doers on the prowl in NYC, and all of these events linked to a US Senate candidate who happens to have been Special Forces and had a mysterious photo taken with Super-Terrorist Osam Bin Laden. It was a wild and electrifying ride from start to finish.
Fr 12/10/10 LET IT BLEED by Ian Rankin
A John Rebus novel, and I plan to read as many of these as I can. This one begins in a car chase on icy roads over a bridge outside of Edinburgh. Rebus and his superior are hot on the tail of two kidnappers who crash into the side of the bridge, and then inexplicably, jump over the side to their deaths. Next, an ex-con enters the office of a council official, and blows his head off with a sawed off shotgun. These crimes lead Rebus to uncover a huge plot to illegally prop up the economy of Scotland. Well written, and compelling from start to finish.
Su 12/12/10 WHITE MISCHIEF by James Fox
The reason that I picked up this book is that it is written by the man who assisted Keith Richards in his biography, LIFE. WHITE MISCHIEF relates the events of the Happy Valley murder case in Kenya in 1941, when Sir Henry "Jock" Delves Broughton was tried for the murder of Josslyn Hay, Earl of Erroll. I read about half, and skimmed to the end. Although, the murderer was found Not Guilty, by a careful analysis of the data, it becomes clear that the man really did it. I would have rather heard more about the scene in Kenya from 1910 to 1950. It makes Las Vegas look like Branson, Missouri.
Mo 12/13/10 THE HUMBLING by Philip Roth
This is a slim novel by Roth, and a bit of a let down after his two 'factional' books (THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA and NEMESIS). In this novel a 65 year old star of stage and screen has lost his artistic edge, and he is holed up in a large country house contemplating suicide. He enters a psychiatric clinic for a month, and meets a woman who is there because she caught her second husband molesting her eight year old daughter. She blames herself instead of him (And, that's why she's in the nut house). Soon after leaving the facility, the star meets the much younger daughter of friends. Although twenty five years older than the girl, they have a beautiful sexual affair even though this girl has been living as a lesbian for most of her life. Then, out of the blue, she tells him that she wants his baby, and just as suddenly, she ends the relationship. Devastated, he again tries suicide, and reasons that if the woman he met in the hospital can finally come to terms with her anger (she shot and killed her second husband), he can end his life. And, he does.
Th 12/16/10 DECADE OF NIGHTMARES by Philip Jenkins
Jenkins argues that the mid to late 1970s were the years that marked the decline of American power and influence. The making of Reagan's America came on the heels of that sense of disaster and despair. Disgust over Watergate and political corruption was high. The economy was bad. It seemed that serial killers roamed every neighborhood. Sex was everywhere, including child pornography, and the nation's cities had collapsed. The 'Power To The People movement' of the 60's and 70's had gone way to far, and it was time for rich white men to retake the reigns of power. And, organized religion only served to re-enforce this narrative.
As the conservative myth goes, Ronald Reagan came riding through this muck and saved America. He made America whole again. The 80s saw the rejection of drugs as recreation, an end to secularism, a more belligerent foreign policy, and a curtailment of sexual freedom. And today, this conservative tide continues.
I am not really sure where Jenkins stands in the debate of the issues, but his book certainly states the facts, and any political bias is not included. I will be reading more by this author.
Tu 12/21/10 LUST KILLER by Ann Rule (written as Andy Stack) 1983/1988
Straightforward biographical sketch of Jerome Henry Brudos. Active in the late 1960's in the Portland/Corvallis/Salem areas of Oregon. Married with two children. Electrician. Shoe fetish. Stocky and incredibly strong. Strangled, raped, and mutilated victims. Weighed bodies with engine parts, and dumped in river. Pleaded guilty. Multiple life sentences. Became a computer expert in prison. Died of liver cancer 2006.
We 12/22/10 HOW TO BE ALONE by Jonathan Franzen
A collection of essays by a remarkably astute St. Louis author. Born and raised in Webster Grove, he is now a proud citizen of Harlem. The best article was the depiction of his mother and father when they struggled with his father's Alzheimer's Disease. Also included-- The Death of The American Novel, Privacy in Public, The US Postal Service in Chicago, The American Prison Industrial Complex, and his visit to his home in Webster Grove after being selected to be a part of Oprah's Book List. Franzen can really write, and I am looking forward to reading one of his novels.
Th 12/23/10 LET ME IN by John Aivide Lindqvist
The Swedish vampire tale about the young boy who is being bullied, and makes friends with one of The Undead. I had seen the film last year, and the book is not at all what I remembered. The book hinges on the part of the vampire legend that says that a vampire cannot enter, it must be invited in. This was an interesting read, but I was kind of expecting more.
Fr 12/24/10 LEMONS NEVER LIE by Donald Westlake (Writing as Richard Stark)
An Alan Grofield novel. Grofield is a professional robber who runs a small theater in rural Indiana. Called to Vegas by Andrew Myer for a robbery of a brewery in upstate New York, however it's not to Alan's liking, and he and a fellow robber, Dan Leach, pass on the deal, and make a sizable stake in the casino before they leave in the morning. Andrews and one of the other thugs robs them. Leach and Alan track them down, recover the cash, and Grofield splits back to the theater. Days later, Leach shows up badly wounded, and while Dan recuperates, Grofield goes to Bellevile IL to rob a grocery store. Although the large safe is in full view through the window of the store, the gang uses a huge painting to prevent anyone from seeing them take down the safe. This is the best part of the novel which is set in the East St. Louis/Belleville/ area. I think I have been to some of these places. And later, the evil robber, Andrews is tracked down at the heist of the brewery in NY. Westlake writes about at least a half dozen characters, and Alan Grofield was not one of his best, but still worth a look.
Mo 12/27/10 THE GUTTER AND THE GRAVE by Ed McBain
Evan Hunter, author of THE 87TH PRECINCT series, writes a very noirish tale featuring Matt Cordell. He is an alcoholic ex PI who lost his license when he found his wife cheating on him with his partner, and then he pistol whipped the man nearly to death. That is his back-story, and in this adventure he is asked to solve the mystery of a murdered tailor. Set in Manhattan, it is revealed that an aspiring big band singer murders her own sister and her brother in law in hopes of becoming a big star. The outcome is evident early, but it is an engaging tale. I could not find whether McBain wrote any more novels featuring the Cordell character. This is the perfect type of novel to read and enjoy in a couple of sittings.
Mo 12/27/10 MYSTICS AND MESSIAHS: cults and new religions in american history by Philip Jenkins
I spent about two hours reading and skimming this book today, and I think that I got the main point. America has been a hot bed for religous kooks and odd ball cults since the very beginning. I want to check out Aimee Semple McPherson, and the founder of The Silver Shirts at Wikipedia. Jenkins is a very good religious historian, and I have several more of his books in my lists at the library.
Th 10/28/10 THE GREAT DERANGEMENT by Matt Taibbi
A very enjoyable and educational read. Just how much bullshit can the American public be expected to absorb before we all collectively Lose Our Shit!! Both The Left and The Right are bristling with righteous indignation and rage, but it is all misdirected at the wrong targets. The media has failed miserably to keep the nation informed, and The Internet only added to the confusion.
Favorite Concept: "You don't get elected to break the law, you get elected to change the law so that no law is broken".
Mo 11/1/10 DOG BLOOD by David Moody
An innovative twist on the Zombie Genre. Set in the UK in the near future, it tells the story of how, in one instant, the world's population is randomly divided between 'The Haters', and 'The Unchanged'. 'Haters' are filled with an all consuming rage, and must kill any of 'The Unchanged' within reach. What makes this tale different is that the story is told primarily from the point of view of a 'Hater'. Dan McCoyne is desperately trying to locate his five year old daughter who became a 'Hater' like him. The novel is kind of a 'road picture' through the devastation of a world in transition. The book has been optioned by the director of PAN'S LABYRINTH and should make a dandy feature film. Maybe I've been reading too many books about American politics, but it certainly reminds me of our Blue State vs. Red State dichotomy in this country. And, tomorrow is Voting Day!!!
We 11/3/10 HELLA NATION by Evan Wright
"Hella" means "Harsh", and this book is a collection of a dozen essays which were published mostly in The Rolling Stone magazine. The author is an ex-alcoholic/drug fiend who got his start working for Larry Flynt at Hustler magazine. All of the pieces are written in the style of 'Gonzo Journalism', in that, the author is very much a part of the expository information. This is fairly effective and tends to highlight the 'marginal' figures covered in the book. Faves include..... "Piss Drunk"-a look at radical skate punk culture, an essay on The Taxi Dancing Phenomenon, an overview of, The 'New' American Nazi Party, and a look at an Internet con artist, Seth Warshavsky, a piece which offers a 'behind the camera' look at an American Porn factory, and biographical sketch of an extreme right-wing American talent agent by the name of Pat Dollard. An enjoyable read, and easy to pick up, and check out a segment, and then, go right on to something entirely different.
Sa 11/6/10 A JUDGEMENT IN STONE by Ruth Rendell
One Sunday evening on Valentine's Day, Eunice Parchmand and Joan Smith shotgun to death four members of the Coverdale family as they watch an opera on television. Ruth Rendell delves deep into the psychological nuances of the two cracked killers, and Rendell demonstrates that one illiterate character who interacts with one psychotic character can only end in a disaster. When Rendell sets up this thesis, then the rest of the novel becomes, more or less, "A Count Down to Mass Murder". This book is the basis for Claude Chabrol's excellent film noir, "La Ceremonie". Chabrol treats the material as a Murder Mystery, whereas Rendell informs the reader about the killings in the first paragraph. A compelling set of circumstances makes for an excellent read, and I can't help but wonder how Patricia Highsmith would have handled this collection of interesting characters and bizarre plot?
Mo 11/8/10 HORNS by Joe Hill
A wry look at the nature of Good and Evil, and one possible way of looking at the personality of the Devil and what part he really plays in the cosmic scheme of things. An enjoyable, and fast read, and Joe Hill reminds me of Steven King in a couple of ways. First, they are both from the Northeast, and secondly, they both are more 'story tellers' than 'serious writers'. But, don't get me wrong, both guys can write and tell a story like nobody's business. HORNS takes place in contemporary New Hampshire and is kind of a love story which takes a turn for the worse. There are psychotics, alcohol abuse, weed smoking, and the lead character, Ignatius Perrish, becomes a Demon. This one was hard to put down, and the plot raced along, and several chunks of the book were quite philosophical.
Fr 11/12/10 ONCE WERE COPS by Ken Bruen
Michael Patrick O'Shea was a member of the crack Irish police force known as, The Guards. He has recently traveled to NYC as part of a police exchange program to become one of New York City's finest. He is ambitious, perceptive, intelligent, and, soon we find out, that he is also a gruesome and psychotic serial sex killer. Ken Bruen's writing style is clipped, face-paced, and staccato. The novel is a long series of short paragraphs that are wonderfully descriptive, and are largely composed of punchy dialog. The story is propelled by these short bursts, and this is his signature narrative style. It is very different from most crime authors, and it might take a bit to get used to his approach, but, by and large, it works most effectively.
Su 11/14/10 SHANK by Roderick Anscombe
Dan Cody is doing life without the possibility of parole for the murder of his wife. He claims that she was HIV Positive, and he was saving her from future misery, however, we only have his word on the matter. This novel is told in the first person by Mr. Cody, and he proves to be a truly 'Unreliable Narrator', in that the reader can never fully ascertain whether one is listening to a psychopath, or someone who has been wronged by fate. He claims that he is now in a mutual love affair with the prison nurse, Carol, and she has orchestrated an escape so that they can start a new life. And, they only need to get at a stash of several hundred thousand dollars which Dan may or may not be able to recover. A crazy plot, but the book is absorbing to the bitter end. This type of a story is better manifested in Jim Thompson's POP 1280, or Mark Hudson's THE MUSIC IN MY HEAD. A self-deluding, or pathological liar who tells the tale always makes for a disorienting and engrossing read.
Mo 11/15/10 THE HARVARD PSYCHEDELIC CLUB by Don Lattin
The subtitle of this book is especially revealing; "How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America"....
That about sums up the thesis of the book. I was familiar with Ram Dass(Richard Alpert) and Tim Leary, but I was unfamiliar with Weil and Smith's role in this historical change in America's consciousness. Timothy Leary is "The Trickster". He even said that one gets, "The Timothy Leary that one deserves". He was both liar and extreme truth teller, and it kind of depends on the 'prism of the viewer' as to how one sees this interesting and confounding character. Ram Dass (Richard Alpert) was the son of wealth and power and he became the 'Religious Seeker' of the bunch. A closeted bisexual, and kind of a curmudgeon especially as he got older, he helped to promote the various Eastern Theories that became so prevalent in the decades to follow. Huston Smith was The Teacher. This man was a life-long student of religious thought, and became a prolific author who profiled the world's major religions, and in the 50's he even had a show on TV about basic concepts in Eastern Thought. And, finally, there is Andrew Weil. He was a ring leader of a conspiracy to have Leary and Alpert ousted from Harvard for their drug experiments on the Harvard campus in 1962. Weil was working for The Crimson, and broke a story about their experiments to expand human consciousness by using psychedelic drugs. What Weil failed to mention in his article, is that he too was part of the nefarious'drug ring/conscious expansion plot'. I don't think that Alpert ever really forgot or forgave Andrew Weil. However, Weil went on to become one of the most notable health, diet, food, and aging experts in the country, and, many years later, he was also a proponent for drug reform. The book was very even-handed, and presented a balanced and fair depiction of these men, and I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in this particularly volatile time in American history. I especially loved the presentation of Leary and Alpert's, 'Good Friday Experiment' of 1962 with the divinity students on the Harvard campus. Twenty students, and ten got the LSD, and ten got a kind of 'speedy' placebo. However, within an hour, it was completely obvious who got the 'real' stuff. And, all during the experiment, they were downstairs in the chapel basement listening to the Easter church service which was going on upstairs. Wild....
Tu 11/16/10 "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH KANSAS?" by Thomas Frank
Another fine political book from the author of THE WRECKING CREW. In this book Frank uses what has happened in Kansas as a possible political outcome for the rest of the country. It seems that Conservative Republicans have captured the flag within the Republican party in Kansas and in most other areas of the country, and now things are just shifting to the Right, and then, farther to the Right. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has rejected their traditional base (union members, the poor, and the idealistic), and have sucked up to corporate interests (Business Friendly!!). The Cons have successfully focused every issue around Non Winnable Cultural Issues such as , Abortion, Gun Control, "Filth In General". And, much to the dismay of Intelligent America (the half dozen of us that are left), it looks like America is willing to sacrifice everything in order to pursue the fantasy of Red State middle-American righteousness regardless of the economic fallout.
Th 11/18/10 A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD by Jennifer Egan
Jennifer Egan probably employs one of the most innovative styles that I have read in a long while. The story is basically about a former punk rocker who later became a record executive by the name of Bennie Salazar, and a kleptomaniac former employee of his by the name of Sasha. The story weaves, and backtracks, and changes points of view numerous times. Each chapter might start in a completely different era, and feature a character who only played a minor role in the previous part of the novel. In the end, you get an overview of the time between the birth of American Punk Rock through approximately 2009. Various detailed insights by many different characters are presented, and each character might or might not be aware of the other characters' motivations or activities...kind of like "Real Life". It is not as confusing as it sounds, but I should have reread the novel, and tried to put the various pieces into a comprehensive Big Picture. But, it really isn't necessary since each chapter can almost be read as a very well written 'stand alone' short story.
Sa 11/20/10 ROCK AND ROLL WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE by Steve Almond
This book is a look at the author's experiences in the field of professional writing while fueling his addiction to all forms of music, popular and otherwise. He advances the thesis that there are people who are, what he calls- "DF's", ( Drooling Fanatics). These are people who are far beyond mere 'fan-hood', but individuals who put music, and all things connected to it, above every other aspect of their lives. I thought his test to determine if you might be one of these people was kind of clever. It consists of two questions; #1. Do your friends and family think that you have too many records?, #2. Do you think that you have too many records? If you answered 'Yes' to #1, and 'No' to #2, you just might be a DF. This book is not made to taken too seriously, and Almond has an honest love of the obscure, but also an appreciation of the mundane. He is a big fan of Styx's, PARADISE THEATER which he defines as 'An American Classic'. I would agree that this is 'American', but I'm not so sure about the second assumption. The man will defend his taste to the bitter end, and readily admits that there are no 'right' or 'wrong' answers when dealing with what turns you on. The book also includes his experiences working for various publications, 'zines', and magazines all around the country, and this was equally as fascinating as his ruminations on music.
WE ARE THE UGLY, BUT WE HAVE THE MUSIC Leonard Cohen
Mo 11/22/10 THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA by Philip Roth
THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA is a fictional account of a 'Possible History' of the United States. In this fictional universe, the author, Philip Roth depicts Charles Lindbergh beating FDR in the 1940 presidential election. Lindbergh runs as a 'Peace Candidate', and wins by signing a pact with Hitler to keep Americans out of, "Another European War". And, this scenario might have happened since there actually was a very dominant Isolationist and pro National Socialist movement in the US at that time, and Charles Lindbergh was an extremely popular proponent of this point of view. Roth's family lived in the Newark, New Jersey area during the 30's and 40's, and the book is really a beautiful and heartfelt account of how this 'Historical Possibility' would forever change their lives. There was not one point of view within the Hebrew community about Lindbergh's ascent to ultimate power. Many believed that National Socialism's anti-semitic policies could never take hold in The Land of The Free, whereas, many emigrated to Canada in fear of what might happen. After finiishing the novel, it is impossible not to wonder what would happen if an international totalitarian movement were to manifest in 21st Century America. I think Fascism would receive a much more positive reception today than it did in the 1930's. Mussolini once said that, "Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." And, isn't this the goal of America's conservatives, and the agenda of Fox News? Of course, these days we blithely call it, "Business Friendly".
We 11/24/10
The Quants: How a New Breed of Math Whizzes Conquered Wall Street and Nearly Destroyed It by Scott Patterson
I read over half of this book, and skimmed the final part. It was rather technical, but I think I understood the basic points. The stock market is impossible to accurately predict, but this collection of computer nerds and math geniuses thought that it might be possible, and for many years, they were able to do the impossible. The greatest financial minds in world of finance were convinced that the secrets of the market had been cracked . I don't think that there was any criminal intent, in fact, although they were certainly greedy, I feel that they were only interested in seeing just how far their formulas and calculations would take them. I would recommend Matt Taibbi's articles in The Rolling Stone on the financial crisis of 2006 for information on the people who were really trying to game the system. Several books about the 'junk bond meltdown' of the late 80's, such as THE PREDATORS BALL' reminded me of this book. After completing "The Quants" it is clear that the federal government has not introduced enough guidelines to prevent this calamity from reoccurring. And, I guess that just shows that America has the best government money can buy, and Wall Street has enough cash to run the show.
THE STONE THAT NEVER CAME DOWN by John Brunner
Finished Thanksgiving Day 2010
This is a novel written in 1973, and has always been a favorite of mine, and this is probably the third or fourth time that I have read this fine book. Although the tale is set primarily in England, it describes a dystopia in which poverty, inflation, unemployment, and disillusionment are rampant around the world, and WW III seems just around the corner. And, to make matters worse, members of a right-wing political/religious group, The Campaign Against Moral Pollution (Godheads), are armed with crosses which they use as weapons to demand alms and obedience from anyone they can shake down. However, the entire world might change dramatically for the better if a mysterious new drug known as VC is allowed to to spread throughout mankind. There don't appear to be any negative side effects, and the drug drastically increases the individual's natural empathy, and grants total and complete access to one's memory. After being infected, a person's natural filters and prejudices are dismantled, and one is truly free to experience what it means to be human for the rest of their life. The novel describes how this change effects numerous individuals, and ends at kind of a 'dawning of a new age for mankind'. The characters are not that carefully delineated, but the storyline is so compelling that this can be overlooked. And, I think the book authentically demonstrates that the political and social status quo would be violently opposed to anything of this nature since their power lies in fear and divisiveness. I would recommend this book to anyone who understands that some of the best science fiction is more about adventurous storytelling than excellent writing.
Sa 11/27/10 THE 13TH HOUR by Richard Doetsch
This novel is a fresh addition to the Time Travel Genre. The book opens with the lead character, Nick Quinn, being interrogated by the police for the brutal murder of his wife. Quinn didn't do it, most of the police force is crooked, and involved in a multi-million dollar home invasion, and the crash of a commercial jet liner is also woven into the plot. And, next we learn that Quinn is in possession of a watch which allows him to relive the last twelve hours-running backwards, one hour at a time. He has twelve hours to change the course of history, and save his wife's life. The novel begins with Chapter 12, and finishes with Chapter 1. All kinds of possible histories are uncovered, explored, and avoided, yet no serious breaches of, "The Time Continuum Conundrum" are violated, but unfortunately, we never find out how that watch came to be. At times the book gets a bit confusing, but I guess that is the nature of these kinds of tales. According to the author's website this novel will be made into a film, and I am anxious to see if they can pull it off successfully.
Su 11/28/10
Dark prophecy : a Level 26 thriller featuring Steve Dark / Anthony E. Zuiker with Duane Swierczynski
This is the second novel in a series about Steve Dark who is a member of an elite government task force specializing in serial killers. The book is fast paced, if a little flat and mundane. Most of the characters seem rather ordinary for this genre, and the killings by The Tarot Card Killers are not as frightening as one would expect. I thought the most compelling aspect of the book is how deeply involved in our private lives the government has become after the events of September 11,th 2001. The book has a link to a series of video clips at You Tube which add an additional element to the story, but adding more 'bells and whistles' can't save a novel if the magic is not on the page.
Tu 11/30/10 BABYLON NIGHTS by Daniel Depp
This is the second crime fiction novel by Johnny Depp's half brother, and it's a fairly interesting expose of Hollywood, and the mean streets of contemporary Los Angeles. And again, he features the, "Hollywood Stunt-Man/Cowpoke/PI", David Spandau. This time out, Spandau has been employed to protect a slightly over the hill (she's 43) starlet from a psychotic stalker. And, she needs PI Spandau to accompany her to France where she has been invited to be a judge at the Cannes Film Festival. The characters are fresh and engaging, and the action is fast paced. I hope that this series continues for many more novels.
We 12/1/10 NEMESIS by Philip Roth
Roth revisits, Weequahic, New Jersey, the setting of his novel, THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA. NEMESIS deals with a polio epidemic which raced through this Jewish community near Newark in the late summer of 1944. The tale focuses on the life of Bucky Cantor, a young man of 23 who seems to have it all. He is a physically fit college graduate, and is employed as a PE teacher, and during the summer months he runs the community playground. Although he was unable to join the service at the outbreak of WWII due to poor eyesight, everyone in the community, both young and old, hold him in high esteem. Just a few days before the community playground is closed during the epidemic, his girlfriend convinces him to come away to a camp resort in Pennsylvania and take a job with her. Although he feels guilty about deserting his charges, he soon succumbs to the beauty of the rural setting. However, within a couple of days, the plague has followed him to this rustic oasis, and he is stricken with polio along with several other residents of the camp. Up until this point the novel has been told in the third person, and then, it goes into first person mode. Actually, the novel is the first person account of one of the children who had contracted the disease earlier in the summer. Now, it's 1971 and these two middle aged men, meet, and discuss those life changing events. Bucky has lost it all, and essentially he has been crushed by life. The book really ends on a sad note, as the reader empathizes with Cantor's complete loss of promise. NEMESIS is a short, yet powerful novel.
Fr 12/3/10 JUST KIDS by Patti Smith
Patti Smith provides a touching portrait of her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe many years before either of them were famous. The bulk of the book covers the time between The Summer of Love-1967, and the end of the 80's. Smith and Mapplethorpe were lovers and artistic collaborators during this time where they lived below the poverty level in lofts and apartments in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of their lives in The Chelsea Hotel. JUST KIDS is almost a fable about two individuals who gave it All For Love, not necessarily for the love of each other, but for the love of their respective Arts.
Dark prophecy : a Level 26 thriller featuring Steve Dark / Anthony E. Zuiker with Duane Swierczynski
This is the second novel in a series about Steve Dark who is a member of an elite government task force specializing in serial killers. The book is fast paced, if a little flat and mundane. Most of the characters seem rather ordinary for this genre, and the killings by The Tarot Card Killers are not as frightening as one would expect. I thought the most compelling aspect of the book is how deeply involved in our private lives the government has become after the events of September 11,th 2001. The book has a link to a series of video clips at You Tube which add an additional element to the story, but adding more 'bells and whistles' can't save a novel if the magic is not on the page.
Tu 11/30/10 BABYLON NIGHTS by Daniel Depp
This is the second crime fiction novel by Johnny Depp's half brother, and it's a fairly interesting expose of Hollywood, and the mean streets of contemporary Los Angeles. And again, he features the, "Hollywood Stunt-Man/Cowpoke/PI", David Spandau. This time out, Spandau has been employed to protect a slightly over the hill (she's 43) starlet from a psychotic stalker. And, she needs PI Spandau to accompany her to France where she has been invited to be a judge at the Cannes Film Festival. The characters are fresh and engaging, and the action is fast paced. I hope that this series continues for many more novels.
We 12/1/10 NEMESIS by Philip Roth
Roth revisits, Weequahic, New Jersey, the setting of his novel, THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA. NEMESIS deals with a polio epidemic which raced through this Jewish community near Newark in the late summer of 1944. The tale focuses on the life of Bucky Cantor, a young man of 23 who seems to have it all. He is a physically fit college graduate, and is employed as a PE teacher, and during the summer months he runs the community playground. Although he was unable to join the service at the outbreak of WWII due to poor eyesight, everyone in the community, both young and old, hold him in high esteem. Just a few days before the community playground is closed during the epidemic, his girlfriend convinces him to come away to a camp resort in Pennsylvania and take a job with her. Although he feels guilty about deserting his charges, he soon succumbs to the beauty of the rural setting. However, within a couple of days, the plague has followed him to this rustic oasis, and he is stricken with polio along with several other residents of the camp. Up until this point the novel has been told in the third person, and then, it goes into first person mode. Actually, the novel is the first person account of one of the children who had contracted the disease earlier in the summer. Now, it's 1971 and these two middle aged men, meet, and discuss those life changing events. Bucky has lost it all, and essentially he has been crushed by life. The book really ends on a sad note, as the reader empathizes with Cantor's complete loss of promise. NEMESIS is a short, yet powerful novel.
Fr 12/3/10 JUST KIDS by Patti Smith
Patti Smith provides a touching portrait of her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe many years before either of them were famous. The bulk of the book covers the time between The Summer of Love-1967, and the end of the 80's. Smith and Mapplethorpe were lovers and artistic collaborators during this time where they lived below the poverty level in lofts and apartments in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of their lives in The Chelsea Hotel. JUST KIDS is almost a fable about two individuals who gave it All For Love, not necessarily for the love of each other, but for the love of their respective Arts.
Su 12/5/10
The Beautiful Cigar Girl: Mary Rogers, Edgar Allan Poe, and the Invention of Murder by Daniel Stashower
In late July of 1841 Mary Rogers, a beautiful and charismatic clerk in a Manhattan tobacco shop was found drowned and murdered over the river in New Jersey. The book is about how authorities attempted to solve the crime (they didn't), how the plethora of newspapers put their spin on the murder and what it might mean to the citizens, and how the career of Edgar Allan Poe was affected by this horrible incident. The best part of the book was learning about Poe. At the time, he was best known for his reviewing skills, however, he saw himself as an undiscovered poet. And, THE MURDERS ON THE RUE MORGUE was the first crime fiction novel ever written. "The Ape Did It". "Allan" was a family name of the Scottish man who adopted him after his mother died of tuberculosis. This man finally rejected him, and although Poe was raised fairly wealthy and schooled in England, in the end, the Scotsman threw him out without a penny. Poe battled penury and alcoholism all of his life. When 'The Raven' was released he finally got some of the praise that he wanted for his poetry, but, as with most of the advantages of his life, he quickly blew it.
Mo 12/6/10
Lost in the Meritocracy: The Undereducation of an Overachiever by Walter Kirin
An extremely bright guy tells of his adventures at Princeton during the 80's. By the end, he realizes that there is a difference between "acting smart", and really "understanding". The book was well written, but Kirin comes off at times just a tad too smug. One can certainly see how the character in UP IN THE AIR came to be. The very meticulous, isolated brainiac who literally has his head in the clouds is very much a salient part of Kirin's character. For a slim book it worked, but any longer, and I think it would have become egotistical overkill.
We 12/8/10 GONE TOMORROW by Lee Childs
From the moment I picked it up, it was hard to put down. A possible suicide bomber on a Manhattan subway, a terrorist cell of Afghanistan's finest Evil Doers on the prowl in NYC, and all of these events linked to a US Senate candidate who happens to have been Special Forces and had a mysterious photo taken with Super-Terrorist Osam Bin Laden. It was a wild and electrifying ride from start to finish.
Fr 12/10/10 LET IT BLEED by Ian Rankin
A John Rebus novel, and I plan to read as many of these as I can. This one begins in a car chase on icy roads over a bridge outside of Edinburgh. Rebus and his superior are hot on the tail of two kidnappers who crash into the side of the bridge, and then inexplicably, jump over the side to their deaths. Next, an ex-con enters the office of a council official, and blows his head off with a sawed off shotgun. These crimes lead Rebus to uncover a huge plot to illegally prop up the economy of Scotland. Well written, and compelling from start to finish.
Su 12/12/10 WHITE MISCHIEF by James Fox
The reason that I picked up this book is that it is written by the man who assisted Keith Richards in his biography, LIFE. WHITE MISCHIEF relates the events of the Happy Valley murder case in Kenya in 1941, when Sir Henry "Jock" Delves Broughton was tried for the murder of Josslyn Hay, Earl of Erroll. I read about half, and skimmed to the end. Although, the murderer was found Not Guilty, by a careful analysis of the data, it becomes clear that the man really did it. I would have rather heard more about the scene in Kenya from 1910 to 1950. It makes Las Vegas look like Branson, Missouri.
Mo 12/13/10 THE HUMBLING by Philip Roth
This is a slim novel by Roth, and a bit of a let down after his two 'factional' books (THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA and NEMESIS). In this novel a 65 year old star of stage and screen has lost his artistic edge, and he is holed up in a large country house contemplating suicide. He enters a psychiatric clinic for a month, and meets a woman who is there because she caught her second husband molesting her eight year old daughter. She blames herself instead of him (And, that's why she's in the nut house). Soon after leaving the facility, the star meets the much younger daughter of friends. Although twenty five years older than the girl, they have a beautiful sexual affair even though this girl has been living as a lesbian for most of her life. Then, out of the blue, she tells him that she wants his baby, and just as suddenly, she ends the relationship. Devastated, he again tries suicide, and reasons that if the woman he met in the hospital can finally come to terms with her anger (she shot and killed her second husband), he can end his life. And, he does.
Th 12/16/10 DECADE OF NIGHTMARES by Philip Jenkins
Jenkins argues that the mid to late 1970s were the years that marked the decline of American power and influence. The making of Reagan's America came on the heels of that sense of disaster and despair. Disgust over Watergate and political corruption was high. The economy was bad. It seemed that serial killers roamed every neighborhood. Sex was everywhere, including child pornography, and the nation's cities had collapsed. The 'Power To The People movement' of the 60's and 70's had gone way to far, and it was time for rich white men to retake the reigns of power. And, organized religion only served to re-enforce this narrative.
As the conservative myth goes, Ronald Reagan came riding through this muck and saved America. He made America whole again. The 80s saw the rejection of drugs as recreation, an end to secularism, a more belligerent foreign policy, and a curtailment of sexual freedom. And today, this conservative tide continues.
I am not really sure where Jenkins stands in the debate of the issues, but his book certainly states the facts, and any political bias is not included. I will be reading more by this author.
Tu 12/21/10 LUST KILLER by Ann Rule (written as Andy Stack) 1983/1988
Straightforward biographical sketch of Jerome Henry Brudos. Active in the late 1960's in the Portland/Corvallis/Salem areas of Oregon. Married with two children. Electrician. Shoe fetish. Stocky and incredibly strong. Strangled, raped, and mutilated victims. Weighed bodies with engine parts, and dumped in river. Pleaded guilty. Multiple life sentences. Became a computer expert in prison. Died of liver cancer 2006.
We 12/22/10 HOW TO BE ALONE by Jonathan Franzen
A collection of essays by a remarkably astute St. Louis author. Born and raised in Webster Grove, he is now a proud citizen of Harlem. The best article was the depiction of his mother and father when they struggled with his father's Alzheimer's Disease. Also included-- The Death of The American Novel, Privacy in Public, The US Postal Service in Chicago, The American Prison Industrial Complex, and his visit to his home in Webster Grove after being selected to be a part of Oprah's Book List. Franzen can really write, and I am looking forward to reading one of his novels.
Th 12/23/10 LET ME IN by John Aivide Lindqvist
The Swedish vampire tale about the young boy who is being bullied, and makes friends with one of The Undead. I had seen the film last year, and the book is not at all what I remembered. The book hinges on the part of the vampire legend that says that a vampire cannot enter, it must be invited in. This was an interesting read, but I was kind of expecting more.
Fr 12/24/10 LEMONS NEVER LIE by Donald Westlake (Writing as Richard Stark)
An Alan Grofield novel. Grofield is a professional robber who runs a small theater in rural Indiana. Called to Vegas by Andrew Myer for a robbery of a brewery in upstate New York, however it's not to Alan's liking, and he and a fellow robber, Dan Leach, pass on the deal, and make a sizable stake in the casino before they leave in the morning. Andrews and one of the other thugs robs them. Leach and Alan track them down, recover the cash, and Grofield splits back to the theater. Days later, Leach shows up badly wounded, and while Dan recuperates, Grofield goes to Bellevile IL to rob a grocery store. Although the large safe is in full view through the window of the store, the gang uses a huge painting to prevent anyone from seeing them take down the safe. This is the best part of the novel which is set in the East St. Louis/Belleville/ area. I think I have been to some of these places. And later, the evil robber, Andrews is tracked down at the heist of the brewery in NY. Westlake writes about at least a half dozen characters, and Alan Grofield was not one of his best, but still worth a look.
Mo 12/27/10 THE GUTTER AND THE GRAVE by Ed McBain
Evan Hunter, author of THE 87TH PRECINCT series, writes a very noirish tale featuring Matt Cordell. He is an alcoholic ex PI who lost his license when he found his wife cheating on him with his partner, and then he pistol whipped the man nearly to death. That is his back-story, and in this adventure he is asked to solve the mystery of a murdered tailor. Set in Manhattan, it is revealed that an aspiring big band singer murders her own sister and her brother in law in hopes of becoming a big star. The outcome is evident early, but it is an engaging tale. I could not find whether McBain wrote any more novels featuring the Cordell character. This is the perfect type of novel to read and enjoy in a couple of sittings.
Mo 12/27/10 MYSTICS AND MESSIAHS: cults and new religions in american history by Philip Jenkins
I spent about two hours reading and skimming this book today, and I think that I got the main point. America has been a hot bed for religous kooks and odd ball cults since the very beginning. I want to check out Aimee Semple McPherson, and the founder of The Silver Shirts at Wikipedia. Jenkins is a very good religious historian, and I have several more of his books in my lists at the library.
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