Finished THE LONG WALK, We 8/30/17. Also included in this anthology were RAGE, ROADWORK, and THE RUNNING MAN.
For the last several weeks the 'bathroom book' has been THE KINGDOM OF FEAR which is a collection of long essays about the work of Stephen King, and a couple of weeks ago I found THE BACHMAN BOOKS, an ancient paperback, on the shelves downstairs.
I read that King wrote this while he was a freshman at the University of Maine, and over eight years before CARRIE.
I liked the idea that the reader is thrust directly into the action without any background information. You are at 'The Walk' just before it begins, and you soon learn that the young men must maintain a four mile per hour pace or they will be shot. But, you don't know why or who made the rules.
On the other hand, at the end of the book you never really find out the 'how and why'.
Who was 'The Major', and how did he derive his power?
The book's link at wikipedia-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Walk
The brief descriptions of the walkers at the end of the wikipedia entry provide a good sketch of each young man, and that is pretty much all that the novel reveals about the characters.
King's descriptions of sexuality was a big tip-off that the writer of the novel was not very old or aware of 'the ways of the world'.
This is certainly not among King's best works and probably best appreciated only by his rabid fan base.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Thursday, August 24, 2017
THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH by Walter Tevis
Finished We 8/23/17 before the meeting of the Contemporary Book Club.
This was one of my ancient paperbacks- I'm going to discard the book. My note on the flyleaf says that I bought the book at Book House, Rock Hill, Mo. on Fr 9/12/97 and I finished it that weekend. On that Sunday I drove my Pacific Coast motorcycle to Taylorville to see the film, 'Excess Baggage'. Last night I checked to see if I could get this movie, but it hasn't been released to Netflix.
From 'Fantasy and Science Fiction' about Tevis's life-
"Tevis was born February 28, 1928, in San Francisco. When he was ten, his family went off to live with the father's sister in Kentucky, leaving Walter, who had contracted rheumatic fever, behind in a hospital. He remained there, wholly alone, for a year before joining the family. He attended school, feeling always the outsider, in Kentucky, and, following service in World War II (two years as a carpenter's mate), went on to the University of Kentucky, where he earned his bachelor's and master's in English. He then embarked on a teaching career, first at various Kentucky high schools, later, from 1966 to 1978, at Ohio University.
Published to great acclaim in 1959, The Hustler became a film classic in 1961. The Man Who Fell to Earth, rejected by Harper's, was published as a paperback original by Gold Medal in 1963. In conversation with Daniel Keyes, Tevis claimed that this rejection led to his lengthy writing block; editor Pat LoBrutto, who worked with Tevis on Mockingbird and subsequent books, doesn't think Tevis made so much of it. At any rate, Tevis had become a confirmed drinker ("It's about my becoming an alcoholic. I sobered up to write it," he said of Man), and for the thirteen years he taught in Ohio, he wrote little or nothing.
Tevis also told Keyes that he'd always dreamed "of being a New York writer, of being in the center of the literary scene," and in 1978, three years after he quit drinking, Tevis moved to the city. Mockingbird came out in 1980, his story collection Far From Home the following year, both The Steps of the Sun and The Queen's Gambit in 1983. The Color of Money, a sequel to The Hustler written for quick money, also came out in these last years. Paul Newman bought the property, commissioning a screenplay from Tevis; for the 1986 film, however, both screenplay and novel were junked.
By his own admission, Tevis still had problems writing. He'd also begun confronting autobiographical materials more directly, in a kind of self-dredging that doesn't always imply salvage, and that can prove as wrenching to the reader as to writer. In stories of the period we often see Tevis peering out at us from within.
Whiskey had left him unable to answer the telephone or open the door, in Michigan. That had been two years ago. Whiskey had left him sitting behind closed suburban blinds at two in the afternoon, reading the J.C. Penny catalog and waiting for Gwen to come home from work. Well. He had been free of whiskey for a year and a half now. First the hospital, then A.A.; now New York and Janet.
He'd continue this transmutation of life in Mockingbird, his parable of coming out of alcoholism, and in The Steps of the Sun, whose early passages rehearse his own childhood of pain, illness, and alienation (and which is, overall, a parable of adolescence). The darkening cities and expended populations of the first, the impoverished, pre-ice age earth of the latter—these are the landscape of their author's own post-alcoholic mind: worlds to be retrieved, reconstructed, reinvented, reborn.
Though sales for Mockingbird were disappointing, in subsequent years the book has been much praised, taking its place alongside Man as a classic. Thus far Steps hasn't elicited as much attention as the others even though, as André- Francois Ruaud points out in a rare essay on Tevis for France's Bifrost magazine, it's among the most original and successful science fiction novels of the '80s. It is also Tevis' first wholly optimistic book. In its successor, The Queen's Gambit, he turned again from the fantastic to the realistic mode, offering in its stone-brilliant story of a driven, alcoholic female chess champion who achieves redemption (much as Mockingbird paired with Man) a positive retelling of The Hustler.
Walter Tevis died of cancer in 1984, the year after his last two, redemptive books were published, age 56. He had experienced, observed, brought to others and to himself great pain, terrible abjurations; his books gave it all up, took our hands to lead us through the backwash. And yet, like his protagonists, he had borne up under it all, survived, endured.
"It is very bad for people to find substitutes for living their lives," he said in what may have been his last interview, wondering if this might not be his abiding theme. Even if late in life, he said, he had found great joy in it: "I'm really pleased that the grass is green. I didn't used to be."
* * *
Through it all, out of it all, blows this dark, strangely comforting wind, this threnody of loss. It is, for many reasons, a small body of work, and one of rare unity.
Einstein remarked that in his life he'd had only one or two ideas. Many fine writers are like that, I believe, making a lifetime's agenda of drawing out the universe implicit in those ideas. So the strands that run and interweave in Tevis's work: alcoholism, the gamesman/artist (pool player, chess player) in whom ambition and wound pull like twin suns, the adolescent's eternal alienation, prisons of self and society, bleak futures, Christ figures, redemption.
Again and again Tevis mounted voyages to the alien, inhospitable planet of self, to bring back odd rocks, strange growths, colors not seen in our nature. Again and again he seized metaphors and wrung their necks, making them give up secrets others had not obtained, could not obtain. There he stood balanced, about to fall. He was, as Lethem writes, "a master manipulator of archetypes, an artist capable of delving into the zeitgeist while nevertheless remaining on his own pure search for himself." His work is unique, with that element of infinite rereadability Nabokov held the hallmark of great literature. Like his characters, though passed through perilous times, disregard and rejection, waking with the day-after, too-late taste of booze, stale smoke and failure upon them, Tevis's work will endure."
Thomas Newton is 'The Man Who Fell'. His home planet, Anthea, is completely devoid of resources, and he is sent to Earth to lay the groundwork for colonization of the planet. The Antheans are certain that Earth will destroy itself by nuclear war in just a few decades at most. The Antheans hope to emigrate a few key people to take over Earth's economic and political systems to avoid a holocaust. I guess the moral dilemma of the novel is should an alien force have the power to determine the fate of Earth, even if the outcome is positive.
The subtext of the novel demonstrates how an individual deals with alcoholism.
World Enterprises Corp- W.E. Corp
Thomas Jerome Newton
Nathan Bryce- Professor of chemical engineering that suspects that Newton is 'not of this earth'. He becomes a friend and confidant. Newton gives him a million dollars at the end of the novel.
Oliver Farnsworth- Newton's patent lawyer. Played by Buck Henry in the film.
Betty Jo Mosher- The alcoholic hillbilly from Kentucky who becomes Newton's maid/personal assistant. They're drinking partners and she turns him on to gin. She drinks it with three teaspoons of sugar.
Brinnarde- Newton's 'head of security'. This man is a government agent and leads to Newton's downfall.
This was one of my ancient paperbacks- I'm going to discard the book. My note on the flyleaf says that I bought the book at Book House, Rock Hill, Mo. on Fr 9/12/97 and I finished it that weekend. On that Sunday I drove my Pacific Coast motorcycle to Taylorville to see the film, 'Excess Baggage'. Last night I checked to see if I could get this movie, but it hasn't been released to Netflix.
From 'Fantasy and Science Fiction' about Tevis's life-
"Tevis was born February 28, 1928, in San Francisco. When he was ten, his family went off to live with the father's sister in Kentucky, leaving Walter, who had contracted rheumatic fever, behind in a hospital. He remained there, wholly alone, for a year before joining the family. He attended school, feeling always the outsider, in Kentucky, and, following service in World War II (two years as a carpenter's mate), went on to the University of Kentucky, where he earned his bachelor's and master's in English. He then embarked on a teaching career, first at various Kentucky high schools, later, from 1966 to 1978, at Ohio University.
Published to great acclaim in 1959, The Hustler became a film classic in 1961. The Man Who Fell to Earth, rejected by Harper's, was published as a paperback original by Gold Medal in 1963. In conversation with Daniel Keyes, Tevis claimed that this rejection led to his lengthy writing block; editor Pat LoBrutto, who worked with Tevis on Mockingbird and subsequent books, doesn't think Tevis made so much of it. At any rate, Tevis had become a confirmed drinker ("It's about my becoming an alcoholic. I sobered up to write it," he said of Man), and for the thirteen years he taught in Ohio, he wrote little or nothing.
Tevis also told Keyes that he'd always dreamed "of being a New York writer, of being in the center of the literary scene," and in 1978, three years after he quit drinking, Tevis moved to the city. Mockingbird came out in 1980, his story collection Far From Home the following year, both The Steps of the Sun and The Queen's Gambit in 1983. The Color of Money, a sequel to The Hustler written for quick money, also came out in these last years. Paul Newman bought the property, commissioning a screenplay from Tevis; for the 1986 film, however, both screenplay and novel were junked.
By his own admission, Tevis still had problems writing. He'd also begun confronting autobiographical materials more directly, in a kind of self-dredging that doesn't always imply salvage, and that can prove as wrenching to the reader as to writer. In stories of the period we often see Tevis peering out at us from within.
Whiskey had left him unable to answer the telephone or open the door, in Michigan. That had been two years ago. Whiskey had left him sitting behind closed suburban blinds at two in the afternoon, reading the J.C. Penny catalog and waiting for Gwen to come home from work. Well. He had been free of whiskey for a year and a half now. First the hospital, then A.A.; now New York and Janet.
He'd continue this transmutation of life in Mockingbird, his parable of coming out of alcoholism, and in The Steps of the Sun, whose early passages rehearse his own childhood of pain, illness, and alienation (and which is, overall, a parable of adolescence). The darkening cities and expended populations of the first, the impoverished, pre-ice age earth of the latter—these are the landscape of their author's own post-alcoholic mind: worlds to be retrieved, reconstructed, reinvented, reborn.
Though sales for Mockingbird were disappointing, in subsequent years the book has been much praised, taking its place alongside Man as a classic. Thus far Steps hasn't elicited as much attention as the others even though, as André- Francois Ruaud points out in a rare essay on Tevis for France's Bifrost magazine, it's among the most original and successful science fiction novels of the '80s. It is also Tevis' first wholly optimistic book. In its successor, The Queen's Gambit, he turned again from the fantastic to the realistic mode, offering in its stone-brilliant story of a driven, alcoholic female chess champion who achieves redemption (much as Mockingbird paired with Man) a positive retelling of The Hustler.
Walter Tevis died of cancer in 1984, the year after his last two, redemptive books were published, age 56. He had experienced, observed, brought to others and to himself great pain, terrible abjurations; his books gave it all up, took our hands to lead us through the backwash. And yet, like his protagonists, he had borne up under it all, survived, endured.
"It is very bad for people to find substitutes for living their lives," he said in what may have been his last interview, wondering if this might not be his abiding theme. Even if late in life, he said, he had found great joy in it: "I'm really pleased that the grass is green. I didn't used to be."
* * *
Through it all, out of it all, blows this dark, strangely comforting wind, this threnody of loss. It is, for many reasons, a small body of work, and one of rare unity.
Einstein remarked that in his life he'd had only one or two ideas. Many fine writers are like that, I believe, making a lifetime's agenda of drawing out the universe implicit in those ideas. So the strands that run and interweave in Tevis's work: alcoholism, the gamesman/artist (pool player, chess player) in whom ambition and wound pull like twin suns, the adolescent's eternal alienation, prisons of self and society, bleak futures, Christ figures, redemption.
Again and again Tevis mounted voyages to the alien, inhospitable planet of self, to bring back odd rocks, strange growths, colors not seen in our nature. Again and again he seized metaphors and wrung their necks, making them give up secrets others had not obtained, could not obtain. There he stood balanced, about to fall. He was, as Lethem writes, "a master manipulator of archetypes, an artist capable of delving into the zeitgeist while nevertheless remaining on his own pure search for himself." His work is unique, with that element of infinite rereadability Nabokov held the hallmark of great literature. Like his characters, though passed through perilous times, disregard and rejection, waking with the day-after, too-late taste of booze, stale smoke and failure upon them, Tevis's work will endure."
Thomas Newton is 'The Man Who Fell'. His home planet, Anthea, is completely devoid of resources, and he is sent to Earth to lay the groundwork for colonization of the planet. The Antheans are certain that Earth will destroy itself by nuclear war in just a few decades at most. The Antheans hope to emigrate a few key people to take over Earth's economic and political systems to avoid a holocaust. I guess the moral dilemma of the novel is should an alien force have the power to determine the fate of Earth, even if the outcome is positive.
The subtext of the novel demonstrates how an individual deals with alcoholism.
World Enterprises Corp- W.E. Corp
Thomas Jerome Newton
Nathan Bryce- Professor of chemical engineering that suspects that Newton is 'not of this earth'. He becomes a friend and confidant. Newton gives him a million dollars at the end of the novel.
Oliver Farnsworth- Newton's patent lawyer. Played by Buck Henry in the film.
Betty Jo Mosher- The alcoholic hillbilly from Kentucky who becomes Newton's maid/personal assistant. They're drinking partners and she turns him on to gin. She drinks it with three teaspoons of sugar.
Brinnarde- Newton's 'head of security'. This man is a government agent and leads to Newton's downfall.
Monday, August 21, 2017
THE THINGS WE KEEP (Love Never Forgets) by Sally Hipworth
Finished Su 8/20/17 The August 2017 selection for the Contemporary Book Club
(Today is the Great American Eclipse- Mo 21, 2017)
Two parallel stories basically set at Rosalind House, an assisted living facility.
Love story between Luke and Anna Forster. She is only 38 and suffering for early onset Alzheimer's, and he has a condition where he will lose the facility to form words and communicate.
The story of Eve Bennett and her five year old daughter, Clementine. Her husband had been convicted or investment fraud and he committed suicide. Eve is a trained chef and takes a job as cook and cleaner at Rosalind and works there so that Clem can continue in her old elementary school.
Moral Dilemma- Should the lovers be left alone or should they be separated because neither one fully understands or appreciates their actions. Love Prevails.
NOTES-
Clar and Laurie- a southern couple of advanced age
Richard- husband of Eve and father of Clem
Eric- Corrupt manager of Rosalind. At the end of the novel he is replaced for 'cooking the books'.
Jack and Helen- Jack is Anna's twin brother and Helen is his wife. They have three boys and Anna was very close to Ethan. Jack is a lawyer and he has power of attorney over Anna. It was his decision that Anna should be committed.
Fondue Incident- Anna was making a melted cheese treat for Ethan. The pot began to burn, but Anna could not remember the way to the kitchen. Ethan was burned rather severely on the cheek. This made Anna realize that her time of independent living was over.
Aiden- The motorcycle riding ex-husband of Anna. She leaves this man as soon as she realizes that she has Alzheimer's. She felt that she was saving him from heartache, yet maybe not. This dilemma was not really developed, although this split led to the love affair between Anna and Luke.
Angus- The gardener at Rosalind and he becomes Eve's boyfriend. Disturbing to Clem- at first.
Sarah- Luke's sister. She is very much in favor of Anna and Luke's relationship. She believes that her husband is a good guy and had many women friends. He would never dream of taking advantage of a woman regardless of her mental capacity.
May- Turns one hundred; the oldest client at Rosalind
Bert- The old crank with the imaginary wife, Myrna. Bert befriends Clem and she learns to 'bring up' her dead father, but decides that she must 'let him go' and deal with people in the real world. Bert begins to understand this as well.
Gwen- A stocky old woman who has taken a shine to Bert. He rejects her because of his wife, but this relationship probably grows.
FACT-
Positive diagnosis of Alzheimer's can only be made at the autopsy. Anna thinks that this is funny. What if they find out after she has died that she really didn't have the condition.
Depth perception is the first to go in the arch of Alzheimer's.
Enid is Clara's sister and she was originally with Laurie when they were teenagers. Clara feels that after all the decades of marriage, she has 'taken' Enid from Laurie. Clara is diagnosed with terminal breast cancer and wants to reunite the two. Laurie feels that Clara was and is the only love of his life.
The book was a kind of 'light read' and I liked the story. I wish there was more about Luke's mental situation. He is largely ignored.
From the author's page at wikipedia-
"Sally Hepworth is a writer based in Melbourne, Australia. She is the author of three books, most notably The Secrets of Midwives, a novel she published in 2015.[1] Hepworth and her works have been featured in media outlets that have included USA Today, The New York Times, and The Sydney Morning Herald."
"Hepworth worked in both event management and Human Resources prior to her career as a writer. While on maternity leave with her first child, Hepworth wrote Love Like the French, a novel about a British woman who goes to France after an accident leaves her husband in a coma. The character goes to France to see what the French could teach her about living. Hepworth was unable to finish the book immediately after her son Oscar was born, but the book was eventually published in Germany in 2014.
Hepworth released a second book, The Secrets of Midwives, that she wrote while pregnant with her second child. The book was released in 2015 and is a novel about three generations of midwives. Her research for the book came from her own questioning of midwives during check-ups and reading fiction and nonfiction books on the subject. KJ Dell'Antonia from The New York Times called it a "fast and fun read," with other reviews of the book coming by way of Publishers Weekly, The Sydney Morning Herald, and Kirkus Reviews.
Hepworth's third book, The Things We Keep, is scheduled for release in early 2016."
I saw a joke by Jerry Seinfeld about Alzheimer's on Youtube.
Comedian is hired to entertain at an Alzheimer's facility. He tells the same joke, over and over again, and brings down the house. At the end of the show, a man comes up to the comedian and asks, "How do you remember all that"?
(Today is the Great American Eclipse- Mo 21, 2017)
Two parallel stories basically set at Rosalind House, an assisted living facility.
Love story between Luke and Anna Forster. She is only 38 and suffering for early onset Alzheimer's, and he has a condition where he will lose the facility to form words and communicate.
The story of Eve Bennett and her five year old daughter, Clementine. Her husband had been convicted or investment fraud and he committed suicide. Eve is a trained chef and takes a job as cook and cleaner at Rosalind and works there so that Clem can continue in her old elementary school.
Moral Dilemma- Should the lovers be left alone or should they be separated because neither one fully understands or appreciates their actions. Love Prevails.
NOTES-
Clar and Laurie- a southern couple of advanced age
Richard- husband of Eve and father of Clem
Eric- Corrupt manager of Rosalind. At the end of the novel he is replaced for 'cooking the books'.
Jack and Helen- Jack is Anna's twin brother and Helen is his wife. They have three boys and Anna was very close to Ethan. Jack is a lawyer and he has power of attorney over Anna. It was his decision that Anna should be committed.
Fondue Incident- Anna was making a melted cheese treat for Ethan. The pot began to burn, but Anna could not remember the way to the kitchen. Ethan was burned rather severely on the cheek. This made Anna realize that her time of independent living was over.
Aiden- The motorcycle riding ex-husband of Anna. She leaves this man as soon as she realizes that she has Alzheimer's. She felt that she was saving him from heartache, yet maybe not. This dilemma was not really developed, although this split led to the love affair between Anna and Luke.
Angus- The gardener at Rosalind and he becomes Eve's boyfriend. Disturbing to Clem- at first.
Sarah- Luke's sister. She is very much in favor of Anna and Luke's relationship. She believes that her husband is a good guy and had many women friends. He would never dream of taking advantage of a woman regardless of her mental capacity.
May- Turns one hundred; the oldest client at Rosalind
Bert- The old crank with the imaginary wife, Myrna. Bert befriends Clem and she learns to 'bring up' her dead father, but decides that she must 'let him go' and deal with people in the real world. Bert begins to understand this as well.
Gwen- A stocky old woman who has taken a shine to Bert. He rejects her because of his wife, but this relationship probably grows.
FACT-
Positive diagnosis of Alzheimer's can only be made at the autopsy. Anna thinks that this is funny. What if they find out after she has died that she really didn't have the condition.
Depth perception is the first to go in the arch of Alzheimer's.
Enid is Clara's sister and she was originally with Laurie when they were teenagers. Clara feels that after all the decades of marriage, she has 'taken' Enid from Laurie. Clara is diagnosed with terminal breast cancer and wants to reunite the two. Laurie feels that Clara was and is the only love of his life.
The book was a kind of 'light read' and I liked the story. I wish there was more about Luke's mental situation. He is largely ignored.
From the author's page at wikipedia-
"Sally Hepworth is a writer based in Melbourne, Australia. She is the author of three books, most notably The Secrets of Midwives, a novel she published in 2015.[1] Hepworth and her works have been featured in media outlets that have included USA Today, The New York Times, and The Sydney Morning Herald."
"Hepworth worked in both event management and Human Resources prior to her career as a writer. While on maternity leave with her first child, Hepworth wrote Love Like the French, a novel about a British woman who goes to France after an accident leaves her husband in a coma. The character goes to France to see what the French could teach her about living. Hepworth was unable to finish the book immediately after her son Oscar was born, but the book was eventually published in Germany in 2014.
Hepworth released a second book, The Secrets of Midwives, that she wrote while pregnant with her second child. The book was released in 2015 and is a novel about three generations of midwives. Her research for the book came from her own questioning of midwives during check-ups and reading fiction and nonfiction books on the subject. KJ Dell'Antonia from The New York Times called it a "fast and fun read," with other reviews of the book coming by way of Publishers Weekly, The Sydney Morning Herald, and Kirkus Reviews.
Hepworth's third book, The Things We Keep, is scheduled for release in early 2016."
I saw a joke by Jerry Seinfeld about Alzheimer's on Youtube.
Comedian is hired to entertain at an Alzheimer's facility. He tells the same joke, over and over again, and brings down the house. At the end of the show, a man comes up to the comedian and asks, "How do you remember all that"?
Monday, August 14, 2017
DARKNESS TAKE MY HAND by Dennis Lehane
Finished Su 8/13/17 One of my old paperbacks that I bought at the West Branch on Sa 10/23/04 and finished it a few days later.
Several weeks ago I read Lehane's, A DRINK BEFORE THE WAR. In the book's' storyline, that novel happened before 'Darkness Take My Hand'.
What Happened In Darkness-
Patrick Kenzie and his partner, Angela Gennaro are targets and their old neighborhood in Boston becomes a 'killing zone'. A serial killer has been active for over twenty years without detection. A neighborhood watch group formed in 1977 took illegal action against a couple of killers who dressed as clowns. Patrick's evil father burned one of the men (roasted him alive!) while others in the group tortured the two men. This secret is at the heart of the novel.
Gerry Glynn was a local policeman (now owner of The Black Emerald- a 'cop bar') witnessed the killing by the group. He promised not to tell and beneath a sunny disposition Gerry becomes a monster- killing and dismembering for decades, and he has a few very evil helpers.
From the book's page at amazon-
"Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro’s latest client is a prominent Boston psychiatrist, running scared from a vengeful Irish mob. The private investigators know about cold-blooded retribution. Born and bred on the mean streets of blue-collar Dorchester, they’ve seen the darkness that lives in the hearts of the unfortunate.
But an evil for which even they are unprepared is about to strike, as secrets that have long lain dormant erupt, setting off a chain of violent murders that will stain everything – including the truth.
With razor-sharp dialogue and penetrating prose, Darkness, Take My Hand is another superior crime novel from the author of Mystic River; Gone, Baby, Gone; and Shutter Island."
Kevin Hurlihy is a particularly vicious character and although he is not involved in the serial killings, he's a vile enforcer for the Boston Mob. He was once a childhood friend of Patrick and Angela.
And, of course, there's Bubba, Patrick's trenchcoat wearing, arms dealer. Forever loyal, yet as dangerous as a viper.
The title is from a letter that was sent to Patrick. One of the serial killers had gouged out the eyes of his victim. The eyes and this letter were left at Patrick's apartment. The killer admits that he has been to Hell and that 'Darkness has taken his hand'.
Anything by Dennis Lehane is well worth a look- the writing, characters, and plotting are always rewarding and enjoyable.
Several weeks ago I read Lehane's, A DRINK BEFORE THE WAR. In the book's' storyline, that novel happened before 'Darkness Take My Hand'.
What Happened In Darkness-
Patrick Kenzie and his partner, Angela Gennaro are targets and their old neighborhood in Boston becomes a 'killing zone'. A serial killer has been active for over twenty years without detection. A neighborhood watch group formed in 1977 took illegal action against a couple of killers who dressed as clowns. Patrick's evil father burned one of the men (roasted him alive!) while others in the group tortured the two men. This secret is at the heart of the novel.
Gerry Glynn was a local policeman (now owner of The Black Emerald- a 'cop bar') witnessed the killing by the group. He promised not to tell and beneath a sunny disposition Gerry becomes a monster- killing and dismembering for decades, and he has a few very evil helpers.
From the book's page at amazon-
"Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro’s latest client is a prominent Boston psychiatrist, running scared from a vengeful Irish mob. The private investigators know about cold-blooded retribution. Born and bred on the mean streets of blue-collar Dorchester, they’ve seen the darkness that lives in the hearts of the unfortunate.
But an evil for which even they are unprepared is about to strike, as secrets that have long lain dormant erupt, setting off a chain of violent murders that will stain everything – including the truth.
With razor-sharp dialogue and penetrating prose, Darkness, Take My Hand is another superior crime novel from the author of Mystic River; Gone, Baby, Gone; and Shutter Island."
Kevin Hurlihy is a particularly vicious character and although he is not involved in the serial killings, he's a vile enforcer for the Boston Mob. He was once a childhood friend of Patrick and Angela.
And, of course, there's Bubba, Patrick's trenchcoat wearing, arms dealer. Forever loyal, yet as dangerous as a viper.
The title is from a letter that was sent to Patrick. One of the serial killers had gouged out the eyes of his victim. The eyes and this letter were left at Patrick's apartment. The killer admits that he has been to Hell and that 'Darkness has taken his hand'.
Anything by Dennis Lehane is well worth a look- the writing, characters, and plotting are always rewarding and enjoyable.
Friday, August 11, 2017
MAKE ROOM! MAKE ROOM! by Harry Harrison
Finished Mo 8/7/17- an Ebook from the library (Hoopla)
I was surprised to see that this book was still in print. I watched the movie, SOYLENT GREEN, last weekend and learned that it was taken from this novel. I couldn't believe that a paper copy was not available, but it was on Hoopla.
The film's Bonus Features included commentary by the director and he said that the 'cannibalism' was not in the book. I thought that this would be like making a movie of MOBY DICK without the whale.
The book (1966) and the film are radically different and they only share the setting and the two main characters, Andy and Sol.
The book is really an extrapolation of Malthusian Theory and a speech made by Dwight Eisenhower.
"A Malthusian growth model, sometimes called a simple exponential growth model, is essentially exponential growth based on a constant rate. The model is named after Thomas Robert Malthus, who wrote An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798), one of the earliest and most influential books on population."
From a presidential news conference by Dwight D. Eisenhower- December 2, 1959
"This thing has for very great denominations a religious meaning, definite religious tenet in their own doctrine. I have no quarrel with them; as a matter of fact this being largely the Catholic Church, they are one of the groups that I admire and respect. But this has nothing to do with governmental contact with other governments. We do not intend to interfere with the internal affairs of any other government, and if they want to do something about what is admittedly a very difficult question, almost an explosive question, that is their business. If they want to go to someone for help, they will go unquestionably to professional groups, not to governments. This Government has no, and will not as long as I am here have a positive political doctrine in its program that has to do with this problem of birth control. That's not our business."
In the book Sol blames the government for not doing anything about the extreme overpopulation. He attends a violent demonstration in Manhattan and breaks his hip. This leads to his death.
From the book's page at amazon-
"The world is crowded. Far too crowded. Its starving billions live on lentils, soya beans, and —if they’re lucky—the odd starving rat.
In a New York City groaning under the burden of 35 million inhabitants, detective Andy Rusch is engaged in a desperate and lonely hunt for a killer everyone has forgotten. For even in a world such as this, a policeman can find himself utterly alone….
Acclaimed on its original publication in 1966, Make Room! Make Room! was adapted into the 1973 movie Soylent Green."
The book is a straight forward 'A to B' presentation- no twists and no surprises. However, for some reason the Ebook is divided into two sections with thirteen chapters each. When I was in section #1, chapter 3, I mistakenly skipped to section #2, chapter 4. After many more chapters read out of order, I went back and reread. The timeline is actually late spring to winter, and since there's not really any extreme character deviations or unusual plot twists, it was pretty easy to follow.
Another idea from the film that's not in the book is 'furniture'. In the rich people's apartments women were assigned to the rooms and could be used as concubines or prostitutes. The women didn't mind- this was part of the job description. And, the movie hinges on the discovery that 'Soylent Green is people'. The film has to be one of the biggest departures from a written work to the silver screen, although I felt that both the novel and the movie were worth a look.
Edward G. Robinson's last film. He was almost completely deaf while shooting the film.
Charlton Heston and Chuck Connors, two prominent Republicans, together in the same film!
I was surprised to see that this book was still in print. I watched the movie, SOYLENT GREEN, last weekend and learned that it was taken from this novel. I couldn't believe that a paper copy was not available, but it was on Hoopla.
The film's Bonus Features included commentary by the director and he said that the 'cannibalism' was not in the book. I thought that this would be like making a movie of MOBY DICK without the whale.
The book (1966) and the film are radically different and they only share the setting and the two main characters, Andy and Sol.
The book is really an extrapolation of Malthusian Theory and a speech made by Dwight Eisenhower.
"A Malthusian growth model, sometimes called a simple exponential growth model, is essentially exponential growth based on a constant rate. The model is named after Thomas Robert Malthus, who wrote An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798), one of the earliest and most influential books on population."
From a presidential news conference by Dwight D. Eisenhower- December 2, 1959
"This thing has for very great denominations a religious meaning, definite religious tenet in their own doctrine. I have no quarrel with them; as a matter of fact this being largely the Catholic Church, they are one of the groups that I admire and respect. But this has nothing to do with governmental contact with other governments. We do not intend to interfere with the internal affairs of any other government, and if they want to do something about what is admittedly a very difficult question, almost an explosive question, that is their business. If they want to go to someone for help, they will go unquestionably to professional groups, not to governments. This Government has no, and will not as long as I am here have a positive political doctrine in its program that has to do with this problem of birth control. That's not our business."
In the book Sol blames the government for not doing anything about the extreme overpopulation. He attends a violent demonstration in Manhattan and breaks his hip. This leads to his death.
From the book's page at amazon-
"The world is crowded. Far too crowded. Its starving billions live on lentils, soya beans, and —if they’re lucky—the odd starving rat.
In a New York City groaning under the burden of 35 million inhabitants, detective Andy Rusch is engaged in a desperate and lonely hunt for a killer everyone has forgotten. For even in a world such as this, a policeman can find himself utterly alone….
Acclaimed on its original publication in 1966, Make Room! Make Room! was adapted into the 1973 movie Soylent Green."
The book is a straight forward 'A to B' presentation- no twists and no surprises. However, for some reason the Ebook is divided into two sections with thirteen chapters each. When I was in section #1, chapter 3, I mistakenly skipped to section #2, chapter 4. After many more chapters read out of order, I went back and reread. The timeline is actually late spring to winter, and since there's not really any extreme character deviations or unusual plot twists, it was pretty easy to follow.
Another idea from the film that's not in the book is 'furniture'. In the rich people's apartments women were assigned to the rooms and could be used as concubines or prostitutes. The women didn't mind- this was part of the job description. And, the movie hinges on the discovery that 'Soylent Green is people'. The film has to be one of the biggest departures from a written work to the silver screen, although I felt that both the novel and the movie were worth a look.
Edward G. Robinson's last film. He was almost completely deaf while shooting the film.
Charlton Heston and Chuck Connors, two prominent Republicans, together in the same film!
Saturday, August 5, 2017
THE WHISTLER by John Grisham
Finished Fr 8/4/17
I got this from the library on Kindle, and I was surprised that it was available- it's his latest novel.
The title refers to a 'whistle blower'. The plot involves a 'mole' within a corrupt Florida judge's office. (Much later in the book it's revealed that the 'insider' is the judge's court reporter- JoEllen) The judge is working for the 'coastal mafia'/ 'catfish mafia'. The bulk of their loot is skimmed from an Indian casino, but they also own all kinds of businesses- hotels, shopping centers, and other legitimate enterprises. The tribal leaders are in on the scam.
Because of the 'legal' casino, life on the reservation is very good. Each member of the tribe receives $5,000 a month as their cut of the casino's profits. Since state and federal laws don't really apply on the reservation I wonder why more businesses are not on Indian lands. Wouldn't a Walmart or a McDonald's get the same tax breaks and perks as a casino? If this were so, then Indian reservations would not be the rural ghettos that they seem to be. That's one big question that I'd have fro the author.
The novel takes a very straight 'A to B' approach. There are NO surprises or twists- straight from indictment to capture and confinement.
Two officers in the Florida Board On Judicial Conduct are called by a disbarred/ex felon lawyer, Ramsey Mix- Greg Meyers. Meyers is running from the mob and lives on a boat with his girlfriend, Carlitta- no permanent address.
He wants to expose the corruption and he will be compensated under Florida's Whistle Blowing law. I wish this had been more developed. Apparently, if you are a state worker in Florida you are automatically shielded from any retribution if you go public with possible wrongdoings. In the Trump Era the 'leakers' or 'whistleblowers' are anathema.
Lacy Stoltz and Hugo Hatch are the two agents who first go after the judge. The murder of Hugo is perhaps the only unexpected event in the book. They are lured to a deserted area of the reservation to obtain information about the case. Hugo's air-bag and seat belt have been rendered inoperable and Lacy and Hugo vehicle is hit head on by a large pickup truck. Hugo goes through the windshield and is killed. Lacy is badly injured. The killers recover Lacy and Hugo's phones and laptops.
Judge Claudia Mc Dover and her lover, Phyllis Turban, have been taking money from the mob's skimming operation for years. They have condos and houses all over the world, they fly by private jet, and have millions in jewels and expensive art.
From the book's page at Amazon-
"We expect our judges to be honest and wise. Their integrity and impartiality are the bedrock of the entire judicial system. We trust them to ensure fair trials, to protect the rights of all litigants, to punish those who do wrong, and to oversee the orderly and efficient flow of justice.
But what happens when a judge bends the law or takes a bribe? It’s rare, but it happens.
Lacy Stoltz is an investigator for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct. She is a lawyer, not a cop, and it is her job to respond to complaints dealing with judicial misconduct. After nine years with the Board, she knows that most problems are caused by incompetence, not corruption.
But a corruption case eventually crosses her desk. A previously disbarred lawyer is back in business with a new identity. He now goes by the name Greg Myers, and he claims to know of a Florida judge who has stolen more money than all other crooked judges combined. And not just crooked judges in Florida. All judges, from all states, and throughout U.S. history.
What’s the source of the ill-gotten gains? It seems the judge was secretly involved with the construction of a large casino on Native American land. The Coast Mafia financed the casino and is now helping itself to a sizable skim of each month’s cash. The judge is getting a cut and looking the other way. It’s a sweet deal: Everyone is making money.
But now Greg wants to put a stop to it. His only client is a person who knows the truth and wants to blow the whistle and collect millions under Florida law. Greg files a complaint with the Board on Judicial Conduct, and the case is assigned to Lacy Stoltz, who immediately suspects that this one could be dangerous.
Dangerous is one thing. Deadly is something else."
Although I liked the book, it came off as a little flat- especially so soon after reading a Harlan Coben novel. But, everybody likes a Grisham because they're all page turners even though this novel doesn't offer 100% satisfaction.
I got this from the library on Kindle, and I was surprised that it was available- it's his latest novel.
The title refers to a 'whistle blower'. The plot involves a 'mole' within a corrupt Florida judge's office. (Much later in the book it's revealed that the 'insider' is the judge's court reporter- JoEllen) The judge is working for the 'coastal mafia'/ 'catfish mafia'. The bulk of their loot is skimmed from an Indian casino, but they also own all kinds of businesses- hotels, shopping centers, and other legitimate enterprises. The tribal leaders are in on the scam.
Because of the 'legal' casino, life on the reservation is very good. Each member of the tribe receives $5,000 a month as their cut of the casino's profits. Since state and federal laws don't really apply on the reservation I wonder why more businesses are not on Indian lands. Wouldn't a Walmart or a McDonald's get the same tax breaks and perks as a casino? If this were so, then Indian reservations would not be the rural ghettos that they seem to be. That's one big question that I'd have fro the author.
The novel takes a very straight 'A to B' approach. There are NO surprises or twists- straight from indictment to capture and confinement.
Two officers in the Florida Board On Judicial Conduct are called by a disbarred/ex felon lawyer, Ramsey Mix- Greg Meyers. Meyers is running from the mob and lives on a boat with his girlfriend, Carlitta- no permanent address.
He wants to expose the corruption and he will be compensated under Florida's Whistle Blowing law. I wish this had been more developed. Apparently, if you are a state worker in Florida you are automatically shielded from any retribution if you go public with possible wrongdoings. In the Trump Era the 'leakers' or 'whistleblowers' are anathema.
Lacy Stoltz and Hugo Hatch are the two agents who first go after the judge. The murder of Hugo is perhaps the only unexpected event in the book. They are lured to a deserted area of the reservation to obtain information about the case. Hugo's air-bag and seat belt have been rendered inoperable and Lacy and Hugo vehicle is hit head on by a large pickup truck. Hugo goes through the windshield and is killed. Lacy is badly injured. The killers recover Lacy and Hugo's phones and laptops.
Judge Claudia Mc Dover and her lover, Phyllis Turban, have been taking money from the mob's skimming operation for years. They have condos and houses all over the world, they fly by private jet, and have millions in jewels and expensive art.
From the book's page at Amazon-
"We expect our judges to be honest and wise. Their integrity and impartiality are the bedrock of the entire judicial system. We trust them to ensure fair trials, to protect the rights of all litigants, to punish those who do wrong, and to oversee the orderly and efficient flow of justice.
But what happens when a judge bends the law or takes a bribe? It’s rare, but it happens.
Lacy Stoltz is an investigator for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct. She is a lawyer, not a cop, and it is her job to respond to complaints dealing with judicial misconduct. After nine years with the Board, she knows that most problems are caused by incompetence, not corruption.
But a corruption case eventually crosses her desk. A previously disbarred lawyer is back in business with a new identity. He now goes by the name Greg Myers, and he claims to know of a Florida judge who has stolen more money than all other crooked judges combined. And not just crooked judges in Florida. All judges, from all states, and throughout U.S. history.
What’s the source of the ill-gotten gains? It seems the judge was secretly involved with the construction of a large casino on Native American land. The Coast Mafia financed the casino and is now helping itself to a sizable skim of each month’s cash. The judge is getting a cut and looking the other way. It’s a sweet deal: Everyone is making money.
But now Greg wants to put a stop to it. His only client is a person who knows the truth and wants to blow the whistle and collect millions under Florida law. Greg files a complaint with the Board on Judicial Conduct, and the case is assigned to Lacy Stoltz, who immediately suspects that this one could be dangerous.
Dangerous is one thing. Deadly is something else."
Although I liked the book, it came off as a little flat- especially so soon after reading a Harlan Coben novel. But, everybody likes a Grisham because they're all page turners even though this novel doesn't offer 100% satisfaction.
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
PROMISE ME by Harlan Coben
Part of the Myron Bolitar series
Finished Tu 8/1/17 while waiting to see if I would be needed on jury duty. I was not.
The title refers to a conversation that Myron heard between two teenaged girls. They were talking about taking a ride from someone who had been drinking or on drugs. Myron has them promise that if they ever found themselves in that situation, they were to call him, no questions asked.
The novel is basically about two young girls who are missing. Were they kidnapped or did they simply run away? Since they are both eighteen, the law is less than interested, but Myron is close to one of the girl's mother.
The single biggest connection between the two cases is that both girls withdrew money from the same ITM in NYC the night of their disappearance.
The Big Twist (and this was so convoluted, I don't think anyone could possibly guess it)
-Dr. Edna Skylar Did It! In the opening scene of the novel this doctor sees one of the missing girls on a busy NYC street. Dr. Skylar is an OBGYN who has kind of a hobby of facial recognition. She recognizes the girl from 'missing' posters, but the girl tells her that she's OK, and don't tell anyone that she has seen her.
-This girl is pregnant by Dr. Skylar's wayward son. This young man is a failed rock musician who teaches at the girl's school and had an affair with the missing girl. Skylar wants the baby- this is why she orchestrated this dizzy plan.
Twenty pages from the end, the reader is left with the feeling that the girl had actually killed the baby's father, and her parents were involved in a cover-up. But, Myron digs deeper and confronts the real perpetrator. The other missing girl actually did run away. She fell in with a pimp and felt that she loved this man. Both girls were pregnant. In the end, both girls return home.
Recurring Characters from the series-
Win- Myron's friend from college. This man is a trained assassin, yet he is a certified member of the exclusive 'one percent'.
Esperanza- This woman works for Myron in his office. She is an ex-pro wrestler that went under the name, Pocahontas.
Big Cyndi- This is a 300 pound transvestite that wa Esperanza's partner in the ring. She works various jobs for Myron's office.
Myron Bolitar is a basketball star that never really made it. He was a smash hit in high school and college, but he was injured only a few games into his college career. He decided to open an agency that represented sports players. Now the office has grown, and he represents almost anyone who needs his service or anyone rich and famous.
The novel is meant to be slightly funny. It reminds me of Donald Westlake in his funny stuff. Example, DROWNED HOPES.
This is an easy read and I could have read it in just a couple of days, but other books intruded. I bought the book for a buck at this year's library book sale.
Finished Tu 8/1/17 while waiting to see if I would be needed on jury duty. I was not.
The title refers to a conversation that Myron heard between two teenaged girls. They were talking about taking a ride from someone who had been drinking or on drugs. Myron has them promise that if they ever found themselves in that situation, they were to call him, no questions asked.
The novel is basically about two young girls who are missing. Were they kidnapped or did they simply run away? Since they are both eighteen, the law is less than interested, but Myron is close to one of the girl's mother.
The single biggest connection between the two cases is that both girls withdrew money from the same ITM in NYC the night of their disappearance.
The Big Twist (and this was so convoluted, I don't think anyone could possibly guess it)
-Dr. Edna Skylar Did It! In the opening scene of the novel this doctor sees one of the missing girls on a busy NYC street. Dr. Skylar is an OBGYN who has kind of a hobby of facial recognition. She recognizes the girl from 'missing' posters, but the girl tells her that she's OK, and don't tell anyone that she has seen her.
-This girl is pregnant by Dr. Skylar's wayward son. This young man is a failed rock musician who teaches at the girl's school and had an affair with the missing girl. Skylar wants the baby- this is why she orchestrated this dizzy plan.
Twenty pages from the end, the reader is left with the feeling that the girl had actually killed the baby's father, and her parents were involved in a cover-up. But, Myron digs deeper and confronts the real perpetrator. The other missing girl actually did run away. She fell in with a pimp and felt that she loved this man. Both girls were pregnant. In the end, both girls return home.
Recurring Characters from the series-
Win- Myron's friend from college. This man is a trained assassin, yet he is a certified member of the exclusive 'one percent'.
Esperanza- This woman works for Myron in his office. She is an ex-pro wrestler that went under the name, Pocahontas.
Big Cyndi- This is a 300 pound transvestite that wa Esperanza's partner in the ring. She works various jobs for Myron's office.
Myron Bolitar is a basketball star that never really made it. He was a smash hit in high school and college, but he was injured only a few games into his college career. He decided to open an agency that represented sports players. Now the office has grown, and he represents almost anyone who needs his service or anyone rich and famous.
The novel is meant to be slightly funny. It reminds me of Donald Westlake in his funny stuff. Example, DROWNED HOPES.
This is an easy read and I could have read it in just a couple of days, but other books intruded. I bought the book for a buck at this year's library book sale.
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