Khaled Hosseini is best know for his popular book, The Kite Runner, which was made into a film. His latest book is also an enjoyable read, and like the his two other novels, has as its theme the relationships between siblings, children and their parents, and the Afghan community. Hosseini has set up this novel as a series of stories about a group of characters. Each character's story could stand alone as a short story, but as the reader discovers, all the characters and their stories are connected in some way to the very first of the tales. Hosseini has said his title comes from a William Blake poem, "Nurse's Song: Innocence" about the hills echoing with the sound of childrens' voices. Ultimately this is the story of two children and what becomes of them in a time of upheaval in Afghanistan.
The first tale begins with the story of Abdullah a 10 year old boy from an impoverished family and his three year old sister, Pari. It starts with a folk tale a father is telling his children as they journey on foot to Kabul. This rural Afghan family is so poor, when the opportunity arises to "sell" Pari to a wealthy Kabul couple who wish to adopt her, the father sees it as the only way to help the rest of his family survive. From that beginning, the novel continues with the differing pathways through life that Abdullah and Pari take. Abdullah is never sure he will ever see his sister again, and Pari is unaware that she has another family or that she was even adopted. She goes through her life with a vague sense that a piece of her is missing, a puzzle that she works hard to solve. Pari's life is one of affluence, and she is eventually taken to Paris by her adoptive mother, Nila Wahadati who is a poet of some renown. Pari becomes a mathematician and marries and has three children. Abdullah's life is one of poverty and resentment, fleeing with his family from their small village to Pakistan and finally to a hard-working life in California as a kabob house owner. He also marries and has one daughter whom he names Pari.
Other characters who have interesting lives and stories, and who will eventually cross paths with Pari and Abdullah take the reader to Greece, modern Afghanistan, France and the United States. Each character will affect Pari and Abdullah in a different way and move them along to the climax and ending of the novel. While the novel has some unusual coincidences, all is not rosy and there are many moments that reflect the drama and disappointments of real life.
Hosseini has created some wonderful characters in this novel and the reader will find he/she really cares about their fate. There are also a couple of characters who seem to be just fillers and not so interesting. If you enjoyed Hosseini's previous novels, you are sure to enjoy this book as well. He is an excellent story teller.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt (fic)
Donna Tartt's new book has caused quite a sensation and received numerous accolades, comparing her writing and characters to those of Charles Dickens. I get that comparison because of the richness and depth of the depictions. I wanted to like this book more than I did, as I am a fan of Tartt's other books. Having said that, I plowed through this lengthy book with complete interest. My distaste for the main characters is what put me off loving this well written book. I appreciated the fullness of the descriptions of the settings in Manhattan, Las Vegas, and Amsterdam. They were very real. While I appreciated her writing, it seemed the Las Vegas section began to drag. As a reader, I wanted the characters to be nobler and better than they were. But, like real people, that part of their nature was elusive. Tartt did give us one noble character in James Hobart, Hobie, who reminds me the most of a Dickens character.
The story begins in Amsterdam as the main character, Theo Decker is holed up in a bland hotel room, suffering mightily from the consequences of his poor judgement. He takes the reader back 14 years when his nightmare began in the Metropolitan Museum of Art where he and his mother are victims of a shocking terrorist attack. Theo makes it out alive, his mother does not. Tartt is very hard on her main character. Except for a short time living with the Barbours, a wealthy Park Avenue family, his life unravels and spins out of control. Suffering from shock, Theo leaves the museum undetected with some idea of saving a beautiful and priceless painting that was connected with his last memory of his mother. He becomes attached to the the Goldfinch painting which is a real masterwork of Carel Fabritius, a Dutch painter of 1654 who was himself killed in an explosion at a nearby gunpowder factory. One way or another, The Goldfinch remains with Theo throughout the mess that his life will become.
Leaving the Barbours, he is taken away to Las Vegas by his estranged father who is an alcoholic and compulsive gambler. Living in a deserted area on the outskirts of the city, he forms a lifelong friendship with Boris Pavlikovsky, and equally damaged and lost boy. Their love and dependence on each other is so realistically portrayed that you want it to work to their benefit. Although their friendship was ultimately a destructive one, it the the most alive and real of all the relationships in the book. Alas, they are both so damaged that the friendship drags Theo down to depths a young boy should never have to experience. Theo's father and his girlfriend Xandra are so lost and needy themselves, that they add to the misery of Theo's life in the worst way. The reader becomes desperate for Theo to escape this life.
I was happy to see Theo leave the disaster of his Las Vegas life. When he washed up in New York, Hobie was his savior. Unfortunately Theo recognizes, as the reader does, that there is more of his father in him than Hobie can counteract in the following years. The adult Theo does a good job of destroying his own life when Boris again appears to finish the job. As the book neared its climax, I was reading into the wee hours hoping that salvation would come to Theo's messed up existence. I cannot say I enjoyed this book, but I can say, I was engrossed in Theo's story and did not find it improbable. I recommend the book for its excellent writing and realistic characterization and settings. Reader, it is not a feel good book, and parts of it are quite horrifying, yet you will find yourself rooting for Theo and wishing for some happiness in his tragic life.
The story begins in Amsterdam as the main character, Theo Decker is holed up in a bland hotel room, suffering mightily from the consequences of his poor judgement. He takes the reader back 14 years when his nightmare began in the Metropolitan Museum of Art where he and his mother are victims of a shocking terrorist attack. Theo makes it out alive, his mother does not. Tartt is very hard on her main character. Except for a short time living with the Barbours, a wealthy Park Avenue family, his life unravels and spins out of control. Suffering from shock, Theo leaves the museum undetected with some idea of saving a beautiful and priceless painting that was connected with his last memory of his mother. He becomes attached to the the Goldfinch painting which is a real masterwork of Carel Fabritius, a Dutch painter of 1654 who was himself killed in an explosion at a nearby gunpowder factory. One way or another, The Goldfinch remains with Theo throughout the mess that his life will become.
Leaving the Barbours, he is taken away to Las Vegas by his estranged father who is an alcoholic and compulsive gambler. Living in a deserted area on the outskirts of the city, he forms a lifelong friendship with Boris Pavlikovsky, and equally damaged and lost boy. Their love and dependence on each other is so realistically portrayed that you want it to work to their benefit. Although their friendship was ultimately a destructive one, it the the most alive and real of all the relationships in the book. Alas, they are both so damaged that the friendship drags Theo down to depths a young boy should never have to experience. Theo's father and his girlfriend Xandra are so lost and needy themselves, that they add to the misery of Theo's life in the worst way. The reader becomes desperate for Theo to escape this life.
I was happy to see Theo leave the disaster of his Las Vegas life. When he washed up in New York, Hobie was his savior. Unfortunately Theo recognizes, as the reader does, that there is more of his father in him than Hobie can counteract in the following years. The adult Theo does a good job of destroying his own life when Boris again appears to finish the job. As the book neared its climax, I was reading into the wee hours hoping that salvation would come to Theo's messed up existence. I cannot say I enjoyed this book, but I can say, I was engrossed in Theo's story and did not find it improbable. I recommend the book for its excellent writing and realistic characterization and settings. Reader, it is not a feel good book, and parts of it are quite horrifying, yet you will find yourself rooting for Theo and wishing for some happiness in his tragic life.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
BLOOD AND BEAUTY: THE BORGIAS by Sarah Dunant (fic)
Sarah Dunant is one of the best of the historical novel writers. Her speciality is Renaissance Europe. This novel is heavily researched, and she weaves a fascinating story of intrigue, incest, ruthlessness and war around the actual events of 15th and early 16th century Italy. Of course, it is hard to miss holding a reader's interest when writing about the infamous clan of Borgias who bring to the table a wealth of gossip and scandal, enough to keep writers busy for a lifetime. Despite all the stories and tales of the evil that surrounds this family, there is little real provable evidence available to the researcher. But, where there is smoke there is fire, and many novelist and screenwriters have hung their hats on the excesses of the Borgia family.
The Borgias originated in Spain and the partriarch of the family was Roderigo Borgia, the Cardinal of Valencia who at age 61 through wheeling and dealing and back room bribes, became Pope Alexander VI. As soon as he was established on the throne of St. Peter, the turmoil that had dogged Rome throughout medieval times intensified, largely to to his ambition for himself and his progeny. Alexander fathered numerous illegitimate children, the most famous being Lucrezia and Cesare. Through a series of political marriages and alliances, Alexander was able to consolidate and strengthen his rule over most of Italy. However, after his death, Italy once again fell apart into a group of quarrelling city states.
Cesare, the most ruthless of the Borgias, is the villain of the novel. He began his career as a cardinal, appointed by his father. Cesare clearly was not cut out for a career in the church. He was a soldier, and his goal was to conquer and return to the papacy the papal states as well as most of northern Italy. The Borgias had a special hatred and on-going feud with the powerful Sforza family, who ruled the Ducal state of Milan. It is said that Machiavelli patterned his book The Prince on the brutal Cesare Borgia.
Dunant displays sympathy for Lucrezia and it is hard not to agree with her. She is presented as a pawn in the political ambitions of her father and brothers. While there are many unproven rumors about her, there is no actual proof that Lucrezia led the life that was attributed to her. In Dunant's book, she was wed three times, her second husband, Alfonzo of Aragon, being the only one she loved. He was believed to have been slain by Cesare, to free Lucrezia to marry into the powerful D'Este family who ruled Ferrara. Dunant leaves us after the third marriage of Lucrezia and before the death of Alexander. The story will be continued in the next volume she is working on.
If you enjoy historical fiction that is well researched and not corny, this is a good read and will hold your interest and perhaps spur you on to look further into the Borgia family's history.
The Borgias originated in Spain and the partriarch of the family was Roderigo Borgia, the Cardinal of Valencia who at age 61 through wheeling and dealing and back room bribes, became Pope Alexander VI. As soon as he was established on the throne of St. Peter, the turmoil that had dogged Rome throughout medieval times intensified, largely to to his ambition for himself and his progeny. Alexander fathered numerous illegitimate children, the most famous being Lucrezia and Cesare. Through a series of political marriages and alliances, Alexander was able to consolidate and strengthen his rule over most of Italy. However, after his death, Italy once again fell apart into a group of quarrelling city states.
Cesare, the most ruthless of the Borgias, is the villain of the novel. He began his career as a cardinal, appointed by his father. Cesare clearly was not cut out for a career in the church. He was a soldier, and his goal was to conquer and return to the papacy the papal states as well as most of northern Italy. The Borgias had a special hatred and on-going feud with the powerful Sforza family, who ruled the Ducal state of Milan. It is said that Machiavelli patterned his book The Prince on the brutal Cesare Borgia.
Dunant displays sympathy for Lucrezia and it is hard not to agree with her. She is presented as a pawn in the political ambitions of her father and brothers. While there are many unproven rumors about her, there is no actual proof that Lucrezia led the life that was attributed to her. In Dunant's book, she was wed three times, her second husband, Alfonzo of Aragon, being the only one she loved. He was believed to have been slain by Cesare, to free Lucrezia to marry into the powerful D'Este family who ruled Ferrara. Dunant leaves us after the third marriage of Lucrezia and before the death of Alexander. The story will be continued in the next volume she is working on.
If you enjoy historical fiction that is well researched and not corny, this is a good read and will hold your interest and perhaps spur you on to look further into the Borgia family's history.
Monday, December 30, 2013
THE LOWLAND by Jhumpa Lahari (fic)
Jhumpa Lahari is a past Pulitzer Prize winner and The Lowland like many of her novels deals with Indian immigrants adjusting to life in America. Lahari writes beautifully expressive prose. Her descriptions are so complete that the reader is immersed in the settings which play an important part in filling out her characters. She is also perfectly attuned to the joys and sadness in family relationships. This novel moves back and forth in time from the late 1960s to present day, which makes it difficult to write about the plot without giving too much information.
Essentially this is the story of two brothers, Udayan and Subhash who grow up in Calcutta. During their university years, there is a radical movement called Naxalism, inspired by the writings of Mao, that has taken hold of many students who cannot help but see the injustice of the poverty which surrounds them in this overcrowded city. Udayan, the more daring and idealistic brother becomes an active participant in the communist movement, while Subhash the studious and more serious brother continues to focus on his goal of becoming an oceanographer. Lahari does a good job of presenting the dynamics in a traditional Indian family and the breakdown caused by Udayan's terrorist radicalism.
Subhash in pursuit of a doctorate, moves to Rhode Island to complete his studies. While Subhash is away, Udayan, in Calcutta, marries a modern very independent student named Gauri. She is a great disappointment to his parents who believe in arranged marriages.
Having grown up in Rhode Island, I found Lahari's descriptions of the coastline and nearby scenery spot on. I know exactly each area she presents to the reader, the University, the watch tower, the beaches and ports for working fishermen, the small homes and churches along the coast. I felt right at home, just as I imagine her descriptions of Calcutta are equally accurate.
Subhash has a sweet affair, his first, with a local woman whom he meets on the beach. He is devastated when she returns to her husband. Lahari treats this relationship with all the tenderness that is absent in his later relationship with Gauri. Gauri is an interesting character in the beginning of the book, when she is a young student in love with Udayan. She seems real in those moments, but as the story moves on, Gauri seems to lose her humanity and certainly the reader's sympathy. She is portrayed as selfish and cruel, a cardboard figure. When Gauri arrives in Rhode Island, she is carrying Udayan's child. After her daughter's birth, Gauri pursues her own path and eventually abandons both Bela, her daughter, and Subhash who brings up Bela with tender care as his own child. Bela only discovers her real father as a young adult, and the consequences change the direction of her life.
While The Lowland is written with expression and attention to detail, it is not Lahiri's best work. I enjoy her short stories and especially liked The Namesake. This book would have been more enjoyable if the reader could have a clearer understanding of Guari's motives, as much of the plot hinges on her relationship with the other characters in the book.
Essentially this is the story of two brothers, Udayan and Subhash who grow up in Calcutta. During their university years, there is a radical movement called Naxalism, inspired by the writings of Mao, that has taken hold of many students who cannot help but see the injustice of the poverty which surrounds them in this overcrowded city. Udayan, the more daring and idealistic brother becomes an active participant in the communist movement, while Subhash the studious and more serious brother continues to focus on his goal of becoming an oceanographer. Lahari does a good job of presenting the dynamics in a traditional Indian family and the breakdown caused by Udayan's terrorist radicalism.
Subhash in pursuit of a doctorate, moves to Rhode Island to complete his studies. While Subhash is away, Udayan, in Calcutta, marries a modern very independent student named Gauri. She is a great disappointment to his parents who believe in arranged marriages.
Having grown up in Rhode Island, I found Lahari's descriptions of the coastline and nearby scenery spot on. I know exactly each area she presents to the reader, the University, the watch tower, the beaches and ports for working fishermen, the small homes and churches along the coast. I felt right at home, just as I imagine her descriptions of Calcutta are equally accurate.
Subhash has a sweet affair, his first, with a local woman whom he meets on the beach. He is devastated when she returns to her husband. Lahari treats this relationship with all the tenderness that is absent in his later relationship with Gauri. Gauri is an interesting character in the beginning of the book, when she is a young student in love with Udayan. She seems real in those moments, but as the story moves on, Gauri seems to lose her humanity and certainly the reader's sympathy. She is portrayed as selfish and cruel, a cardboard figure. When Gauri arrives in Rhode Island, she is carrying Udayan's child. After her daughter's birth, Gauri pursues her own path and eventually abandons both Bela, her daughter, and Subhash who brings up Bela with tender care as his own child. Bela only discovers her real father as a young adult, and the consequences change the direction of her life.
While The Lowland is written with expression and attention to detail, it is not Lahiri's best work. I enjoy her short stories and especially liked The Namesake. This book would have been more enjoyable if the reader could have a clearer understanding of Guari's motives, as much of the plot hinges on her relationship with the other characters in the book.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
COURTESANS by Katie Hickman (non-fic)
This is another find from the remainders table of the local bookstore. It tells the story of five women spanning the years from the 18th trough the 20th century. These women were all very different personalities with differing reasons for falling into the life of being kept by rich men, but all needed money. All lived before the era when females could be self-sufficient. One of the few ways open for them to retain some independence was the world of the demi-monde. None of these women were common prostitutes. Each was unique enough to attract the notice of rich and powerful men. These men were themselves locked in loveless arranged marriages. The book is an interesting look into Georgian, Regency and Victorian society. In the early days of the demi-monde, these women achieved a cult status of popularity that would rival pop stars and actresses of today. They were shown off as arm candy by their gentlemen lovers. Their names were universally recognized, and people fought for a sight of these glittering and richly clad creatures. By Victorian times, their status had changed, and they lived a more secret life, hidden away, often masquerading as married or widowed women.
The most interesting life of the five belonged to Elizabeth Armistead (1750-1842). She began her career as a courtesan in her youth. She was intelligent and dignified. Eventually she caught the eye of Charles James Fox the brilliant politician in the court of George III. They fell truly in love, had a great romance and ended their life married, very happily as all accounts would have it. She was greatly loved by the aristocratic members of the Fox family and honored by their descendants. The book is an interesting study of social mores and attitudes spanning the years of these women's lives.
The most interesting life of the five belonged to Elizabeth Armistead (1750-1842). She began her career as a courtesan in her youth. She was intelligent and dignified. Eventually she caught the eye of Charles James Fox the brilliant politician in the court of George III. They fell truly in love, had a great romance and ended their life married, very happily as all accounts would have it. She was greatly loved by the aristocratic members of the Fox family and honored by their descendants. The book is an interesting study of social mores and attitudes spanning the years of these women's lives.
THE PATRIARCH by David Nasaw (non-fic)
The sub-title of this biography is The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy, an apt title as Joe Kennedy did indeed live through turbulent times which affected both his country and his personal life. The story of the Kennedy family and the hubris of its patriarch is well known; yet none of the family is as fascinating as Joseph Kennedy. Shakespeare could have written a great tragedy based on his life. David Nasaw, who has written an excellent biography of Randolph Hearst ( a great friend of Kennedy through the war years), has again written a masterful study of a complex and puzzling man. Nasaw's hefty book covers every aspect of Kennedy's life in an objective manner,
the good, the bad and the ugly. Joe Kennedy is no easy study, but he left his mark on the family and country and there is plenty of material from which to draw.
Joe Kennedy was born in East Boston in 1888, the grandson of Irish immigrants. The ward politics in the Irish ghetto, as well as the prejudice of Boston Yankees against the Irish, shaped Kennedy's future and his overriding ambition. His determination to defeat all odds helped make him a man of many contradictions. He made his money as a banker, an entrepreneur, a Wall Street mogul, and a Hollywood producer. Her was a womanizer, yet a loving father and family man who taught his children the value of family ties and loyalty. He amassed a huge fortune that allowed him to realize the ambitions he bred in his sons and daughters. Kennedy was a life-long Democrat, yet a conservative business tycoon. In present day, he would no doubt be a Republican. Kennedy made huge profits (contrary to rumor, he was not a bootlegger) by investing in property and turning it over quickly. Much of his business dealings and insider trading would be illegal today.
Joe Kennedy was a micro-manager in every aspect of his life. He was a strict father, yet his children were independent thinkers, all far more liberal than their father, and they weren't afraid to disagree with him, sometimes incurring his wrath. Kennedy had a fierce temper and a short fuse, he was a bit of a blow-hard, yet had an easy way with people and a great sense of humor. He was a manipulator of others, but was never to get his way with Franklin Roosevelt. His love/hate relationship with the President was one of mutual respect and dislike.
Kennedy was a disaster as Ambassador to England in the years leading up to World War II. He hated Churchill and admired Neville Chamberlain, and later, Anthony Eden. Kennedy was an isolationist, and his misreading of Hitler was puzzling. He did a lot of damage to America's image in Europe until he was recalled by Roosevelt. By that time no one in the State Department was listening to anything he said. Most of the State Department business was conducted of his head. His opinions were studiously ignored on almost every issue. As an intelligent man, one wonders how he could have been so wrong in his analysis of events leading up to the war.
Besides his years as ambassador, the most interesting parts of the book are those describing his relationship with his family. His love of his children is clear, but his relationship with his wife Rose, remains cloudy. We know she was a devout Catholic and enjoyed all the privileges that money brings, but after all, Rose and Joe did not spend much time together until after his stroke. As is well known, the drama and tragedy of the final years of his life would fill a book of its own. He outlived four of his nine children. He died in 1969, heartbroken and bereft despite his material comfort and great wealth.
The Patriarch is an outstanding biography that I heartily recommend to those interested not only in the history of the rich era Joseph Kennedy's life encompassed, but also to those interested in the tragedy of human relationships and family dynamics. There is a wealth of material for book clubs to discuss and ponder over.
the good, the bad and the ugly. Joe Kennedy is no easy study, but he left his mark on the family and country and there is plenty of material from which to draw.
Joe Kennedy was born in East Boston in 1888, the grandson of Irish immigrants. The ward politics in the Irish ghetto, as well as the prejudice of Boston Yankees against the Irish, shaped Kennedy's future and his overriding ambition. His determination to defeat all odds helped make him a man of many contradictions. He made his money as a banker, an entrepreneur, a Wall Street mogul, and a Hollywood producer. Her was a womanizer, yet a loving father and family man who taught his children the value of family ties and loyalty. He amassed a huge fortune that allowed him to realize the ambitions he bred in his sons and daughters. Kennedy was a life-long Democrat, yet a conservative business tycoon. In present day, he would no doubt be a Republican. Kennedy made huge profits (contrary to rumor, he was not a bootlegger) by investing in property and turning it over quickly. Much of his business dealings and insider trading would be illegal today.
Joe Kennedy was a micro-manager in every aspect of his life. He was a strict father, yet his children were independent thinkers, all far more liberal than their father, and they weren't afraid to disagree with him, sometimes incurring his wrath. Kennedy had a fierce temper and a short fuse, he was a bit of a blow-hard, yet had an easy way with people and a great sense of humor. He was a manipulator of others, but was never to get his way with Franklin Roosevelt. His love/hate relationship with the President was one of mutual respect and dislike.
Kennedy was a disaster as Ambassador to England in the years leading up to World War II. He hated Churchill and admired Neville Chamberlain, and later, Anthony Eden. Kennedy was an isolationist, and his misreading of Hitler was puzzling. He did a lot of damage to America's image in Europe until he was recalled by Roosevelt. By that time no one in the State Department was listening to anything he said. Most of the State Department business was conducted of his head. His opinions were studiously ignored on almost every issue. As an intelligent man, one wonders how he could have been so wrong in his analysis of events leading up to the war.
Besides his years as ambassador, the most interesting parts of the book are those describing his relationship with his family. His love of his children is clear, but his relationship with his wife Rose, remains cloudy. We know she was a devout Catholic and enjoyed all the privileges that money brings, but after all, Rose and Joe did not spend much time together until after his stroke. As is well known, the drama and tragedy of the final years of his life would fill a book of its own. He outlived four of his nine children. He died in 1969, heartbroken and bereft despite his material comfort and great wealth.
The Patriarch is an outstanding biography that I heartily recommend to those interested not only in the history of the rich era Joseph Kennedy's life encompassed, but also to those interested in the tragedy of human relationships and family dynamics. There is a wealth of material for book clubs to discuss and ponder over.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
DREAM WHEN YOU'RE FEELING BLUE by Elizabeth Berg (fic)
This is a sweet little book for light reading. It is not chic fic, but it is one that will appeal to women rather then men. The story takes place in Chicago during WWII. The main characters are three sisters, Kitty, Louise and Tish Heaney, members of a large Irish family. Of course they have boyfriends who go overseas to fight and the story centers around family relationships and the girls relationships with these men. Elizabeth Berg excels in her depiction of the war era. She manages to allow the reader to enter that era, take a look around and even recognize the products and icons of the times. She presents a very accurate picture of growing up in the 40s, and if the reader was alive then or had parents who were, they will find themselves in familiar territory. This is the time when meat was rationed, and people made do with mock casseroles, scraps were saved, people walked or took the bus and danced to the music of Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey. Women began to enter the workforce and to wear slacks, and no plastic was in sight.
Naturally the sisters are beautiful, and the story is a bit too pat, but it is nice read for a snowy afternoon and a nostalgic trip to a bygone era.
Naturally the sisters are beautiful, and the story is a bit too pat, but it is nice read for a snowy afternoon and a nostalgic trip to a bygone era.
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