**spoiler alert** “sometimes people just ain’t what they seem, you dream them up for yourself, then – shit, I don’t care.”
“He carried a note in his po**spoiler alert** “sometimes people just ain’t what they seem, you dream them up for yourself, then – shit, I don’t care.”
“He carried a note in his pocket that read, in Spanish: ‘If you want to be happy for an hour, get drunk; if you want to be happy for a day, kill a pig; if you want to be happy for a week, get married; if you want to be happy for a lifetime, go fishing.’”
Colum McCann’s debut novel started out strong for me but began to lose my interest about half way through. It is essentially a story about a young man, Conor, returning to his boyhood home in Ireland after wandering the world looking for his mother. He returns to find his father is barely existing, finding peace by fishing a contaminated river outside his filthy house. The story flashes back to the old man’s youth in Ireland, his participation in the Spanish civil war, his obsession with photography, which becomes his meager career, and his travels (wanderings) to Mexico where he meets his wife in a small remote village. They travel together through the US and she becomes pregnant with the son, Conor. The family barely survives on the little money the man makes from his photographs so the old man decides to take the family back to his home in Ireland. Conor spends a reasonably joyful few years of his childhood in this home, unaware of the discontent of his mother, her yearning to return to the sun of Mexico, and the poverty in which they exist. The old man uses their meager funds to build a darkroom despite his promise to his wife that they would return to her homeland. Their relationship becomes strained as the old man continues to put his own needs before his family. The critical break comes when the old man, who has taken nude photos of his wife over the years, creates a book of her photos which he distributes throughout the town. She, of course, is ostracized as a result; mocked, jeered at, and made to feel exposed and threatened by the community. Young Conor finds the book and soon after, his mother leaves the family without a word. Conor also leaves the old man sometime in his youth.
The story bounces back and forth from present day, where Conor is visiting his father, trying to understand who he is, perhaps trying to forgive him, and trying to come to terms that he will never see his mother again, to the past, where we are the outside observers of the old man, his relationship with Conor’s mother, and his rather selfish actions.
I never felt attached to these characters as the author never lets you inside their thoughts. You feel as if you are watching a movie and the story isn’t that interesting. I think if the author had let the reader into the mind of even one of the characters it would have strengthened the story for me. As it was, I just didn’t really care. This fell so flat compared to what I consider is his masterpiece, Apeirogon, that if this had been the first work I’d read of his, I probably wouldn’t continue with others. But I know what he is capable of so I will continue to read his books....more
I found this novel to be gripping, fascinating and easily readable. I learned a lot about the Indian caste system, neurofibromatosis, How do I begin?
I found this novel to be gripping, fascinating and easily readable. I learned a lot about the Indian caste system, neurofibromatosis, leprosy and many other medical conditions and practices, the people and place of Kerala in southwestern India, and religious traditions of the St Thomas Christians of Kerala. My biggest annoyance was that there were so many Christian references, I began to feel as if the author was preaching through the story. When I looked deeper, I realized that he was just portraying these people as representative of real people who lived there.
This is a family saga, spanning over 70 years from 1900-1977, and 3 generations. Most of the story takes place in Kerala, a lush and verdant state in the southwestern tip of India, where Hinduism is now practiced by 55% of the population of 34 million people and Hindi is taught is schools (although English is the first language). Many of the population call themselves “St Thomas Christians” as a result of their claim of having the apostle Thomas travel there through well-established trade routes in 80 AD and converting high-caste Brahmins to Christianity. Much of this novel portrays the characters through this deeply Christian tradition and biblical verses and prayers are frequent throughout.
“Marx said that religion was the opium of the masses. It kept the oppressed from complaining or trying to change things. Arikkad also said the church didn’t have to be the way it is here. He said there were Jesuits in Colombia and Brazil who lived and worked with tribals, doing just as Christ taught. When the peasants began an insurgency against a government that oppressed them, these priests couldn’t help but be in solidarity with them. They joined the rebels. They disobeyed their church. One of the Jesuits had written about his cause. He called it ‘liberation theology.’”
Medical practices are also central to this story, especially the conditions of neurofibromatosis and leprosy. After doing some research I found that a cure for leprosy was finally found in 1941 in Louisiana. Now only 100 people contract leprosy per year in the US but it is still a more common disease in Africa and parts of Asia. There is a vaccine now but generally about 95% of the population is naturally immune from the disease. It is caused by contact, usually through coughing and sneezing, with a bacteria. Health workers rarely contract it. When you read about the experience of those who had leprosy, which, as most of us know, has been around since biblical times, you will learn that the disease itself is devastating, but was even worse was the social seclusion and ostracism that was a byproduct of the disease. Verghese describes this well in the last chapters of the book.
“These two have died to their loved ones and to society, and that wound is greater than the collapsing nose, the hideous face, or the loss of fingers. Leprosy deadens the nerves and is therefore painless; the real wound of leprosy, and the only pain they feel, is that of exile.”
The story also revolves around the love between characters; lovers, parents, grandparents and children, and friends.
“Love, she thinks, isn’t ownership, but a sense that where her body once ended, it begins anew in him, extending her reach, her confidence, and her strength. As with anything so rare and precious, it comes with a new anxiety: the fear of losing him, the fear of that heartbeat ceasing. That would mean the end of her.”
There are twists and turns as the relationships unfold and the end of the book contains a surprising series of events that were not obvious to this reader. I think the end of the book was well-done.
Although the writing was often simple and uncomplicated, Verghese has a way of putting paragraphs together that feel like awakenings.
Caste also plays a big part in the story as those who are of a lower caste, although often beloved to those they serve, are never able to rise above.
“The pulayar are the lowest caste in Travancore, rarely owning their own property, even their huts belonging to the landlord; the sight of them is enough to pollute a Brahmin, who then must take a ritual bath.”
““Can you imagine my brother sleeping under the same roof as his pulayar? Eating with them? All barriers of caste vanish when you enter hell, is it not? Only the saints kept them alive.”
“The ‘kind’ slave owners in India, or anywhere, were always the ones who had the greatest difficulty seeing the injustice of slavery. Their kindness, their generosity compared to cruel slave owners, made them blind to the unfairness of a system of slavery that they created, they maintained, and that favored them. It’s like the British bragging about the railways, the colleges, the hospitals they left us—their ‘kindness’! As though that justified robbing us of the right to self-rule for two centuries! As though we should thank them for what they stole! Would Britain or Holland or Spain or Portugal or France be what they are now without what they earned by enslaving others? During the war, the British loved telling us how well they treated us compared to how the Japanese would treat us if they invaded. But should any nation rule over another nation? Such things only happen when one group thinks the other is inferior by birth, by skin color, by history. Inferior, and therefore deserving less. My father was no slave. He was beloved here. But he was never your equal so he wasn’t rewarded as one.”
Sometimes the writing is beautiful and succinct…
“Listening is talking for him; there’s an eloquence to this kind of attentiveness; it’s rare, and yet he’s generous with it. He alone amongst all the people she knows uses his two ears and one mouth in that exact proportion.”
“It’s fiction! Fiction is the great lie that tells the truth about how the world lives!”
“To see the miraculous in the ordinary is a more precious gift than prophecy.”
“The antidote to shame is indignation, righteous anger.”
“When you are robbed, you quickly become politically conscious. You have nothing to lose but your chains. That’s Marx, by the way, not me.”
“You can confide in quiet people. They make way for one’s thoughts.”
“The only thing you can be sure of in this world is the woman who gave birth to you,”
Sometimes, funny…
“The chemachen who comes calling for a subscription one morning is no more than a boy, the growth on his upper lip so sparse that each hair could be named after an apostle.”
The novel also touches on the 200 year British occupation of India.
I enjoyed reading this long (736 pg) book as much as I enjoyed his previous novel, Cutting For Stone, which takes place in an entirely different setting. If you have an interest in caste systems, stories that take place in India, family sagas, and medical conditions and practices, this book may interest you....more
To begin with, this is a very difficult book to review. Most of all, I think it was the author’s ability to create such minute details in the lives ofTo begin with, this is a very difficult book to review. Most of all, I think it was the author’s ability to create such minute details in the lives of his characters and to make every word matter that made me love this book. Normally I like the plot to move along but this book kind of makes you feel like you’ve slowed down and are living in the shadows of these characters daily lives- and they are fascinating. It is told in the first person so we are privy to Ferguson’s innermost thoughts. I was continuously reminded of Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America as I listened to this. There are lots of similarities- time, place, and character- as well as the style of writing.
I listened to this 37 hour book while preparing our sailboat’s hull for fresh bottom paint. I also listened to Auster read me to sleep in the middle of the night. Great reader- loved his voice and cadence. Wonderful book- possibly harder to really catch all the nuances via audiobook because of the nature of the construction of the plot, but still, a treasure I will listen to again.
The book is told as 4 different versions of one man’s life from early childhood to his early twenties. Each chapter of the book updates the life experience of each version of the main character, Ferguson. When the chapter heading says “2.1“ that means it is the second chapter and the first version of the character. Heading “7.4” means it is the 7th chapter and the 4th version of the character. Every chapter continues the trajectory of each of the four versions of Ferguson. Each version depends on the actions, and personalities of Ferguson and of the other characters in the story. Different actions and different choices create different pathways for the main character and others around him. Other main characters who have influence are Ferguson’s mother, father, grandfather and friends.
The book brings to life the experiences of a non-practicing Jewish family living in Newark, NJ in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Late in the 1960’s Ferguson also lives in Paris, London and New York City.
Much is said about the politics, art, literature, and social issues of the times. Ferguson is an aspiring writer who attends Columbia University and so there are a lot of extensive references to classic literature, music, art, and philosophy. The novel definitely has a progressive (liberal) bent to it. I learned a lot about history that I was not aware of.
One thing I didn’t care for was the ending. I was so excited (and sad) to reach it that I held out high hopes but it just didn’t end well for me. That didn’t matter as the best part of the book was every part of it all the way through (I wasn’t a fan of the clips of Ferguson’s writing I must say). I enjoyed the different versions of Ferguson but I did like one over the rest.
I didn’t want the book to end. I want to read about Ferguson’s life until he died… so much more to cover. ...more
Once again I find myself in the minority with a 2/5 star rating for this book, but I am interested in others who might have felt the same. It came so Once again I find myself in the minority with a 2/5 star rating for this book, but I am interested in others who might have felt the same. It came so well-regarded by so many that I thought it would be a sure thing. I need to trust my gut though, because I usually can tell early on that I’m not going to like a book so I know not to continue.
I listened to this audiobook over the course of a few weeks with a gap in the middle and that may have contributed to my overall “meh” experience with it. Although I do have a gay family member, and I was really looking forward to reading more about the early AIDS years so that I could learn about it, I just really had a hard time connecting with any of the characters or feeling emotionally toward the subject matter. I really did not like the jumping back and forth in time constantly and didn’t ever see how it served the story. There were so many characters and the chapters were long, so when the book jumped in time, I had to remember all about the characters (many of whom were different in each time period) all over again. The readers voice was flat and atonal and that may have contributed to my disconnection. The dialogue wasn’t written well IMO with so much “he said, she said” that it made it monotonous. The book ends with a dream sequence that is overlong and boring. Actually I think the whole book was too long. By about half was, I was over it. ...more
I truly enjoyed this nonfiction story of Henry Ford and the creation of his utopian city, Fordlandia, built along the Amazon in the 1920’s for the solI truly enjoyed this nonfiction story of Henry Ford and the creation of his utopian city, Fordlandia, built along the Amazon in the 1920’s for the sole purpose of growing rubber trees and harvesting the latex from them for tires. He actually abandoned the first location after having an entire city built and had a second city built further upstream when the administrators he assigned to create the place determined that the first location wasn’t suitable. This is an ongoing theme of this book- that Ford demanded certain things that were not researched or investigated first, and then they turned out to be colossal failures. And that the Amazon and it’s indigenous people would not be tamed by a capitalistic icon.
Lots of fascinating information about Henry Ford, Edsel, and Ford’s friendships with Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Lindbergh and others are included complete with extensive source work and direct quotes.
Ford was such a man of opposing views and actions.
On the one hand he was the first to offer a $5/day wage for all of his workers along with healthcare benefits, which was substantially more than anyone else was paying, he extolled the value of fresh family gardens and morally acceptable extracurricular activities, education, and healthy living, while vocally promoting pacifism, a distrust of government involvement in business, and contributing to the greater good through his concerns over workers’ well being.
However, on the other hand, he verbally and publicly abused and shamed his only son, Edsel, blocking many of Edsel’s attempts to improve the company (like by having an accounting department), he knowingly employed in a leadership role, a horrible man who treated the employees with threats, intimidation, and brutality to the point of death for some of them. He also was a known anti-Semite and put demands on his employees in the Amazon that caused an uprising and a riot that burned most of the town down. His factories were used to make weapons of war for WWII, even though he was a professed pacifist.
He created and built Greenfield Village, because his own innovations were creating Detroit’s expansion to the extent that rural farmland was being eaten up and his own childhood home had to be moved.
He was a huge proponent of finding uses for soybeans because he felt farmers needed a crop they could profit from. Ironically, soybean production is now one of the most damaging industries to the Amazon Rainforest.
He was hands off in the development of Fordlandia and sent his leaders down there to create and manage it- without proper preparation- and although they created a self-sufficient city , complete with a state of the art hospital, movie theaters, shops, lumber mill, and homes for all the employees, the project was fraught with problems from the start. Over the 20 or so years it was operational, they never produced enough rubber to make a profit and in fact, he lost millions on it. He never set foot on the property either. To this day, (or at least the publication of this book- 2008) people live in the second city he created and the remains of Fordlandia exist.
This was a well written, intriguing book that makes me want to read more about Henry Ford. I agree with the critics that the author often repeated himself and the way he laid out the book was sometimes hard to follow. Still, I really enjoyed reading it and would highly recommend it.
A fun, fast paced, easy read. My kind of “beach read”. It’s about what your parents may think, cooking, boutique hotels, and romance. Takes place in uA fun, fast paced, easy read. My kind of “beach read”. It’s about what your parents may think, cooking, boutique hotels, and romance. Takes place in up state New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont in the 60’s and 70’s. This book roped me in and kept my attention throughout. Definitely a fictional tale but not so outrageous as to send me packing (i can’t stand books that don’t have at least a modicum of realism to them). I read it in a few hours....more
What is the measure of an incredible book for you? Is it that when you are finished with it, all you want to do is return to the beginning and begin What is the measure of an incredible book for you? Is it that when you are finished with it, all you want to do is return to the beginning and begin again? That is how I feel about this book, The Lacuna, written and read by Barbara Kingsolver.
I have tried several times to read this book as I adore Barbara Kingsolver, but I could not get into it. I think I misunderstood what it was about. This time, having begun the audiobook, I was mesmerized from the start.
It begins as the tale of a young boy, as he makes his way through his childhood, straddling two countries, and tossed between two parents. Rich descriptions of Mexico, the challenges of being a child of a precocious mother, and the wonder of humans who come to one's aid are some of the glories of the beginning. As he makes his way into manhood, he finds solace in fellow laborers along with the way and in the communist sympathizers who have become his employers and friends; Frieda Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Lev Trotsky. His relationship with them is complicated. He travels to America in service of Kahlo by delivering some of her paintings across the country during WWII. He becomes an employee of the government, serving as a transporter of art for a few years, and then later settling in his father's house in Ashville, North Carolina where he begins to write novels.
Throughout this book, a hidden character begins to emerge- VB- and she presents herself here in Asheville. Her importance isn't truly understood until the very end and that is one of the things that makes this book so captivating. Her voice is also incredibly unique.
The history and politics of the times, from the 1920s through the 1950s is craftily shared through amazing dialogue as Kingsolver is so adept at creating. This history, I found, was so apropos for the events of the recent days and I was comforted by her voice as she read to me. I'm leaving out so much of the plot and the richness of this book because, as a wonderful meal, it is best experienced in the slow savoring of every bite.
This will go down as one of my all-time favorite books, made better through the audio of Barbara's wonderful voice- the best way to enjoy her books in my opinion....more
I listened to this audiobook and was thankful I did. The woman who read this was incredibly talented, using various voices for the many characters andI listened to this audiobook and was thankful I did. The woman who read this was incredibly talented, using various voices for the many characters and reading the dialect with what I imagine is perfect intonation and inflection. I felt as if I’d been carried away to Nigeria.
The story is about 14 year old Adunni , a girl living in poverty in a small village in present day Nigeria, who wants nothing more than to have a loading voice, an education, and to become a teacher. After her strong and loving mother dies an untimely death, her papa sells her into marriage to a man with several wives who wants her to bear him a son. Throughout the story she meets a few women and men who teach her strength and treat her with kindness. She manages to find the courage to escape her situation and is sold again into servanthood to a wealthy blank woman living in Lagos. This woman beats her, starves her, and treats her as less than human, perhaps because she is so bitter about the way her husband treats her. She fears being raped by the husband and fends him off, at the same time trying to give voice to a previous slave in the home, named Rebecca , who went missing before she arrived. Eventually Adunni is able, again, through the kindness of others, especially a neighborhood woman named Tia, and her own loading voice, to escape her situation and earn a scholarship for an education.
It’s a story of hope, resilience, and connection. A story of how, when you speak out, even in fear, you can be heard, and that with courage you can use your voice to help others as well. So very well written! ...more
Stunning. Breathtaking. This book grabs you from the very first page and will not let you go. There were so many times when I had to stop the audiobooStunning. Breathtaking. This book grabs you from the very first page and will not let you go. There were so many times when I had to stop the audiobook just to cherish the way the author had sculpted a sentence. The prose is simple. Yet, now that I realize the author is an artist, I can see why the book felt like it was literally crafted. Just beautiful. The story is heart wrenching, the characters unveil themselves piece by piece and you become a part of their lives. I don’t want to give away anything but I will say that this book takes place in Nigeria. It’s about deep love. And it involves characters who struggle with their identities, their place in society and their culture and community. An absolute treasure. I will buy this book and read it again and again. The audiobook was excellent. For those who are queasy about sex scenes, although these are written beautifully, you may want to pass....more
Bought this ebook for $2 on Amazon. Not a bad purchase and not a bad way to end 2020. This was a highly rated book on Goodreads although I found it toBought this ebook for $2 on Amazon. Not a bad purchase and not a bad way to end 2020. This was a highly rated book on Goodreads although I found it to be a fast read but also very predictable. A feel good, lifelong, religious filled fictional relationship saga that felt kind of sappy to me but again, not a complete waste of a couple of days. I probably won’t read it again or recommend it. ...more
Roth’s prose is unique in that it grips you from the beginning and never lets you go. He carries you through a period in the lives of his characters wRoth’s prose is unique in that it grips you from the beginning and never lets you go. He carries you through a period in the lives of his characters while also illuminating a significant period in history. He makes profound statements about the human race and political issues without being preachy. His characters develop as the plot unfolds; no drawn out descriptions or wasted time. Dialogue is authentic and moves the story forward. His writing style is rich without being obtuse. I just love every book of his that I’ve read. This is my fifth.
This story gives you insight into a small Baptist college campus in Winesburg, Ohio in the midst of the Korean War, a family coming apart despite their greatest efforts, a beautiful and vibrant young woman at the mercy of her past, and a young Jewish man, whose sole desire is to do the right thing, who is torn by decisions of conscience made in the pursuit of justice and happiness. So much to relate to, to learn from, to empathize with. Beautifully written!...more
A novel that is so compellingly written that it’s difficult to identify truth from fiction… my favorite kind of book. Told through the voice of 10 yeaA novel that is so compellingly written that it’s difficult to identify truth from fiction… my favorite kind of book. Told through the voice of 10 year old Philip Roth (the author swears it’s not autobiographical), during the period 1940-1942, this is the struggle of a Jewish community, particularly the Roth family, as they face the fascist threat of Hitler and then the rise of Charles Lindbergh, a Hitler sympathizer and antisemite, to the role of President. I listened to this audiobook, read so perfectly by Ron Silver, with his New Jersey accent, and so eloquently articulated, that this is my favorite way enjoy this book. A treasure. Honestly this is a difficult book to read because it feels so potentially real, so possible, and so awful that it creates great empathy when I read it. I really connect to the characters, I absolutely love the verbosity of text and dialogue, but also that the plot moves along so quickly. It’s just a perfect book in my opinion, except for one minor detail… it ends abruptly and not satisfactorily....more
Really, as I find all of Bryson’s non-fiction, (non-travel) books, this was wonderful. Delightfully engaging at every turn with lots of intLoved it!!!
Really, as I find all of Bryson’s non-fiction, (non-travel) books, this was wonderful. Delightfully engaging at every turn with lots of interesting and accessible knowledge and quirky historical information presented in such a clearly organized way as to make the reader feel awe at the task of it. He writes with a distinct voice too, that I enjoy; at times snooty but also richly developed and humorous- there is always a grin lurking around the next paragraph.
The book is organized into functions of the body, each chapter quite individual unto itself and although I read it front to back, I suppose if death or cancer were of primary interest, you could certainly begin with those last chapters and then work your way back through the book as you choose.
I always feel somehow wiser after I read his books and immediately want to reread when I’m finished to capture all that I missed but this time I cleverly underlined all the important parts so that I could easily go back and reference them. Alas as I look back, I find I’ve nearly underlined the entire book!
I did not wait the several months for my turn at the library audiobook on this one - just bought the hardcover instead as I knew I would love it as I have his many others (At Home, One Summer America 1927, A Short History of Nearly Everything, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid) but if you have the chance to listen to his audiobooks, please don’t hesitate- it is a treat!! He is one of my favorite readers.
So bravo Mr. Bryson, once again! I loved it, even if some of the “facts” were only supported by “one source, or one recent account, or one study...”. I just took that info with a grain of salt. Not a textbook but rather a wonderful, entertaining and educational experience!...more
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