Sixth Review: Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis

A) Clearly I forgot to publish this back in September, like I said I would. B) It had actually been a year and a half since I read the book when I finally finished the review last month. In any case, here ya go.

It's been months since I read this book (I finished it in March), so, unfortunately, I expect this review will suffer a bit in quality due to that delay.

As I believe I mentioned in one of my first postings, one of my favorite books is Straight Man by Richard Russo. (It is one of those books that I find, literally, laugh-out-loud funny.) The Main Squeeze; his brother; and our friend, A, have all read it, and see Lucky Jim as a companion book of sorts. They have been recommending it for years, and I took advantage of the CBR-II to finally read it.

Although I see where they are coming from: this novel also takes place at a college and highlights some of the ridiculous aspects of academia, and it involves plenty of funny scenes; however, it did not grab me the way that Straight Man did. I think part of my lack of adoration stems from the number of embarrassing situations--embarrassing scenes make me terribly uncomfortable. What also makes me uncomfortable, are situations where you can see that the protagonist is about to make a mistake or is making a poor decision and you just want to make them stop. But, of course, you just have to go along for the ride and watch them bumble along (I stopped reading An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England because the main character WOULD NOT STOP BUMBLING!) That happens a lot in this book, the protagonist, James Dixon, if given the opportunity to make a poor decision, will do so. As a reader, I found this frustrating. I think my friends who recommended the book found that aspect funny. Go figure.

Lucky Jim was first published in 1954, so one of the fascinating things is to see how little academia, specifically the politics of it, has changed in the past 50+ years. Honestly, read this book and Straight Man and you'll see what I mean. As someone who works in higher ed, it's always fun to see this aspect not only portrayed, but also mocked.

Dixon is a likable enough character and I definitely found myself hoping things would work out for him; however, he did seem determined to sabotage himself left and right. His perspective on various aspects of his professional and personal life could be best described as mirthfully grim. Although he's mostly pessimistic, he does hold out faint hope that things might turn out all right and his gallows sense of humor carries him through the ridiculous situations in which he finds/puts himself in.

So, yes, I would recommend this book. Especially if you work in academia or are in graduate school. And if you haven't already read (regardless of your connection to higher ed--I read it when I was no longer in school and not working in higher ed) Straight Man, get your hands on that book pronto!

Cannonball Read

OK, so contrary to what you might assume by the lack of posts to this poor, neglected blog, I have not stopped reading for the CBR-II. It is true that I am no where near my goal of reading 26 books (aka the Half Cannonball), but I have not given up! I'll probably have read 13 books (I haven't actually counted), so a Quarter Cannonball, by the end of this month, which is when CBR-II will be ending. Although far from fabulous, it should count for something, at least.

I'm most of the way through my review of Lucky Jim, and with any luck, that'll be up before long. (This week perhaps?) And then I have several books that are read (many of them months ago) and therefore, need reviews. I expect those reviews will be a bit truncated, both due to the time that has passed since I read them (so my impressions of them have faded), but also, because I'm planning to try the Half Cannonball again for CBR-III, so I'll want time for reading new books (and yes, writing those reviews).

Oh, and did I mention I started a new blog? I decided that Bundt Cake Season™ needed its own blog, so that's rolling, too. Check it out here.

Fifth Review: The Best American Short Stories 2009 edited by Alice Sebold

I was first introduced to The Best American Short Stories series in the winter of 1999. My roommate at the time had gotten a copy of the 1998 BASS for Christmas and had left it out in the living room. So of course, I picked it up and started reading it. That one was edited by Garrison Keillor and I loved it. I have been asking for them for Christmas every year since then.

I have not loved all of them equally over the years, and it's hard to know if that's simply a fact of the types of stories which the series editor and the guest editor had to choose from in a given year, or if it's more of a reflection of the guest editor's taste. I've always assumed it is more of the latter. Which is why, for example, I was surprised that the edition that Amy Tan edited (1999) is not a favorite, because I love Amy Tan's writing. (In fact, now that I think about it, I'm not sure why her A Hundred Secret Senses isn't on my list of recommended books. Also, where the hell is my copy of that book?).

Two BASS that do stand out for me, are the aforementioned 1998, as well as, 2006 editions. Of course, my love of those particular editions could easily be due to issues completely unrelated to the stories included in those books. Obviously, 1998 was the first in the series that I read, and therefore, as my introduction, would have a special place in my heart. As for 2006, I started that one while on a Caribbean island (St. Kitts, to be exact) in the middle of January, after I had finally finished the most important incomplete from my grad program. I very, very clearly remember that experience of waking up before everyone else and sitting on the deck, in gloriously warm weather, enjoying a mind-bogglingly beautiful view, and reading that short story collection.

The short explanation of how these stories are collected is that the series editor, Heidi Pitlor, reads thousands of short stories that have been published in various magazines over the previous year and whittles them down to a more reasonable number (in this case, 120) for the guest editor--this year it was Alice Sebold--to read through and select the top 20. Clearly, subjectivity abounds--but that's one of the things that I like about this collection, and why I think the guest editor truly does put his or her stamp on the final collection. The guest editor is always an author. (I'll be honest, every year, when I crack open my latest copy, I always imagine how fun--and ridiculously challenging--the guest editor's job is. I secretly covet it.)

A short story collection, especially when it doesn't come from a single author, is hard to review as a whole. That being said, I enjoyed this year's collection and there were several stories that particularly stood out for me.

Steve De Jarnatt's story, Rubiaux Rising, about a drug-addicted Gulf War vet, trapped in the attic during the rising waters of Hurricane Katrina is beautifully powerful. Eleanor Henderson's The Farms is a quiet contemplation of race in modern-day America. Sagittarius by Greg Hrbek is one of those stories you just have to go with, as it pulls a bit of what would normally be found in a fantasy novel into an everyday situation. Jill McCorkle's Magic Words is the sort of story that I contemplate not finishing, because of that pit of dread in my stomach, but I have to see it to the end, because I need to know how it all turns out. Modulation by Richard Powers is about music and technology and earworms (of the musical, rather than Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, variety) and it's hard to describe beyond that. Alex Rose's Ostacon provides a bittersweet window into Alzheimer's, from the perspective of the sufferer. And The Peripatetic Coffin by Ethan Rutherford is about the Confederate submarine, the H. L. Hunley, used in the Civil War and it's third crew.

I really don't want to give much more information on the stories than that, because, well, they're short, and any more information will give too much away.

As I said, these were the ones that stood out for me, though all the stories in the collection are strong (even the ones that weren't really my cup of tea.) I definitely recommend the collection. If you aren't in the habit of reading short stories, this is a great place to start.

One of the things that I appreciate about a short story is how much can be conveyed in such a minimum number of pages. I deeply love novels; however, a short story, when done well, is a simple thing of beauty. I enjoy knowing that at least once a year, I will immerse myself in a collection of well-written short stories.

A short story collection, especially one like this with a variety of authors, is kind of like a mix tape. You move from one story to the next, not knowing what to expect, finding yourself going from one very different topic to another, occasionally finding two stories that have some subject or theme in common, but mostly just going along for the ride and enjoying some excellent writing.

And there is nothing wrong with that.

Fourth Review: Julie & Julia by Julie Powell

I. LOVED. This. Book. I tore through this baby. (Not that you can tell by the fact that it took me awhile to post this review). I passed up watching a video (and if you knew how infrequently I see movies, you'd understand what a big deal that is) to keep reading Julie & Julia. I loved this book so much, I didn't want it to end, so I even read the "A Conversation with Julie Powell" in the Reading Group Guide in the back of the book (but not the stupid discussion questions--those things make me crazy, if you're smart enough to join a book group, why do you need questions to help you discuss it?!), her reading suggestions, and the part of the first chapter of her new book, which is included in my copy of Julie & Julia. And that new book is about butchering and I'm a vegetarian! So yeah, I loved Julie & Julia. You should read it. No really, you should. Why are you still here? Why aren't you reading the book?!

Have you ever had the thought while reading something memoir-ish/autobiographical or an interview, "This person and I would be best friends, if we met! Or, you know, we'd hate each other for being too similar?" That's how I feel about Julie Powell. We're not twins separated at birth, by any means, (she's much cooler than I) but I really related to her: her moodiness, her love of Buffy, her love of butter, for some examples. Granted, I would never undertake anything as daunting as cooking all the recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year (or ever, for that matter), but that doesn't mean I don't think we'd couldn't be besties.

I have a general policy that if a movie version of a book I want to read is coming out, to see the movie first and then read the book, because I am one of those annoying people who otherwise spends the whole movie saying, "that's not how it happened in the book!" (Yes, trust me, I'm not someone you want to go to the movies with.) And it's a good thing that things went according to that policy (however unplanned*) with this, because I would have spent a lot of time during the movie saying, "that's now how it happened in the book!" Don't get me wrong, I loved the movie and would see it again in a heartbeat. So, if you saw the movie, whether you liked it or not, I say read the book. It's a whole 'nother ball game, or aspic, to bring in a culinary reference from Julie & Julia. (By the way, aspics sound disgusting.)

Hmm, perhaps you'd actually like to learn a bit about the book? Okay, the deal is this. Julie Powell is on the eve of turning thirty. She's abandoned acting/theatre, which is the whole reason she came to New York in the first place. She's about to have her temp job as an administrative assistant become a permanent gig. So, in general, her life doesn't seem to have much of a purpose as she careens toward one of those important marker birthdays. When she sarcastically mentions that as a way to learn how to cook, (culinary school is out of the question) she could cook her way through MtAoFC, her husband suggests she do so and blog about it. (This was in the early days of blogs, before most of us knew what they were (oh, to be young and innocent again)). So she does.

Before I started the book, for some reason, I had assumed that it would just be a compilation of her blog posts, but it wasn't, it is the story of what led up to the start of the blog, the year of cooking and blogging, aka, the Julie/Julia Project, and some of what happened afterwards. I love that she doesn't shy away from portraying herself in a negative light when it's warranted (otherwise, she wouldn't be very relatable, if you ask me). Her writing style leaves no doubt as to how her blog caught on and why it gained her no small amount of fame. And it's her story and how she tells it that made reading the book such a blast.

I highly recommend this book. I found it a joy to read. And who knows, it might inspire you to do something wacky and blog about it too.

* Somewhere in my house is the article I cut out of Entertainment Weekly years ago when Julie & Julia first came out, so I wouldn't forget about it. I don't know why I never followed through on buying it or borrowing it from the library--oh wait, I have a good idea why, I was probably in grad school at the time, which equals very little reading for pleasure, and by the time I was finished (grad school, that is), the article had been filed away (out of sight, out of mind)-- so anyway, it took the movie version to remind me that I had wanted to read this.

Third Review: Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder is the sort of book that you might avoid out of fear of spending hours curled up in a little ball crushed by the horrendous injustice in the world or shaking with rage and ranting incoherently for the same reason, but it's not. While it's true that Kidder, in his portrait of the amazing work that Paul Farmer and his cohorts at Partners in Health (PIH) do, doesn't shy away from the inexcusable conditions in Haiti (and Peru and the prisons of Russia, and elsewhere), I found the book to be mostly hopeful. Which, I think, is Farmer's point.

At some point in the book, one of the PIH members uses the following quote from Margaret Mead, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does." And that perfectly encapsulates what PIH does.

For those who are unfamiliar with Partners in Health, it is a public health organization bringing much needed health care to some of the poorest people in the world. Their mission is to "provide a preferential option for the poor in health care." The work that they do is amazing (yes, I am going to use that word at least 17 times in this review) and addresses the fact that providing health care to the impoverished can't happen in a vacuum, and therefore, they provide other support, as well, to make it possible for their clients to follow through on the steps they need to take for better health.

Mountains Beyond Mountains specifically focuses on Paul Farmer, the founder of PIH, his life story, how he came to design PIH's public health care model, and the work that PIH does. It's fascinating. Not surprisingly, Farmer had an unusual upbringing, and I think that helped him to have a different perspective both on his life choices, but also an ability to look beyond and challenge some of the health care paradigms. While it is true that it is unwise to compare oneself to Farmer (you'll just feel bad and unaccomplished), one of the points of the book is that no one should--even he thinks this. As a founding member of PIH, Jim Kim, is quoted as saying, "If Paul is the model, we're fucked." Meaning, that holding yourself up to Farmer's personal standard is impossible. Instead, you have to find a level of commitment that works for you. Burning out doesn't help anyone.

The work that Farmer and PIH does flies in the face of conventional health care wisdom regarding what is possible. And I found it totally uplifting to know that this committed group of citizens really is making a change in the world. Although it's easy to be cynical about the state things and how people treat other human beings, cynicism doesn't bring about change. And that's what is refreshing about PIH, these are people doing the impossible. I strongly recommend Mountains Beyond Mountains. It's eye-opening and engrossing. And I think it's the best way to find out the how and why of Partners in Health.

If you'd like to find out more about PIH, you can check out their website:

www.pih.org.

(And if you feel compelled to donate while you're there, that'd be amazing.)

Update

Ok, the good news is that I finished Mountains Beyond Mountains, though clearly I need to get a review up soon. It took some dedicated cramming while visiting with the Main Squeeze's family at Christmas.

And, I delved into my current book, Julie & Julia right away (another reason I need to post a review of MBM, so I get it down while it's still semi-fresh in the ol' noggin). I think I may be able to tear through that one pretty quickly, so that will help me get closer to getting caught up.

I got one of the books from my potential CBR-II list for Christmas, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, so the number of books in reserve is growing--always helpful. I also got my beloved, annual Best American Short Stories. I've actually been thinking about the inherent conflict in the need to read quickly to get back on track and my desire to savor BAST. I guess we'll just see how that goes. And honestly, if the stories are really good, it's hard not to simply rip through them anyway, so who am I kidding?

So, the only bad news is that I'm still behind. By tomorrow, I should have been finished with book four and started book five, so I'm a book behind at this point. But that's totally fixable, especially if I have a couple of books that are fast reads.

So yeah, more reading. Yay!

Behind! Arrgh!

I knew this would happen at some point; I just didn't think it would happen so early in the game.

I am officially behind on my Half Cannonball. Part of it was trying to decide which book to read next--I spent a couple of days waffling on that. Part of it is being sick, which means I have less energy for everything, but also that I really need to prioritize getting plenty of sleep. Part of it is the time of year. Even though I don't feel like I'm doing much for Christmas besides buying presents, that still takes up a chunk of time. And clearly, part of the problem is that I have not prioritized reading.

I should be half-way through my fourth book by now, but I'm barely into book three (I don't think I'm even at the 1/4 mark). At some point, I'll need to churn out a book a week for a couple of weeks. I have no idea when that will be. But, it's important to stay positive. So I'll try not to be too discouraged. There are many months left to get caught up.

Have I mentioned lately how glad I am that I did not sign myself up for a full Cannonball? One of my best decisions.

Second Review: Couldn't Keep It to Myself by Wally Lamb and the Women of York Correctional Institution

It may be a cliché to say that we too frequently take positive aspects of our lives for granted, but there is nothing like having a window into someone else’s life, someone whose life experiences have been different—and not for the better—to get much needed perspective and recognize how lucky you are. Such was my experience in reading Couldn’t Keep It to Myself by Wally Lamb and the Women of York Correctional Institution.

Lamb, is of course, the author of She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True (both Oprah Book Club books, but don’t hold that against them). His work with the women of York, came during an “epidemic of despair” at the prison brought on by two suicides and several suicide attempts. A staff member of the prison contacted him and asked if he’d be willing to come in and give a talk on using writing to cope. At the end of the session, one of the women asked him if he were coming back, put on the spot, he agreed to, but only women who actually wrote something would gain entrance into the workshop.

Lamb returned two weeks later. And at the time of the printing of the book, had been returning every two weeks ever since (I don’t know if he still is running his writing workshop, but I’d be surprised if he weren’t).

Lamb was clear that part of his purpose in getting these women’s stories out is to reach out to people who are under the misimpression that prison is some sort of easy-living experience. These stories remind us that each of these prisoners is a human being. We all have a life story that has gotten us to now and this is an opportunity for women who have been pretty voiceless up until this point, to share theirs. The themes of abuse: physical, emotional, and sexual that run through many of these stories are heartbreaking. Financial stresses, if not straight out poverty, are another common thread. At the same time, none of these women present these experiences as excuses for the crimes that landed them in prison. That being said, it definitely gives you a sense of perspective: You can see how things both within and outside of their control got them to where they are.

When it comes to the purpose of our prison system, I am firmly on the side of rehabilitation versus punishment (especially since the latter too often seems to stem from vengeance). And yes, I recognize that there are probably some people who can’t be rehabilitated, but I don’t think that keeping people in dehumanizing conditions can possibly help them or society. Call me crazy, but I think that part of the purpose of prison is to better prepare these individuals to function on the right side of the law when they get out.

Regardless of your take on the role of incarceration, I encourage you to read Couldn’t Keep It to Myself because these women's stories are compelling and that’s the best reason for choosing a book to read. If you do opt to read this book, I recommend rereading Lamb’s introductory essay after you have finished, because now you know the women, and his insight is especially interesting then.

First Review: Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier

My first introduction to Tracy Chevalier was The Girl with the Pearl Earring, which I really liked and still remember key scenes years later. Burning Bright, the second of her works that I read, did not leave quite the same strong impression. It is a fine book, and I definitely had times where I was completely engrossed, so I don’t mean to damn it with faint praise.

Chevalier’s approach is to take someone from history and write a fictionalized account of a character who intersects with that person. In Pearl Earring, that character is the subject of the famous painting. In Burning Bright, Chevalier creates two characters, Jem and Maggie, whose lives intersect with William Blake during the years of 1792 -1793, when he lived in the Lambeth area of London. The French Revolution is going on at this time, so things are quite tense on the British side of the Channel. People are quick to be suspicious of anything that might be considered even vaguely seditious. Aside from recognizing his name, I don’t think I knew anything about Blake before reading this novel. I’m not even sure I could have identified him as British, let alone the time period during which he had lived, and I definitely could not have told you that he was a man whose ideas were fairly unpopular at the time.

Jem Kellaway and his family, mother, Ann; father, Thomas; and sister, Maisie; arrive in London from the countryside in March of 1792. The family has recently lost a beloved son and brother, Tommy, and the move to London is an effort to leave their grief behind. Shortly upon their arrival, they meet Maggie, who has grown up in London and is wise to its ways. Maggie has done a lot of growing up on the streets of London. Her mother is a laundress and her father is constantly trying to figure out how to make a pound—usually by getting materials (wood, metal, etc.) of poor quality and passing them off as higher quality items. Her brother, Charlie, is really good for nothing.

The Kellaway’s next-door neighbor is William Blake and it is through that proximity that Jem and Maggie make their connections with him. In addition to these interactions with Blake, the book also focuses on the Kellaway’s adjustment to the big city, Jem and Maggie’s blossoming interest in each other, and the political goings-on of the time.

If you are unfamiliar with Blake, this book provides a basic introduction to him and his work. Chevalier does an excellent job of dropping you into a different age, and her attention to detail is key to bringing this time period alive. It is fascinating to see some of the knee-jerk (pseudo)patriotism that is all too familiar to us in this day and age, being shown as an echo of similar reactions from years ago. The more things change… as they say.

I’ll leave my review there, so as to not reveal the whole plot and thereby defeat the purpose of you reading the book. Especially if you like historical novels, I think you will enjoy this one. If you need to be grabbed by a book and not let go, this may not be the book for you. If, on the other hand, if you like a book that takes its time and does an excellent job of transporting you to a different time period, then you will like this one.

Waiting

I find it ironic that in an effort to neither cheat nor fall behind, I felt like I had to put reading on hold. I definitely did not want to start any new books (and I have a couple of books waiting in the wings for the official start day, which is Sunday).

Luckily, I came up with a solution for my reading needs in the meantime: reread a book I already have. I relatively recently got Straight Man by Richard Russo back from being loaned out, and realized I could just read that until Sunday.

If you haven't already read this book, I highly, highly recommend it! Cannonballers, if you are looking for a book to add to your CBR-II reading list, put this one on there.

Good News

Well, go figure.

After posting a message on the old Facebook about my unofficial status in the CBR-II and alerting my Pajibapals that they'd have to follow my progress of their own volition, Dustin added me to the list of participants. So now I'm all official and everything!

Just when I'd found ways to be cool with being a renegade reader.

I guess this is what happens when you accentuate the positive? I don't plan to make a habit of it, however. I do have a moody reputation to protect.

First Hurdle

I have hit my first hurdle in the Cannonball Read II (and it hasn't even started yet!).

Unbeknownst to me, the CBR-II was so popular, they had to cut off the number of participants at 100. Yes, 100 Pajibans have signed on to read 52 books in one year! Which is fabulous, absolutely. But... I was a tad heartbroken to find out I'm not officially entered. (What with the thinking about it months in advance, and how pleased with myself I was after coming up with the "Half Cannonball.") But, I'm over it (the heartbreak, not CBR-II).

Because, as I see it, what this means is a whole lot of people doing a whole lot of reading, which is the epitome of awesomeness (some might even call it awesome-sauce). And equally, if not more important, that's a whole lot of people honoring AlabamaPink. Furthermore, since I had never intended to read all 52 books (see previous note about the importance of realistic goals), this leaves room on the official list for someone who might actually reach the goal and that's more money for Lil A's college fund. So, check it, I am Miss Look-On-The-Bright-Side.

Oh, and one more silver lining: now I don't have to worry about any of my reviews showing up on Pajiba for all to see and read and mock, which = less pressure.

So, I'm still moving forward on my Half Cannonball plan. Cannonball ho!

And so it begins

First, Facebook. Now, a blog. Who knows what other technological horrors Pajiba has in store for me.

The deal is this: To participate in Cannonball Read II, I must have a blog. So here we are.

I have actually signed on for what I have dubbed the Half Cannonball, 26 books in a year, which seems potentially doable. (As I teach my students, it's important for your goals to be achievable.) The Cannonball Read also entails writing reviews of the books, so we'll see how successful I am at actually doing those.

Now that I have a blog, of course, it's entirely possible that other subjects will end up in my posts.