SW Clemens

A Satisfying Read

Revisado: 02-27-25

No one writes so eloquently about the nuance of emotions than Jojo Moyes. Many reviewers have called this a story about a dysfunctional family. I see it as a story about a resilient family. I enjoyed seeing how skillfully Moyes reveals how her characters address internal shortcomings while coping with external demands. It's somewhat reminiscent of Ann Patchett's Tom Lake, where a family's past intrudes upon the present and involves a Hollywood actor.

Told in the present tense, the characters are all extremely relatable as the story unfolds from different points of view (Lila's, Celie's, and briefly Francesca's). Half a dozen other characters get supporting roles. On the surface, you might think this is all Lila's tale, as the main brunt of the story revolves around her love life, her professional life, and her family. On closer inspection, however, you'll find the catalyst for virtually all of the change, whether positive or negative, is Lila's long-estranged biological father, Gene. So, in a way, the story is his.

My only reservation is the addition of a Postscript, which I found extraneous.

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Like a Warm Sweater on a Cold Afternoon

Revisado: 02-19-25

You know how a long conversation meanders and morphs from one thing to another, presenting problems that work out as the conversation progresses? That's this book. I'll have to re-read it to understand how seamlessly McCall Smith moves the conversation from one concern to another, revealing something new about the characters the further it goes. Seemingly effortless storytelling,

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The Peeps be Crazy

Revisado: 02-13-25

Wow. I read Three Women, by Lisa Taddeo, because it was recommended by JoJo Moyes, one of my favorite authors. In The Week she wrote, “This book has become a kind of litmus test for me; I’ve given it to more friends than I can remember. A journalistic deep dive into female desire and the lies we tell ourselves….” No doubt this is a fine piece of reportage, but what this litmus test is supposed to reveal escapes me. I learned nothing new about emotional obsession. The women (and men) profiled in this book can’t help letting adolescent obsessions ruin their adult lives for decades. I found it a depressing read, though I’ll admit to feeling envious of such intense sexual fulfillment. It would have been more interesting if it were possible to delve into the males in these relationships as well, as they seem as vulnerable and crazy as the women. It's not surprising that it should appeal to Moyes, who writes so eloquently of human emotions.

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Honestly Awful

Revisado: 11-17-24

My mother used to say, "If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all." But I feel I should warn potential readers before they waste their time. I admit I am not a fan of present-tense narration, but some writers can pull it off better than others. This was just awful, it almost reads like a synopsis. The plot is more predictable than a Hallmark movie and that's saying a lot. In addition, the dialogue is comically bad. Any time Character One makes a statement, Character Two asks if what she has heard is true. Example:
"I learned about love in the kitchen."
"Wait," I say incredulously, "you mean to say that you learned about love in the kitchen?"
After the first ten times it grates on the nerves. Top that with the worst French accent I've ever heard. Not one of the worst. The worst, period.
Save your credit.

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Poorly Performed Melodrama

Revisado: 11-10-24

I had a problem with the narration from the very beginning. As much as I loved Michael Crouch's narration of Have You Seen Luis Valez, I hated his narration of My Name is Anton. I could hear each breath he took, and his quavering voice made an already melodramatic plot even more fraught. I adore many other Catherine Ryan Hyde novels and have enjoyed the realistic dialogue and character arcs. But there are no arcs in this novel. Nothing changes. The core of every character remains unaltered through the decades. Anton's parents are self-absorbed and mean-spirited. Edith is always worrying that she doesn't deserve Anton's love, and Anton is a model of maturity and selflessness throughout, all of which makes for a pretty boring story.

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Timeless?

Revisado: 10-17-24

The latest Longmire tale is a page-turner, to be sure, but I have a few quibbles:
1. If the "present" time is concurrent with the publishiing date then the newly engaged Longmire is 82, and a decade too old for the rough and tumble adventures he gets into.
2. The characters of Longmire and Standing Bear, who just graduated from college, act and speak exactly as they do when they're in their sixties. It takes a lot of experience to develop that kind of swagger.
3. If the young Walt and Henry are the same as the old Walt and Henry, there is no room for character arc.
4. George Guidel has always sounded older than the character, but when voicing young characters it's hard to swallow the suspension of disbelief.

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Excellent Story-telling

Revisado: 10-04-24

Cousens characters feel like people I know. Even when it seems you're hung-up on something in the past, it's still possible to change the way you think about the past to move beyond self-limiting assumptions. Which is to say, the character arcs are what hold the story together and give it interest.

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Fun, Though Predictable

Revisado: 10-04-24

This sequel to The Summer Skies is better than the original, though I still prefer the Bookshop series and the Little Beach Street Bakery series. Nonetheless, this latest installment has a charming setting, and universally likable characters working through life's vicissitudes.

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Gorgeous Prose

Revisado: 09-17-24

The prose is so beautiful and evocative that I found myself rereading many sections. Dan Stevens is a great narrator, each character is carefully delineated, and his tone of voice just perfect for such a Gothic mystery. The book's only shortcoming is its enigmatic ending. Was it a dream? Was the narrator going mad? It can be read as an overarching metaphor consisting of smaller metaphors and substitutions having to do with the art of fiction and the toll it takes on the writer. It has me dreaming about it days after I finished reading it.

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Monotonous

Revisado: 09-09-24

The writing is fine as usual, but the characters are no longer growing and there are no great challenges. Several words are mispronounced (such as Betty Boop). And the denouement is short and flat.

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