TC

The best and the worst

Revisado: 10-04-19

Michel Faber's tome, *The Crimson Petal and the White* is both the best novel I've read this year and, unfortunately, the worst. Interestingly, the narrator acts as a tour guide, guiding his audience through the filthy, squalid streets of Victorian London of the 1870s, introducing us to the despicable ne'er-do-wells who frequent the bawdy houses on seedy Silver Street and to Sugar, the self-educated prostitute whose claim to fame is that she will perform ANY sex act requested, no matter how perverse, and will perform it with zeal. We also travel to the more prosperous Notting Hill section of London, where we meet the more genteel (but seriously warped) Rackham family.

Our tour guide drags his readers through the wretched underbelly of Victorian society, deftly pointing out the hypocrisy at which the Victorians excelled . Men held all the marbles, so to speak, even in death; the men characters took full advantage of their societal superiority, wrecking and ruining lives with careless abandon. Women, on the other hand, had their lives wrecked by these men, even by their death, seemingly with no recourse.

None of the characters are really very round or dynamic. The novel is more character-driven than plot-driven, but the characters all remain very flat and superficial. We see them taking all sorts of actions, but we never really know what motivates them to do so; it's frustrating that we never see inside the enigmatic Sugar's head (although I imagine it must be a scary place) or find out what motivates her. We're simply along for the ride, being told about her exploits instead of being taken along. The fatal flaw of writers, telling instead of showing.

I fell in love with Faber's rich language and breathtaking similes; this made the novel worth slogging along for. I also quite enjoyed the editorialized point of view of the narrator. Breaking the fourth wall and addressing his audience directly is an ingenious plot device.

About mid-way through, though, I began to get bored with these characters. They were acting quite outrageous, without much reason. Frankly, I quit caring. By the time I reached the conclusion, which was awesome and totally unexpected, I'd lost interest in the whole affair.

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I was disappointed

Revisado: 04-06-18

This is a review of the Audible version.
I guess I was just expecting more from these characters; I became frustrated with Ragnavald's and Svanhild's constant second-guessing of their EVERY single decision. Other reviewers have raved about the author's nuanced portrayal of the brother and sister; I found them tedious. Ragnavald's, in the throes of self-doubt and introspection, suddenly and boldly challenges some rival of his, completely going against his own advice. It often felt like his thoughts and his actions were in direct contradiction, and as a result he comes across as bumbling.

And Svanhild! Yikes. I couldn't. I just couldn't see her as the indomitable, strong, self-possessed Viking woman that I'm sure Hartsuyker meant her to be. Instead, I saw her as a tease. On the one hand she sees her own mother as weak-willed for having taken Olaf as her second husband, yet she herself resorts to coquettish behavior of the worse sort in order to gain protection from men she thinks will be of help to her. She would rather resort to running away from her home and living in the wild than see herself trapped in a marriage not of her choosing, then she bargains herself off to become Solvi's second wife, then acts a pouting, petulant child on her wedding night. What exactly was she expecting? Instead of seeing her as self-determined woman who chooses her own path, I saw her as more of an impulsive teenager who bounces from one near-catastrophe of her own making to the next, with little concept of the real danger she puts herself and others through. The character I enjoyed the most was Solvi; he was, while by no means a romantic, actually quite charming in his own way. His treatment of Svanhild, and even Ragnavald, to an extent, could have been much harsher.

And did every single character have to be a descendant of kings? How many kings does one kingdom need?

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The best book I read in 2015

Revisado: 02-28-18

I will start off by saying that this was the best book I read (listened to) during 2015, and I would gladly listen to Will Patton read the phone book. I was ecstatic to hear that it was being made into a TV series. The series does not disappoint.

This sprawling epic, in the tradition of John Jakes and James Mitchner, spans the gory history of the McCullough family and their rise to prominence as West Texas cattle barons over four generations, from young Eli McCullough in the pre-Civil War West Texas frontier around Fredericksburg to Jeanne McCullough, his great-granddaughter in modern Houston, Texas. The story is told from three distinct points-of-view; the first is the patriarch, Eli, the second is his sensitive and moralistic son, Peter, and the third is Peter's granddaughter, Jeanne Ann.

At a tender age, Eli establishes himself as a leader. Although he is not the oldest of his siblings, he is the self-appointed protector of his homestead in his father's absence. When his family is brutally attacked by a marauding  band of Comanche, (quite explicit and gory), he manages not only to survive, but to become an accepted member of their tribe. Over the span of the next 80 or so years, he weathers many escapades, learning to adapt to his current situation in order to persevere. He is a fascinating, gritty, if not necessarily heroic, character-study.

He has three sons, each representing one side of his personality. One, the protector, willing to go to any lengths to protect his family's fortune and reputation, whatever the personal cost; one a brawler, who believes that brawn over brains is the best coarse of action; and one the philosopher. This one, Peter, is the second narrator. He is the least like his father, and they clash. He sees the injustice and is sensitive to the immoral, unethical actions his father and brothers feel justified in taking to keep what they view as rightfully theirs. He finds that he can not sit by and witness their hubris.

Of his off-spring, the one who most takes after Eli is his great-granddaughter, Jeanne. She's tough, brave, and wily. As a woman in a decidedly man's world, she works hard to fit in, but fit in she does. Eli's tutelage pays off, and she follows in his footsteps; she is just as determined as he to preserve her birthright, no matter the cost. And she winds up paying the ultimate cost.

I enjoyed the 3 POV format, even though I had to download a family tree to keep all the characters straight. I especially appreciated Jeanne Anne's perspective, wondering all the way through what exactly was going on with her. I was not disappointed.

The story comes full circle at the end, as a matter of fact, the ending is Biblical. I won't explain why because I fully recommend it for reading and don't want to leave spoilers. But read it! You might have to read it twice, or you can just watch the AMC television series.

*Warning: there are many disturbing events and actions depicted in the book.

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Maybe the unabridged version is better

Revisado: 01-26-18

I did not realize that this was the abridged version until after I'd listened to the entire thing. It makes a little more sense now, as I assume the unabridged version filled in some of the missing pieces and made more sense. Not that the abridged version was hard to follow, I just felt that there had to be more back-story and character development than this. I couldn't truly grasp some of the characters' motivations for their actions. I'm hoping the unabridged version gives more justification for all the bed-hopping that went on. The characters came off as heartless, callous and downright immoral, and I'm sure that is not how Wesley intended them.

And Ann Massey's narration was just painful to listen to; I kept imagining all the face-wrenching she'd had to do for her characterizations. I wish she'd just read it straight through; there was really no need for all of the overly thick and exaggerated English accents. Even her attempts at the Erstwhilers' German accent was uncomfortable to listen to. Funny, but uncomfortable.

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Kind of predictable

Revisado: 10-02-17

I found the story of the Foss children sort of predictable and obligatory, and I had Avery's story-line figured out about 1/4 of the way in. As a matter of fact, that part of the story could have been deleted altogether. The story of the Tennessee Children's Home is horrifying, even more so that it's based on true incidences, but I feel that Wingate relied too heavily on stock characterization. Here's the heroic young girl who tries her best to save her family, here's the heroic fire-brand sister who takes no guff from anyone, which leads to her ultimate demise, the demonic director who tortures her wayward wards through intimidation and outright violence, the playground bullies, the demonic half-wit handyman who systematically abuses the young girls. There's just a lack of freshness to their story, where there could have been so much more.

The Foss children are split up and never see each other until later in their lives, but the interim story is glossed over. I feel that more development into how the sisters found each other and came to celebrate Sisters' Day would have added depth to the story. And the reason for the secrecy was absurd; I understand that politicians fear the skeletons in the closet, but come on, it's just implausible that fear of her son losing his political career was the reason Grandma Judy kept her real family background a secret.

Wingate's use of dialogue was another shortcoming. Her attempts to "southern" the characters' speech patterns seemed forced and relied heavily on stereotype. I mean, "Honey Bee" for crying out loud. Really? We are left to assume that May's neighbors are black from the way they speak, and I found this off-putting.

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A great story that is looking for an ending

Revisado: 08-31-17

I actually met Ann Patchett many years ago when she visited my Contemp. Novels class at McNeese State University. At the time, we had a prestigious professor, Robert Olen Butler, who had won the Pulitzer for his collection of short stories, "Good Scent from a Strange Mountain." He was quite full of himself, but he did bring in some well-known writer friends, so the class was a joy! And I have a signed edition of Patchett's *Patron Saint of Liars.*

*Commonwealth* is a great story; the twisting plot, the shifting point of view, and the wealth of detail make for a captivating read (or listen, to be more specific, since I bought it on Audible). The story of 6 step-siblings and their rollicking, largely unsupervised upbringing brought back my own days of youth. Parents weren't (and weren't expected to be) all that involved with their children's concerns or even their whereabouts in the 60s and 70s, although Bert and Beverly really are beyond the pale. It's not much surprise that the Cousins-Keating children who make it to adulthood all have emotional problems. Lackadaisical parenting contributed to many of the Albie's of my generation. Patchett does a capture the real rupture of the family unit that resulted from the social upheaval of the mid-century. Bert Cousins brought Updike's Rabbit Angstrom to mind, just a little.

The book does have some weaknesses, though. The characters lean toward caricature; Caroline-the hard-edged bully, Franny--the sensitive one with low self-esteem, Albie--the drugged out drop-out, Beverly--the self-centered beauty; all the characters seem to be cut from cookie-cutters.
Patchett's lush story-telling, also, falters in the final 1/4 of the book. The ending seems forced, even a little contrived, as if she were looking for a good way to tie up all the loose ends. The problem is, though, she doesn't. Now sometimes, good literature does this on purpose; Patchett, in this book doesn't seem to be doing that. She just seems to be faltering around, looking for the best way to end each character's story. Unfortunately, their stories leave the reader with very little. I preferred *Patron Saint* or *State of Wonder* to this one.

The narrator, Hope Davis, is okay. She tends to get a little nasal and high-pitched at times.

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Great read!

Revisado: 05-08-17

Always elegant and courtly, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov is doomed to life as a virtual prisoner, under house arrest in Russia's grand Metropol hotel for a crime he may not have even committed. The Count, with his Old World air of persnickety composure, is steadfastly unflappable as evidenced in his interview by the Emergency Committee of the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (whatever that is).
Vyshinsky: I must say, I do not think that I have ever seen a jacket festooned with so many buttons.
Rostov: Thank you.
Vyshinsky: It was not meant as a compliment.
Rostov: In that case, I demand satisfaction on the field of honor.

And:

Vyshinsky: And your occupation?
Rostov: It is not the business of gentlemen to have occupations.
Vyshinsky: Very well then. How do you spend your time?
Rostov: Dining, discussion, reading, reflecting. The usual rigmarole.
Vyshinsky: And you write poetry?
Rostov: I have been known to fence with a quill.
Vyshinsky: [Holding up a pamphlet] Are you the author of this long poem of 1913: Where Is It Now?
Rostov: It has been attributed to me.
Vyshinsky: Why did you write the poem?
Rostov: It demanded to be written. I simply happened to be sitting at the particular desk on the particular morning when it chose to
make its demands.

But the Count, always the indomitable gentleman, quietly and steadfastly turns this life sentence to his own favor and makes a rather comfortable life for himself there, despite the loss of his former courtly lifestyle. From his cramped quarters in the attics of the grand Metropol, the Count continues his courtly lifestyle as best he can; entertaining friends, writing letters, reading, even having an intermittent romantic tryst. Through the Count and the cast of characters, the reader is treated to a sampling of early 20th Century Russian politics, history, and foreboding.

With time on his hands, the Count spends an inordinate amount of it waxing poetic over the best wine pairings, the best ingredients for the meals to be served in the hotel's restaurant, The Boyarsky, and the greatest Russian authors (Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky). He rails (ever so genteel and gentlemanly) over the new "Commissioner of Food's" decree to remove all labels from all 100,000 bottles of wine in the hotels wine cellars in an effort to make all equal. What he would think of me with my boxed wine!

The Count maintains his courtly composure in the face of his confinement, his unexpected “fatherhood,” and his secret affair. That is, until the ending; the Count is reduced to lying, stealing, and ultimately attempting murder, sort of, but he still manages commit all these crimes with panache, channeling the spirit of his idol, Humphrey Bogart.

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The HBO series is better

Revisado: 03-24-17

No spoilers here, I promise.

This is one of those very rare occasions where I can honestly say that the television series is better than the book. Not that the book isn't good; it is. It's just not as juicy, edgy, over-the-top as the series is. I don't know if it was because I watched the first 2 episodes of the series before reading the book, but I figured out one of the big mysteries quite early.

Moriarty did do a good job of misleading the reader as to who the murdered and murderer where--didn't see that one coming. She also did some interesting character development; the 4 main characters, Madeline, Celeste, Jane, and Renata each came off as approachable and likeable while simultaneously being bitchy and manipulative (okay, maybe not Jane). There are several parallel themes; most predominately helicopter parenting, gossip and how it is often misconstrued, and obsessiveness. The themes overlap and intertwine over and among themselves creating a twisting, at times rollicking tale of small town-ness. If you were brought up in one, you will know what I'm talking about.

After the first dozen or so chapters, I found that if I changed the speed to 1X Caroline Lee's drawwwwwn-out, nasally Aussie accent wasn't nearly as annoying. As a Southerner with a pronounced drawl, I was amazed at Lee's ability to pronounce "No" as a three syllable word. Increasing the speed cut my listening time down quite a bit.

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The Nix

Revisado: 03-07-17

As an English professor in a po-dunk community college who dreams of being a serious writer, I can surely relate to the hapless Samuel Andresen-Anderson, even having tangled with a few Laura Potstam "wannabes" myself. Luckily, none of them had her wherewithal.

I found much to admire in this book, although Hill's political ranting sometimes wore thin even while the satire struck uncomfortably close to home. The story's movement focused more around events than the characters. Even Samuel and Faye seemed one-dimensional; we never get a deep understanding of any of them, really.

The Poneage character, for all of his ridiculousness, was actually close to being my favorite. He was really quite astute as he advises the hapless Samuel that all people can be divided into the following categories: "Enemies, obstacles, puzzles, or traps." Poor Henry, the sad-sack father/husband, never develops into more than a shadow. The biggest shortcoming, I felt, was that we never see any of his issues resolved. And the entire Guy Periwinkle affair was just incredibly preposterous and unbelievable.

The most notable quote from the book, "The things you love the most will one day hurt you the worst" exemplifies a "Nix". Of course, that does resonate; however, I found that the very last chapter of the book contained the quote that really resonated with me. "Sometimes a crisis is not really a crisis at all, just a new beginning. . . if a new beginning is really new it will feel like a crisis. Any real change should make you feel at first, afraid. If you're not afraid of it, it's not real change."

*Note: I listened to the Audible version of the book, to which I attribute the misspelling of any names.

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Not Tyler's best

Revisado: 02-03-17

I've read quite a few of Tyler's novels in the past, and honestly, this is not her best work. (I think her best is SEARCHING FOR CALEB). Of course, tackling a re-telling of any Shakespeare play would be daunting for the best of writers. That said, I still found this one lacking. The main character, Kate, comes off as whiny and morose, and the rest of the cast are fairly one-dimensional. The plot plods along, much like most of the other characters, to its predictable end. Sadly, it lacks the spark of Shakespeare's original. It was a quick read (or listen, since I used Audible) that left me unsatisfied. Actually TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU was a better adaptation of THE SHREW.

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