Sunday, May 29, 2005
Wonder When You’ll Miss Me by Amanda Davis
Wonder When You’ll Miss Me is such an original novel.
The first third of the book was hard for me to read and the end of it much more easy (although my friend who loves dark things more thought the exact opposite). The first part of the book details all the reasons that led to her attempted suicide and fracturing of her personality. The last part of the book detail how she chooses to keep living by running away from home and towards this illusory person who she thinks will take care of her, not finding him and joining the circus and therefore growing up and past the dependence on others for her acceptance and level of happiness.
Sure, it is a coming of age story where the protagonist goes through some horrible situations and runs away and joins the circus so that she can grow up and be accepted. Sounds simple enough, but then throw in that when she goes through a particularly horrible incident, he personality sorta splits giving her an invisible friend who happen to be all the parts of herself she never liked. Her waking persona is rather oblivious to the world around her and invisible friend basically helps run her life. In order to face her new life in the circus she renames herself to give her to courage to move forward in the world. Some of the more interesting scenes in the book are when she is interacting with her invisible friend.
The book was disconcerting at times and hard to belive all the parts, but it was also such an orginal voice and interesting look at how hard growing up (even in middle class America) can be.
Sadly we will not see any more books from Amanda Davis as she was killed in a plane crash with her parents as they were flying her around the country for her book tour.
The first third of the book was hard for me to read and the end of it much more easy (although my friend who loves dark things more thought the exact opposite). The first part of the book details all the reasons that led to her attempted suicide and fracturing of her personality. The last part of the book detail how she chooses to keep living by running away from home and towards this illusory person who she thinks will take care of her, not finding him and joining the circus and therefore growing up and past the dependence on others for her acceptance and level of happiness.
Sure, it is a coming of age story where the protagonist goes through some horrible situations and runs away and joins the circus so that she can grow up and be accepted. Sounds simple enough, but then throw in that when she goes through a particularly horrible incident, he personality sorta splits giving her an invisible friend who happen to be all the parts of herself she never liked. Her waking persona is rather oblivious to the world around her and invisible friend basically helps run her life. In order to face her new life in the circus she renames herself to give her to courage to move forward in the world. Some of the more interesting scenes in the book are when she is interacting with her invisible friend.
The book was disconcerting at times and hard to belive all the parts, but it was also such an orginal voice and interesting look at how hard growing up (even in middle class America) can be.
Sadly we will not see any more books from Amanda Davis as she was killed in a plane crash with her parents as they were flying her around the country for her book tour.
Saul and Patsy by Charles Baxter
Charles Baxter is one of my favorite contemporary American authors. I was first introduced to his work by my sister who was writing her thesis on his first book First Light for her masters in Contemporary American Literature. I was very fortunate to have had a sister who studied English as her undergrad and Literature for her masters degree. I have always been a voracious reader, but without much direction. When I was in high school she was in college and bringing home lots and lots of assigned books to read that she encouraged me to pick up when she was done with them. So through her course work, I ended up reading extensively the classics and the contemporaries, and I had someone knowledgeable to discuss them with. I guess she was my first book club.
So, back to Charles Baxter. Feast of Love came out in 2000 and I loved it. It was such an interesting look into the love of a community. So of it going right and some going drastically wrong. I had not been paying attention in the years since, and happily stumbled upon Saul and Patsy a few days ago while looking at books.
I have been fortunate to have read some really original and interesting books lately and Saul and Patsy just continued that trend nicely. I am afraid that since I had three good books in a row I might now fall back into some crappy book slump having used up all the luck I had.
Saul and Pasty is so incredibly subtle in its humor, joy and sadness. It is the story of two people who are so in love with one another that their world revolves around their enjoyment of one another. Saul and Pasty fulfill one another with their love of language, theories, and discussions.
They are city people who move to a small town in Michigan so that Saul could follow his ideals and become a teacher. The central theme of the book really is about relationships and isolation. Baxter is known for his themes of Mid-Western isolation. How do outsiders become members of a community? How do outsiders change when they fit themselves into a new community and learn and incorporate manners that are foreign to them? What are the boundaries of intended or unintended relationships?
There is enough information out there about the book’s plot so I am going to forgo that discussion and just say how much I enjoyed the style of the book and the movement of the plot line. The dialogue was beautiful, intelligent and humorous. I laughed out loud and felt compelled to read passages to those unfortunate to be sitting near me. The story forced the characters to examine their lives and perceptions of happiness and how well they believed they knew their families and communities. I really enjoyed that the plot was not easy to predict. It is divided into three parts and each one is a movement that makes up the whole with indications for the next part, but it does not give itself away.
Just go read it. Yes, it is sad in places, but such an intelligent humorous insightful book.
So, back to Charles Baxter. Feast of Love came out in 2000 and I loved it. It was such an interesting look into the love of a community. So of it going right and some going drastically wrong. I had not been paying attention in the years since, and happily stumbled upon Saul and Patsy a few days ago while looking at books.
I have been fortunate to have read some really original and interesting books lately and Saul and Patsy just continued that trend nicely. I am afraid that since I had three good books in a row I might now fall back into some crappy book slump having used up all the luck I had.
Saul and Pasty is so incredibly subtle in its humor, joy and sadness. It is the story of two people who are so in love with one another that their world revolves around their enjoyment of one another. Saul and Pasty fulfill one another with their love of language, theories, and discussions.
They are city people who move to a small town in Michigan so that Saul could follow his ideals and become a teacher. The central theme of the book really is about relationships and isolation. Baxter is known for his themes of Mid-Western isolation. How do outsiders become members of a community? How do outsiders change when they fit themselves into a new community and learn and incorporate manners that are foreign to them? What are the boundaries of intended or unintended relationships?
There is enough information out there about the book’s plot so I am going to forgo that discussion and just say how much I enjoyed the style of the book and the movement of the plot line. The dialogue was beautiful, intelligent and humorous. I laughed out loud and felt compelled to read passages to those unfortunate to be sitting near me. The story forced the characters to examine their lives and perceptions of happiness and how well they believed they knew their families and communities. I really enjoyed that the plot was not easy to predict. It is divided into three parts and each one is a movement that makes up the whole with indications for the next part, but it does not give itself away.
Just go read it. Yes, it is sad in places, but such an intelligent humorous insightful book.
Friday, May 13, 2005
Life at These Speeds by Jeremy Jackson
If you have not read Life at These Speeds, you really should it is amazing. The author Jeremy Jackson has really created something unique. I would have to say it falls in the top of my picks for contemporary fiction and first novels.
When I read the back of the book I thought, “Holy man, that sounds cheesy. There is no way that could be anything but sappy.” Oh how wrong I was.
The premise: An eighth grader who goes to a small town school is on the track team. After an away track meet his parents drive him home while all his team mates careen off a bridge and die in the school van. Almost all of his classmates (out of the entire grade) were in the van, I said it was a small school. He basically goes into shock, does nothing but run and become a great runner in the process. Told ya it sounded cheesy, right?
Well it is not.
The book describes his process of waking up from grief induced amnesia in such an amazing way. He slowly becomes aware of himself, begins remembering his life with the kids that died, and starts to live his life again. It is heart wrenching. The author describes the process sort of like the unfolding of a flower. The story blooms. I am not going to explain much more, because you need to read this book for yourself. It is incredible.
It is handled so beautifully.
Other themes in the book that are interesting in their own right. The parental equation. How do parents insert themselves into their children’s emotional lives. Running. Running plays a huge part of this book, and the author captures the solitary world beautifully.
My one complaint about the book is that the kids have better emotional insight and speak at such a high level there that it can be unbelievable at times.
Just so I don’t end on a bad note, I want to re-iterate this book is well worth reading. Do yourself a favor and read it.
When I read the back of the book I thought, “Holy man, that sounds cheesy. There is no way that could be anything but sappy.” Oh how wrong I was.
The premise: An eighth grader who goes to a small town school is on the track team. After an away track meet his parents drive him home while all his team mates careen off a bridge and die in the school van. Almost all of his classmates (out of the entire grade) were in the van, I said it was a small school. He basically goes into shock, does nothing but run and become a great runner in the process. Told ya it sounded cheesy, right?
Well it is not.
The book describes his process of waking up from grief induced amnesia in such an amazing way. He slowly becomes aware of himself, begins remembering his life with the kids that died, and starts to live his life again. It is heart wrenching. The author describes the process sort of like the unfolding of a flower. The story blooms. I am not going to explain much more, because you need to read this book for yourself. It is incredible.
It is handled so beautifully.
Other themes in the book that are interesting in their own right. The parental equation. How do parents insert themselves into their children’s emotional lives. Running. Running plays a huge part of this book, and the author captures the solitary world beautifully.
My one complaint about the book is that the kids have better emotional insight and speak at such a high level there that it can be unbelievable at times.
Just so I don’t end on a bad note, I want to re-iterate this book is well worth reading. Do yourself a favor and read it.
