Circe by Madeline MillerMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This must be the summer of my (reading) discontent. I wish I could say I liked this book more. Maybe, at this point in my life, I'm thisclose from standing outside my house, clenching the books I've read this summer, waving each in the air, and shouting, "Get off my lawn!"
Yes, "Circe" is well-written... and Madeline Miller is deservedly popular...and I certainly admire and respect that... but, somehow, reading this, I found myself bored.
One interesting angle was the passage of time. Circe is ageless, so centuries pass in an instant, but then toward the end of the book the "action" drags, with our heroine coming to terms with the perils of immortality.
I found this a lot more entertaining when I watched the same theme play out in the mini-series "The Good Place" several years ago. Perhaps Michael Schur could add life to the movie version of this book.
One interesting angle was the passage of time. Circe is ageless, so centuries pass in an instant, but then toward the end of the book the "action" drags, with our heroine coming to terms with the perils of immortality.
I found this a lot more entertaining when I watched the same theme play out in the mini-series "The Good Place" several years ago. Perhaps Michael Schur could add life to the movie version of this book.
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I already posted here about this next book, but I think Mr. Hersh's point bears repeating.
Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again by Jake Tapper
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This was a painful read.
Why? Because the words of Seymour Hersh kept surfacing in the back of my mind about the authors: "Jack Tapper of CNN and Alex Thompson of Axios... had every reason to know something -- if not more than what the 'Journal' published -- long before the election season. As a broadcaster with a national audience, Tapper did no reporting for the public on that issue when it mattered -- when there was still time for the Democratic leadership to pressure Biden to withdraw and hold and open convention to pick a new candidate."
I've worked with many journalists in the past. I admire journalists. When it mattered most last year, so many journalists simply didn't do their jobs. Writing a best-selling post mortem is not journalism; it's exploitation of a privileged position.
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I felt stuck in the mud trying to get through this book. Thin, hard-to-follow plot, with words that seem to scream, "Admire the writing here!" I appreciated the references to "The Inferno," so this has at least inspired me to reread the original work by, as the author puts it, "the Italian." Also, it was helpful to discover something about myself: not a fan of "magical realism."
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Yikes. I started this, then had flashbacks to my struggles with "Let Us Descend" by another well-respected author. I just, can't, read another book that's so dense. Not only that, nothing about this storyline interests me. This was a library book club selection. I put the book down today. I'll skip the next book club meeting. I long to read something that delights and inspires me and, yes, challenges me -- but not another "I have to slog through this for the sake of having said I read this" challenge. Life is too short. I'm sure it's not you, Rachel Kushner; it's me.
Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again by Jake TapperMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
This was a painful read.
Why? Because the words of Seymour Hersh kept surfacing in the back of my mind about the authors: "Jack Tapper of CNN and Alex Thompson of Axios... had every reason to know something -- if not more than what the 'Journal' published -- long before the election season. As a broadcaster with a national audience, Tapper did no reporting for the public on that issue when it mattered -- when there was still time for the Democratic leadership to pressure Biden to withdraw and hold and open convention to pick a new candidate."
I've worked with many journalists in the past. I admire journalists. When it mattered most last year, so many journalists simply didn't do their jobs. Writing a best-selling post mortem is not journalism; it's exploitation of a privileged position.
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn WardMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I felt stuck in the mud trying to get through this book. Thin, hard-to-follow plot, with words that seem to scream, "Admire the writing here!" I appreciated the references to "The Inferno," so this has at least inspired me to reread the original work by, as the author puts it, "the Italian." Also, it was helpful to discover something about myself: not a fan of "magical realism."
Creation Lake by Rachel KushnerMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Yikes. I started this, then had flashbacks to my struggles with "Let Us Descend" by another well-respected author. I just, can't, read another book that's so dense. Not only that, nothing about this storyline interests me. This was a library book club selection. I put the book down today. I'll skip the next book club meeting. I long to read something that delights and inspires me and, yes, challenges me -- but not another "I have to slog through this for the sake of having said I read this" challenge. Life is too short. I'm sure it's not you, Rachel Kushner; it's me.
The Inferno of Dante by Dante AlighieriMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Having read and enjoyed Robert Pinsky's "Jersey Breaks" (see below) and being a lifelong fan of John Cleese, what could go wrong with this audiobook version?
Well, three things:
1. The production is a bit muddy, especially in the first hour or so... it's as if Cleese is reading with marbles in his mouth.
2. It's an abridged version of "The Inferno," and that isn't entirely made clear up-front.
3. Some of the translation seems... weird... like encountering "incontinence" as a reason for winding up in Hell (yes, I know, there's another, far less recognizable meaning of the word, but...). And, here, for example, when we're suddenly (due to abridgment) on the verge of the 9th Circle, and we encounter a spirit with a wound "split from his mouth to his farting place" and who speaks with a comical Scottish accent. In fact, Cleese's voicings are problematic throughout. I kept thinking, "There's a penguin on the telly!" whenever he'd voice a spirit in a familiar Monty Python affectation.
Oh, well, if you really want a harrowing version of Hell these days, check out the new Netflix series "Adolescence." It's much more nuanced and arresting than this translated classic.
2. It's an abridged version of "The Inferno," and that isn't entirely made clear up-front.
3. Some of the translation seems... weird... like encountering "incontinence" as a reason for winding up in Hell (yes, I know, there's another, far less recognizable meaning of the word, but...). And, here, for example, when we're suddenly (due to abridgment) on the verge of the 9th Circle, and we encounter a spirit with a wound "split from his mouth to his farting place" and who speaks with a comical Scottish accent. In fact, Cleese's voicings are problematic throughout. I kept thinking, "There's a penguin on the telly!" whenever he'd voice a spirit in a familiar Monty Python affectation.
Oh, well, if you really want a harrowing version of Hell these days, check out the new Netflix series "Adolescence." It's much more nuanced and arresting than this translated classic.
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OK, OK, so it's been a summer of misses. At least the year started out for me with a string of hits:
Climbing Above The Clouds: My Life As A Private Pilot by Mark A. MarchandMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was written by a former work colleague of mine. I purchased a physical copy so that I might have my upstate New York friend autograph it for me one day. Mark writes a love letter here about one of his life's passions. I found it entertaining and informative. If you ever had someone in your life who loved aviation, read this book to get a better understanding and appreciation of pilots. You won't regret it!
Jersey Breaks: Becoming an American Poet by Robert PinskyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another friend recommended this book. It didn't disappoint! I listened to the Audible version so I could hear the poet read it, but then I bought a hard copy so I could go back and reflect on favorite passages in a more tangible way. Oh, and it inspired me to watch Season 13, Episode 20 of "The Simpsons," which is also wonderful. Thank you, friend.
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik LarsonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a wonderful read, full of well-researched but not overwhelming detail. I learned much about the history of World War I and now question everything I thought I knew about Winston Churchill and Woodrow Wilson. Lots of political parallels to modern-day America too.
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'FarrellMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is another wonderful book. It's full of detail, and it's a harrowing character study of an early 16th-century duke in Italy and his remarkable young bride.
Well, it's mostly about the bride. I just thought the psychopathic husband was chillingly written. My only reservation about this book is how it jumbles timelines back and forth. I would have enjoyed it more as a ticking timebomb of a narrative rather than a series of scenes that go ping-pong in time.
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