“The Color of Water”
“The Color of Water” by James McBride is followed by “A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother” on the cover. Instantly I was intrigued towards the story. I flipped the book over for a closer examination. To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t sure of the difference between a memoir and an autobiography. When asked to read a memoir, I was unsure of what to invest in. This book came through tremendously.
McBride opens the story with the line, “I’m Dead”. McBride alternates the story between chapters, telling two tales through two different voices; his own and his mother’s. Not noticeable at first until you get to the next chapter where the font then becomes un-italicized. A rather clever writing technique. Along with the change in appearance comes a great change of voice. McBride effortlessly conveys his mother’s emotions without any intervention of his own personal thought. Even a topic such as his grandfather sexually abusing his mother at the beach is told with a different mood and tone than that of the other story.
McBride’s childhood pertains mostly to a rough life at home and at school. Being number 8 of 12 children must come with an overshadowed feeling attached right along with the title. Naturally, James falls to the vice of drugs and alcohol during this time. He eventually straightens out and goes to college like the rest of his siblings before him. He says his mother’s greatest achivement was watching her children achieve their own successes.
“The Color of Water” is definitely a novel which makes you take a look at the human race. It’s easy to comprehend the prejudices and injustices brought forth. Spanning as far back as Old Man Shilsky scamming a shvartse to two white nurses snickering in front of Ruth about her husband being black. They’re laughing while the man that built a church is dying from a stroke. Prejudice is ignorance. There was a love between them that she could never have dreamed of growing up. It only goes to show that everyone has a story to tell. Some are just better than others; this one particularly.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Johnny Got Aides
Johnny got his Gun
Few books are as thought provoking as Dalton Trumbo’s epic novel Johnny Got his Gun. Johnny Got His Gun was written shortly before the Second World War and is set during the First World War. Aka the Great War; Aka the War to End All Wars. But this actually this isn't really the setting, as the entire book is set inside one man's head. One man who wakes up confused and has to work out from data (or, more often, lack of data) that he has lost arms, legs, his eyes, ears, nose and mouth. The book mingles dream-like memories of his bodied life with the coming to terms of being trapped inside his own new body.
It is written as a stream of (barely) consciousness, with very little punctuation to interrupt the thoughts. The author displays his mad literary skills by exploring what happens to a mind isolated from the outside world except for a sense of touch, pain and of vibration. What happens you say? It has no choice but to think, to latch on to every piece of information it is lucky enough to get, and to be patient. What it can't prevent is the slow drift towards a kind of frustrated mania obsessing about every idea it has. At points it is crazy amped up description of what goes on in the mind of a writer, or other person who tends towards thinking rather than doing. (Cough me cough)
Johnny Got His Gun is a book against war, and even ends up being a pro-revolutionary manifesto arguing for rising up against those who would send innocent young men and women off to be killed in the name of “intangible” ideas. But what other conclusion could the mind of a previously healthy twenty-year-old man come to, after
Finding that all that is left of him is his brain and his brain has almost no way to communicate with the outside world?
Towards the end of the book, Joe does find a way to communicate. (Morse code) But he has been trapped for so many years with only himself to talk to, that he sends out the same stream of consciousness that has been his monologue for years. (SOS) His early patience has been replaced by desperation. Eventually he has to accept that he has gone stark raving mad.
To be honest I thought that most of the anecdotes about times at or near the battlefront were darkly amusing or even whimsical. However I also think that at times this book is entirely boring. Who wants to enter the mind of a raving amputee for hours at a time? The stream of consciousness kinda gets to you after awhile and it becomes hard to tell what the story is actually about. However, I think that Mr. Trumbo is no fool. He most positively did this intentionally to give the reader a taste of what it’s like to be left alone with yourself.
This is a rather messy and confusing read, but I’m going to go ahead and recommend it anyway on the grounds of originality. It’s a short read. So you might as well.
Overall Rating: *** dismembered limbs up.
Few books are as thought provoking as Dalton Trumbo’s epic novel Johnny Got his Gun. Johnny Got His Gun was written shortly before the Second World War and is set during the First World War. Aka the Great War; Aka the War to End All Wars. But this actually this isn't really the setting, as the entire book is set inside one man's head. One man who wakes up confused and has to work out from data (or, more often, lack of data) that he has lost arms, legs, his eyes, ears, nose and mouth. The book mingles dream-like memories of his bodied life with the coming to terms of being trapped inside his own new body.
It is written as a stream of (barely) consciousness, with very little punctuation to interrupt the thoughts. The author displays his mad literary skills by exploring what happens to a mind isolated from the outside world except for a sense of touch, pain and of vibration. What happens you say? It has no choice but to think, to latch on to every piece of information it is lucky enough to get, and to be patient. What it can't prevent is the slow drift towards a kind of frustrated mania obsessing about every idea it has. At points it is crazy amped up description of what goes on in the mind of a writer, or other person who tends towards thinking rather than doing. (Cough me cough)
Johnny Got His Gun is a book against war, and even ends up being a pro-revolutionary manifesto arguing for rising up against those who would send innocent young men and women off to be killed in the name of “intangible” ideas. But what other conclusion could the mind of a previously healthy twenty-year-old man come to, after
Finding that all that is left of him is his brain and his brain has almost no way to communicate with the outside world?
Towards the end of the book, Joe does find a way to communicate. (Morse code) But he has been trapped for so many years with only himself to talk to, that he sends out the same stream of consciousness that has been his monologue for years. (SOS) His early patience has been replaced by desperation. Eventually he has to accept that he has gone stark raving mad.
To be honest I thought that most of the anecdotes about times at or near the battlefront were darkly amusing or even whimsical. However I also think that at times this book is entirely boring. Who wants to enter the mind of a raving amputee for hours at a time? The stream of consciousness kinda gets to you after awhile and it becomes hard to tell what the story is actually about. However, I think that Mr. Trumbo is no fool. He most positively did this intentionally to give the reader a taste of what it’s like to be left alone with yourself.
This is a rather messy and confusing read, but I’m going to go ahead and recommend it anyway on the grounds of originality. It’s a short read. So you might as well.
Overall Rating: *** dismembered limbs up.
Animal Farm, a review from the works of Seamus Gorham
Animal Farm
Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely-and this is vividly and most certainly proved in George Orwell’s short novel. "Animal Farm. “Animal farm is a simple fable that is simply filled to the brim with political symbolism. The novel can be seen as the historical analysis of the causes of the failure of communism, or as a totally sick fairy-tale; in any case it tells a mad good story that aims to prove that human’s inability to deal with diversity prevents people from being equal and happy.
Animal Farm tells the simple and tragic story of what happens when the oppressed farm animal’s rebel, drive out Mr. Moccia Mr. Jones, the farmer, and attempt to rule the farm themselves. What the animals seem to have in mind was at was a utopian sort of communism, where each would work, respecting the needs of others. But it was all for nought, because the venture failed. Animal Farm ended up being a dictatorship of pigs, which were the brightest, and most idle of the animals.
Note: this happens to be where I think that the reference to corrupt officials as pigs comes from.
Animal Farm successfully presents how the mechanism of propaganda and brainwashing works in totalitarian governments, by showing how the pigs could make the other animals believe practically anything. Responsible for the propaganda was Squealer, a pig that "could turn black into white". Squealer managed to change the rule from "all animals are equal" to" all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others". He managed to convince the other animals that it was for their sake that the pigs ate most of the apples and drank most of the milk, that leadership was "heavy responsibility" and therefore the animals should be thankful to Napoleon. In this simple but effective way, Orwell presents the tragedy and confusion of thought control to the extent that one seems better off simply believing that" Napoleon is always right".
One of my favorite sections of the book is when Orwell describes how power turned the pigs from simple "comrades" to ruthless dictators who managed to walk on two legs, and carry whips. The story maybe seen as an analysis of the Soviet regime ( being that the novel was written in the 1940’s its safe to say that its more than likely based on Russia), or as a warning against political power games of an absolute nature and totalitarianism in general. For this reason, the story ends with a hair-raising warning to all humankind:" The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again: but already it was impossible to say which was which".
Animal Farm is a truly unique novel and a great read, as is anything by the literary master George Orwell. If you like a literary punch in the face you’re sure to enjoy this classic novella.
But you don’t have to take my word for it
duh nah nah!
Overall Rating-*****
* lame
** Aight
*** Good
**** Wicked Good
***** Wicked Excellent!!
Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely-and this is vividly and most certainly proved in George Orwell’s short novel. "Animal Farm. “Animal farm is a simple fable that is simply filled to the brim with political symbolism. The novel can be seen as the historical analysis of the causes of the failure of communism, or as a totally sick fairy-tale; in any case it tells a mad good story that aims to prove that human’s inability to deal with diversity prevents people from being equal and happy.
Animal Farm tells the simple and tragic story of what happens when the oppressed farm animal’s rebel, drive out Mr. Moccia Mr. Jones, the farmer, and attempt to rule the farm themselves. What the animals seem to have in mind was at was a utopian sort of communism, where each would work, respecting the needs of others. But it was all for nought, because the venture failed. Animal Farm ended up being a dictatorship of pigs, which were the brightest, and most idle of the animals.
Note: this happens to be where I think that the reference to corrupt officials as pigs comes from.
Animal Farm successfully presents how the mechanism of propaganda and brainwashing works in totalitarian governments, by showing how the pigs could make the other animals believe practically anything. Responsible for the propaganda was Squealer, a pig that "could turn black into white". Squealer managed to change the rule from "all animals are equal" to" all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others". He managed to convince the other animals that it was for their sake that the pigs ate most of the apples and drank most of the milk, that leadership was "heavy responsibility" and therefore the animals should be thankful to Napoleon. In this simple but effective way, Orwell presents the tragedy and confusion of thought control to the extent that one seems better off simply believing that" Napoleon is always right".
One of my favorite sections of the book is when Orwell describes how power turned the pigs from simple "comrades" to ruthless dictators who managed to walk on two legs, and carry whips. The story maybe seen as an analysis of the Soviet regime ( being that the novel was written in the 1940’s its safe to say that its more than likely based on Russia), or as a warning against political power games of an absolute nature and totalitarianism in general. For this reason, the story ends with a hair-raising warning to all humankind:" The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again: but already it was impossible to say which was which".
Animal Farm is a truly unique novel and a great read, as is anything by the literary master George Orwell. If you like a literary punch in the face you’re sure to enjoy this classic novella.
But you don’t have to take my word for it
duh nah nah!
Overall Rating-*****
* lame
** Aight
*** Good
**** Wicked Good
***** Wicked Excellent!!
Are You Going To Answer That?
What do you do when that little device your life depends on starts killing people? If you’re a character in Stephen King’s new book Cell, then you run away. And by run away I mean run right into the problem. Cell, like many a King book, focuses on a small ensemble cast of a nerd, a kid, a divided man and an unseen monster.
The book, which is one of his newest, looks at what would happen to the world if cell phones turned people into zombies. The action in the book fluctuates, and the time between actions seems like it is stretched forever, at least until you get that next exciting jolt as the “monster” comes back. (Insert girlish scream here!) The characters are the usual King characters, who live, act and die like the typical King character, but he makes you love them anyhow. They try to run away to Maine, and as usual, things just get worse. Some you love, some you hate, some will die, but you'll never find one thats two dimensional; that is the beauty of overused characters. And for you King fans, throughout the story you will find many parallels and similarities between his other books, and this will either pull you in, or push you out.
So, if you like the typical King with some great end of the world, road to hell kind of book, and don’t mind the huge similarities to all his other works, then here is your dream book. If not, then mosey on over to the kids section and get yourself another book.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Einstein's Dreams
Tim Paradis
Creative Writing
Book Review
Einstein’s Dreams
Have you ever really stopped to think about the theory of time? Times unchangeable principles and its onward motion forever for the rest of eternity? Time is a challenging concept; not one to be taken lightly. In this novel by Alan Lightman, the author tries to paint a picture of the beginning of the 20th century
His writing isn’t wrong per se; it’s simple. I believe he tries to write this way only because he wants people to understand some of the abstract metaphors brought out in the book. Each chapter is a different metaphor of time and the effects it would have on everyday life if time were to work that way in that chapter. Each approach is a very non-traditional way to think of time. All of this culminates around the time when Einstein was trying to publish his work on the theory of relativity.
I think this book is a great eye opener for those who want to get right abstract. It tests your personal bounds of creativity. If you can perceive each chapter’s message than you are a very worldly person. If not, this book is great to try to open the annals of your mind. I would defiantly recommend it for two reasons. One it was recommended to me and I loved it. Secondly, it gives you a chance to think not how you can change time, but how you can better yourself. To quote David Bowie, “I said that time may change me, but I can’t change time”.
Monday, January 14, 2008
The Best 2007 Has To Offer?
What this book is, is a collection of twelve short stories and novellas, ranging from twelve pages long to sixty seven pages long, edited and put together by Rich Horton. Every one of these short stories is well written and interesting, but what surprised me was the way the whole book tied together. The editor had to look through hundreds of short stories to choose the twelve for his book, and some of them are just as well written as the ones in this book, however he had to choose, so he picked ones with similar themes. So when you read through this book it feels as though while all the stories are radically different, they are tied together. However this also means that if one is looking for an honest account of the absolutely best stories that the world has to offer this year, they are bound for disappointment.
All of the short stories in this anthology seem to pertain to death or the soul, and personally I like the depth it adds to the stories. Science fiction is generally a very action-based genre, these themes allow the stories to be something deeper than just adventure.
However much I like the anthology as a whole, there are some substandard stories, about two. However those two stories are balanced by the four or five really fantastic stories. The best of the book, hands down, is “The Cartesian Theater”, by Robert Charles Wilson. This is a story about how in the future the government takes care of humankind’s basic needs, they have an artificially intelligent type of robot called aibots that do most of the menial work. Most people choose to work, but those that don’t live in this place called Doletown, and that is the scene for this story. In Doletown lives a man, an artist, and it is the main character’s job to hunt out this man, Jafar Bloom, and offer him money to put on his show, because an anonymous backer requested it.
‘“He’s an artist, you said?”
“Yes.”
“So what’s his medium?”
“Death,” I said.’
The next best story in my mind is “Inclination” by William Shunn. This one is about how in the future all people live in space station and there is this small religious sect called the Machinists; the Machinists believe in the Six Fundamental Machines and study their religious text called the Manual (which is actually an adaptation of the Bible). The rest of the world has moved on and embraced new technology but the Machinists stick to the old fashioned type of mechanics, they don’t use electricity or anything like that. It is all about a young man’s endeavors in the outside world, the world of the Sculpted. “So, you are telling me my people live in poverty to provide an example of how undesirable poverty is?”
All in all this is the perfect book for all sci-fi fans. The stories are short, but well developed. The plots are unique. The writing is good. This very well may be the best 2007 has to offer.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
kite runner review
For once in my life, I finally read a book that I could not put down. Kite Runner is a story of a child named Amir whose life changed the day he ran away when his friend, Hassan, really needed him. Amir grew up feeling guilty, but seemed to show no remorse for his actions. He was in constant need of approval from his father, Baba. When Amir and his father moved to America from Afghanistan, they seemed to live a normal life, only with different standards. Baba was diagnosed with cancer, Amir got married, and there were even some infertility issues thrown into the mix.
The one thing that captured my attention was mostly the fact of how it opened my eyes to the way Afghanistan was, and how the Taliban had completely demolished it.
It was a place of beauty, happiness, and even a place where you could particiate in a kite running contest. It then turned to a fear filled "holocaust-like" area that turned women into useless beings that had no rights whatsoever, and men into cringing animals. When the Taliban rode by in their red trucks, eye contact was not allowed to be made or else you'd get the butt of a gun to the face or beaten to death. Not only was the morbid areas fascinating, but also the areas where the irony just jumped out and smacked you in the face.
Amir's friend Hassan was born with a cleft lip, and after the years of wishing that he had not run when Hassan needed him, he got into a scrap with an old "villain," and got a split in the lip that left him with a scar that resembled that of a "cleft lip." And there was another part where... well, maybe I shouldn't spoil too much for you, so go ahead and pick up a copy for yourself.
The one thing that captured my attention was mostly the fact of how it opened my eyes to the way Afghanistan was, and how the Taliban had completely demolished it.
It was a place of beauty, happiness, and even a place where you could particiate in a kite running contest. It then turned to a fear filled "holocaust-like" area that turned women into useless beings that had no rights whatsoever, and men into cringing animals. When the Taliban rode by in their red trucks, eye contact was not allowed to be made or else you'd get the butt of a gun to the face or beaten to death. Not only was the morbid areas fascinating, but also the areas where the irony just jumped out and smacked you in the face.
Amir's friend Hassan was born with a cleft lip, and after the years of wishing that he had not run when Hassan needed him, he got into a scrap with an old "villain," and got a split in the lip that left him with a scar that resembled that of a "cleft lip." And there was another part where... well, maybe I shouldn't spoil too much for you, so go ahead and pick up a copy for yourself.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Wiseguy book review
This is the most exciting biography you'll ever read. The only book you ever need to read about the Mafia is Wiseguy, by Nicholas Pileggi. Wiseguy is the amazing true story of Henry Hill, as told to Pileggi, who wanted, as far back as he can remember, to be a gangster. His house in New York City was directly across from a taxi depot run by local mobsters. As he started running errands for the taxi depot, his life as a gangster began.
Hill then recollects his meeting and befriending of Jimmy Burke and Tommy DeSimone, how he joined the army (and hustled while he was there), and his life with his wife Karen. The best part of the story is the before, during, and after of the legendary Lufthansa heist, in which over six million dollars was stolen in a little over an hour. The story ends with Henry joining the witness protection program, in order to save himself from his good friend Jimmy.
Anyone will enjoy this book, and I dare you to give me one reason as to why this book isn’t a classic. It was later adapted into a 1990 Martin Scorsese film entitled GoodFellas, which is one of the best films ever made. This book will give you many reasons to want to be a gangster, but just as many (and more important) reasons to not be a gangster. These are people who kill someone because they ask them for a shoeshine.
Hill then recollects his meeting and befriending of Jimmy Burke and Tommy DeSimone, how he joined the army (and hustled while he was there), and his life with his wife Karen. The best part of the story is the before, during, and after of the legendary Lufthansa heist, in which over six million dollars was stolen in a little over an hour. The story ends with Henry joining the witness protection program, in order to save himself from his good friend Jimmy.
Anyone will enjoy this book, and I dare you to give me one reason as to why this book isn’t a classic. It was later adapted into a 1990 Martin Scorsese film entitled GoodFellas, which is one of the best films ever made. This book will give you many reasons to want to be a gangster, but just as many (and more important) reasons to not be a gangster. These are people who kill someone because they ask them for a shoeshine.
Monday, December 10, 2007
The Things They Carried Book Review
The Thing They Carried, by Tim O'Brien, is a masterpiece of war literature. It has everything one looks for in a good read: adventure, love and suspense, to name but a few. It doesn't have a definite plot; being more a compilation of short stories, each with their own point to get across. Tim O'Brien is a master of being able to pinpoint so eloquently the feelings that are always so difficult to explain, and does so with a beautiful, almost deadly grace.
"He says cooze. Then he spits and stares. He's nineteen years old—it's too much for him—so he looks at you with those big sad gentle killer eyes and says cooze, because his friend is dead, and because it's so incredibly sad and true: she never wrote back" (pg 69) is an example of O'Brien using his poetic way with words to get his point across softly and yet have a less-than-pleasant meaning. His stories never have truly happy endings, but in the end you feel better having read it.
O'Brien has a certain way with words that gives off an emptiness reminiscent of "Okay, I've just fought in a war, now what do I do?" It's not a glorified story filled with words to boost his own ego. Instead, he tells the same story multiple times, always from a different angle and perspective, adding in or taking away a certain detail.
It's O'Brien's spectacular storytelling skills that make this book what it is. It's not a terribly long collection, but it feels complete. It's truly a masterpiece that shows the horrors of war without being dull, and is also a work of art which is a good tool for aspiring writers to use to become better.
"He says cooze. Then he spits and stares. He's nineteen years old—it's too much for him—so he looks at you with those big sad gentle killer eyes and says cooze, because his friend is dead, and because it's so incredibly sad and true: she never wrote back" (pg 69) is an example of O'Brien using his poetic way with words to get his point across softly and yet have a less-than-pleasant meaning. His stories never have truly happy endings, but in the end you feel better having read it.
O'Brien has a certain way with words that gives off an emptiness reminiscent of "Okay, I've just fought in a war, now what do I do?" It's not a glorified story filled with words to boost his own ego. Instead, he tells the same story multiple times, always from a different angle and perspective, adding in or taking away a certain detail.
It's O'Brien's spectacular storytelling skills that make this book what it is. It's not a terribly long collection, but it feels complete. It's truly a masterpiece that shows the horrors of war without being dull, and is also a work of art which is a good tool for aspiring writers to use to become better.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
On Writing, by Stephen King
On Writing, by Stephen King, is a half-memoir, half writing manual. It serves as an informative, yet often funny, description of his life and then a guide on how to write. While some of the content in the first half and the language throughout is a little crude, it’s all in all an interesting read.
The first section is about his life in general, but only about how it’s been influenced by writing. He talks about the stories he published in high school, and working as an editor for his older brother’s newspaper. He also seems to enjoy recounting exactly how certain ideas came about, and how the plot bunny developed in his mind
Stephen King, next, delves into his idea of what’s important to budding authors. He can be a little harsh when it comes to adverbs and believes one shouldn’t plot excessively to oneself. He gives many good tips on how he thinks the mindset should be when sitting down to pound out a novel: focused, and that a plot loses life if it’s been sitting around for more than three months.
In some places he deviates a little too much, but it’s altogether a good book, at least for someone able to take the harsh barbs aimed at them.
The first section is about his life in general, but only about how it’s been influenced by writing. He talks about the stories he published in high school, and working as an editor for his older brother’s newspaper. He also seems to enjoy recounting exactly how certain ideas came about, and how the plot bunny developed in his mind
Stephen King, next, delves into his idea of what’s important to budding authors. He can be a little harsh when it comes to adverbs and believes one shouldn’t plot excessively to oneself. He gives many good tips on how he thinks the mindset should be when sitting down to pound out a novel: focused, and that a plot loses life if it’s been sitting around for more than three months.
In some places he deviates a little too much, but it’s altogether a good book, at least for someone able to take the harsh barbs aimed at them.
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