The Dark Tower. Stephen King.

The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower.
Stephen King.
Grant: 2004.

[warning: plot spoilers]
The final volume in this interesting series is as good as the first. All the good guys and the bad buys die -- including some real tear-jerking moments -- except Susannah (who gives up--a very disappointing move on King's part) and Roland. He, of course, successfully reaches the Dark Tower. As he ascends, he passes through rooms, each of which encapsulates one moment, one part of his life. When he at last reaches the top and opens the door, the horrible truth comes to him: he has done this already, perhaps an infinite number of times. He is immediately sent back to the desert, chasing the man in black (the opening scene of Gunslinger, already forgetting what he knew. King could have made this a great commentary on the curse of a character who has to relive his painful life each time the book is read anew (he is, after all, aware that he is a character), but he backs away from this by changing one detail, which implies that next time Roland goes through this, he might find redemption, or at least be one step closer. Oh well, at least it's a positive message of perseverance and hope.

R.U.R. Karel Capek.

R.U.R.

Karel Capek.

Washington Square Press: 1969/1923

I have always known this book for two reasons: it is the origin of the word 'robot' and it has always been hailed as being ahead of its time. Despite the advance warning, I was still taken aback by its ability to be applied to today's world. Indeed, the main plot of the book (robots come to realize that they can take care of things better than people can) is one of the plots in Asimov's I, Robot.

The play reads fast, yet even a fast read cannot ignore the huge issues raised: who is responsible for the moral use of technology?, what should the relationship ultimately be for man & machine?, will humans evolve or be replaced by another species -- even one of our own design?, what are the effects of leveling of the economic/political strengths of the world's economies?, who watches the watchers?, how does one face personal vs. global annihilation?, etc. This guy is good!

Rasselas. Samuel Johnson.

Rasselas: Prince of Abyssinia.
Samuel Johnson.

John B. Alden: 1887.

A short classic about a young prince who leaves his overprotective castle to search the world for happiness -- or, the way to live happily. He is joined by his sister and an older "man of learning," Imlac, on his quest.

Along their way, they meet with a variety of people who seem happy: farmer, hermit, scientist, philosopher, ruler, etc.; yet each one declares himself to be unhappy. Eventually, they decide to return to Abyssinia.

Johnson's cynicism and pessimism are laughable at times, probably intentionally. Rasselas intends to find a life of continual ease and happiness -- such as his father intended for him at Abyssinia -- yet despite his own experience and observations, he his unable to see that struggle and strife are necessar to experience true happiness.

The Broken Bubble. Philip K. Dick

The Broken Bubble.
Philip K. Dick
Arbor House, 1988.

One of Dick's posthumously published non-SF novels. This follows a man who is 30-35 but still refuses to succumb to societal norms. One day, he refuses to read a blaring radio ad on his programme; his refusal speaks clearly to some teenagers who proceed to -- believe it or not -- rebel against authority. More interesting than this guy is his ex-wife (whom he is pursuing again) who has a complete emotional and moral breakdown.

Ultimately, though, the reader is watching these people's lives rather than understanding or participating in them. Dick's writing is good enough that we believe him when the ex-wife seduces the 18 year old fan, or paints the whole apartment black, etc., but the emotional distance remains -- as with his naked woman in a giant ball, we are always watching through a plastic bubble.

By Neva's Waters. John R. Carling.

By Neva's Waters.

John R. Carling.
Little, Brown: 1907.

An uncommon title by Carling, who was a writer of historical romances. A hundred years ago, there was much more emphasis on the adventure than the romance, though. This is a simply marvellous tale of Russia at the time of czar Alexander I's rise. A dashing and gallant Englishman, Lord Wilfrid Courtenay, falls in love with a beautiful Russian noblewoman.

Various adventures and political intrigues ensue. At times, this is more a drama of manners, as it were, since so much of the plot revolves around certain people's perceptions of other people. Nowadays, of course, such thinking seems quaint and it is felt to be an outdated plot device.

At the end, it turns out that Wilfrid's love is in fact the Czarina, and as such, a relationship is impossible. So, he settles for his second favorite lady, who was in love with the Czar, but now prefers Wilfrid. Strange, but wistfully happy.

The Story Without a Name/A Nameless Story. Barbey d'Aurevilly.

The Story Without a Name.
Barbey d'Aurevilly.
W. B. Conkey: 1882/1902.

An interesting little book, with a Robert Louis Stevenson short story at the end. For some reason, "Collins" is on the spine of this book (along with the title "Nameless Story"), but this was penned by d'Aurevilly although he is not credited anywhere in the book. Most likely a pirated edition. The first legit U.S. edition seems to be 1919 published by Brentano's of New York.

At times, this book seems almost more of a sketch of a longer one. This story takes place in a remote valley, where a widow and her daughter are host to a wondering Capuchin monk for a few weeks. Neither like him, and they are relieved when he leaves.

The daughter, Lasthenie de Ferjol, becomes sick, and her mother thinks she's in love; a suspicion reinforced when the daughter is discovered to be pregnant! Lasthenie has no knowledge of how this happened. Mme. de Ferjol is harsh and unforgiving. Daughter gives birth to still-born, slowly pines away and dies, not having spoken for years. Of course, it turns out that the monk was the father of the baby, and the mother goes to the grave and curses him.

Sections of nice detailed writing interspersed by long sections of simple, almost hurried writing (or translation.) Could be reworked into a great gothic or Dickens novel.

Interestingly enough, French doctors have described as "Syndrome of Lasthénie de Ferjol" a syndrome in which women bleed themselves repeatedly and secretly to the point of death or grave illness.

Tales of the City. Armistead Maupin.

Tales of the City.
Armistead Maupin.
Harper: 1990.

Essentially a soap opera with San Franciscans. Maupin has presumably lived in San Francisco, and he really hits on the middle- to uppoer-class white folks there, with their casual acceptance of everything and their amateur philosophy. There are, of course, other sides of SF, but perhaps he touches on those in one of his other five novels in the series.

The book centers around a house owned by a marijuana-growing woman with a secret past, who is like a mother to her young tenants. None of the tenants have any real direction in their lives, nor are any very lucky in love. Although largely a soap, there are some truly comic moments in the book (but not as many as the author thinks.)

Overall, this is a safe, well-written story. I listened to the audio book, which is read by Maupin who has a distracting accent. I probably will not read more in the series, but would like to read another book of his to see if he ever really develops his sense of absurdity, or if he just keeps it at the sit-com level.

The Treasure. Selma Lagerlof.

The Treasure.
by Selma Lagerlof. Translated by Arthur Chater.
Doubleday, Page & Co: 1925.

A very enjoyable book. Set in 16th century Sweden, it tells the tale of a brutal murder by villains, and how the only survivor, the ghosts of the victims, and the last person to see them alive avenge their murders. The plot twist is that the survivor, a 14-year old girl, falls in love with the leader of the villains. The leader is haunted by a ghost and is very remorseful; he falls in love with the girl. The witness is too cowardly to do much of anything.

It ends with the lovers hating each other, the girl kills herself so that the leader can get caught (he doesn't) and the witness finally gets the courage to make a stand. The bad guys are eventually caught, and the girl is honored in/by her death.

This has all the aspects of a successful fairy tale: a fun yet dark & twisted plot; good characters; yet reads as easily as a young adult novel. Lots of neat setting details make this successful just as an historical novel.

Full Moon. P. G. Wodehouse.

Full Moon
by P. G. Wodehouse

Read this on insistence of Diana who laughs hysterically every few pages when reading a Wodehouse novel. This book displays an ungodly amount of British humor - lots of slapstick, situation comedy, puns and other word play, etc., and entirely lacking in the great English tradition of satire. Some of the dialog is amusing, to be sure, but, as Diana always says, I was "underwhelmed."

Snow Falling on Cedars
by David Guterson.

Winner of two mid-size awards, this very popular book is ultimately disappointing. In comparison to pulp mysteries it scores with better writing, but fails with plot. In comparison to "literature" in pales all around. The characters are flat with one or two defining inner conflicts, the plot is only vaguely interesting. What keeps this book going is its descriptions of small-town/small-island life. Although these depictions fall into ready stereotypes, Guterson at least gives a coherent rationale for their existence.

The writing is clear and easy to read. The plot revolves around a Japanese man wrongly accused of murder. Ten years after WWII, internment, Pearl Harbor, etc., tensions still run deep on this small island in the Pacific Northwest. The real guts of the story is supposedly a love affair between a white boy and Japanese girl before the war, but it is really quite uninvolving. I wish the Japanese guy had killed the other guy, just for some kind of interesting plot twist!

The Book of Sorrows
by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

The title nails it - this is a sad book. A sequel to the brilliant "Book of the Dun Cow", this book again displays the author's great writing technique in an allegorical tale of animals fighting Evil. In the "Dun Cow", the climax was a great war, and the "Sorrows" deals with the psychological aftermaths of the war, especially on Chauntecleer the rooster-pastor.

Beautifully written, though lacking much character development except a few (common to sequels, I suppose, though in this case, the main character continues to be a dynamic one). The main themes are the survivors' guilt, and loss of active faith: both of which are experienced by Chauntecleer who eventually must die for his sins.

John MacNab

John MacNab

John Buchan. Wordsworth Classics: 1986.

A fairly short but entertaining adventure/mystery about three men, bored with respectable life, who go to the country and challenge their neighbors that "John MacNab" will poach an animal from their estate during a given time period of three days.

Of course, there are minor subplots, and some fun characters, but the bulk of the story is the planning and execution of the stunts. It has the same intellectual stratagem of a mystery, the excitement of a suspense novel, and a LOT of Scottish colloquialisms.

Yes, this is fun, but the former English major in me cannot resist seeing the Christian Trinity in the MacNab three-in-one persona: father (loss of innocence plot), son (fish miracle plot), and Holy Ghost (power of love plot.)

June 4, 2005

Cat's Eye

Margaret Atwood. Doubleday: 1989.

A dry and witty novel about a 50-ish artist looking back on her life. Atwood is at her best when describing the early childhood of Elaine: the innocence of the child clearly comes through. Abused by a childhood "best friend", the adult Elaine keeps thinking she'll run into her former tormenter Cordelia while she's back in Toronto for an art show.

Good enough to be a "modern classic": it is very good, and Atwood packs in the thematic subtext. Yet she pokes fun at all of this: Elaine's artwork, when seen from her perspective is largely autobiographical. However, when the art critics dissect her artwork -- lots of long words, high-falutin' stuff -- they do so much to Elaine's amusement. Just goes to show that 90% of criticism comes from the critic, not the work.

May 23, 2005

Fanfan

Alexandre Jardin. St. Martin's Press.

A very amusing story which pokes fun at erotic literature and love stories a la "Romeo and Juliet. "

A young man finds himself vacillating wildly between his steady, down-to-earth fiancee, and the luscious Fanfan whom he has just met and mentally declared to be his one true love.

Instead of trying to get together with Fanfan, though, he wants to make their courtship last a lifetime and indefinitely postpone the first kiss, believing that once a relationship is established, it will inevitably grow stale.

Jardin makes use of multiple layers of fantasy on various characters' parts to expand the ever-growing absurdity of the plot.

The story has a happy ending when Alexandre's grandfather-figure tells him: "grow up."

May 2, 2005

Angle of Repose

Wallace Stegner. Penguin: 1971.

A sad, hopeful, and beautiful book about a paralyzed man writing a 'biographical novel' about his grandparents - discovering the truth about them & himself along the way.

As corny as it sounds, this is actually a powerful book. Most of it are chapters from the narrator's book-in-progress about how his parents tried to conquer & tame the West, but are eventually defeated - and only survive because of his grandmother's art and stories that she sells to the East Coast.

Even though Lyman (the narrator) pokes fun at Susan's (grandma) over-developed sense of "local color", this book oozes it, and it is for the most part exquisitively written.

Much of the action occurs along romance-novel lines (such as one Susan writes and Lyman belittles), yes the significance of Susan's, Lyman's, and Lyman's young assistance's reactions and interpretations give the book a hearty substance.

February 3, 2005

The Girl in a Swing

Richard Adams. Signet: 1981.

The New York Times quote on the front cover declares it to be of "beautiful, haunting, erotic love and an absolutely terrifying ghost story." Although these are certainly elements of the novel, this quote seems to be cheap American sensationalism on a story that truly deals with some of the larger issues in life - the extents to which we go for love, the ability of religion to express true spirituality, and forgiveness of our own and others' sins.

There is definitely a New Agey, humanistic approach to some of these ideas. There were several instances where Kathe is described in very similar terms as Rima of "Green Mansions" and one can't help but wonder if the "Green Mansions" era was similar to "Girl in a Swing"'s era.

January 19th, 2005

Atticus

Ron Hansen. HarperCollins: 1997.

Well-written novel that keeps you guessing. Suicide? Murder? Suicide? Although the main sequence of events is fairly easy to determine, this is a mystery that is not meant to be a mystery. Rather, it is the relationship between conservative, rural, meticulous Atticus and is youngest son, Scott, an artist frequently drunk. Scott's mother died in a car accident: he was responsible and has never gotten over it. A move to Mexico ends with his death . . . or does it?

Atticus - the only truly compelling character - meanwhile is able to forgive, albeit quite stoicly (is that a word?), and only wants his son to know that he loves him.

Hansen is at his best when describing Atticus when he is along and going through his daily routines. He is portrayed with a touch of loneliness, but also with comfort in the familiar.