Book Eight - Birdsong - Part Two

I’m trying to keep an open mind about this book. I’m enjoying it, but like Anna Karenina this one includes a woman becoming involved in an extra-marital affair with scant explanation for why she does so. The explanation for why this man pursues the married woman is that he’s obsessed. Oh! That explains everything! Just say he’s obsessed, dude, since we all know exactly what that means. I could have done with more evidence of his internal struggle rather than simply being told he’s obsessed, but that’s just me. The same goes for the woman. She’s a buttoned-up proper French woman one moment and an adventurous lover the next, all ooh-la-la.* Seriously? Oh, there were a couple of “reasons” given but these characters haven’t been fully explained. Perhaps that is coming. At this point, however, I dislike the conclusions made by the narrator.

The subtitle of the book is A Novel Of Love And War and part one was all love; thus far part two is all war. I’m not sure whether it’ll go back and forth like that throughout the novel, but as a long-term strategy love and war don’t generally go together very well. I suspect this one is mostly about war, and war is a man’s world so I’m not sure when Miss Ooh-La-La will return. But I suspect she shall do so.

There are moments that are just right and these are the things I enjoy about this book. For example, here’s evidence that some things don’t change. Does this sound familiar? The beginning of the book is set in 1910--

I can’t bear these folk tunes you hear so much of these days… When I was a young man it was different. Of course, everything was different then… give me a proper melody that’s been written by one of our great composers any day. A song by Schubert or a nocturne by Chopin, something that will make the hairs of your head stand on end!

And here is another description that I particularly like; she happens to be the elderly relative of the man from the above quotation. “Her reputation as a person of patience and sanctity was based on her long widowhood and the large collection of missals, crucifixes, and mementos of pilgrimage she had collected in her bedroom…”

Also, there is a peanut butter stain on page 105 which I inadvertently left for the next owner of this book. Just thought I’d mention it.


*If you are unfamiliar with the ooh-la-la phenomenon you may want to check out Pepe LePew on You Tube. You won’t regret it.

Book Eight - Birdsong - Part One

I knew nothing about this book until I opened it. As I turned to the title page, I noticed that the last owner of this book left a little gift – two tiny leaves pressed into the spine. How lovely! Upon closer examination, I realized the little gift may not be leaves at all but some sort of droppings. I removed them with a Kleenex. Was someone trying to be ironic by leaving bird poop in Birdsong?

The author, Sebastian Faulks, also wrote Charlotte Gray. I haven’t read Charlotte Gray but I tried to watch the movie (gave it my 30 minute rule and didn’t finish it).

Here we go on another literary adventure! I love this time before I start reading a book... it is full of the promise of a great story and characters I love. Don’t disappoint me, Sebastian.

Book Seven - Artemis Fowl - Part Two

Loved it loved it loved it! It was wonderful! Solid, quick-paced plot full of surprises, multi-dimensional characters and an ending I never would have guessed. I love to be surprised by the plot of a book. I loathe reading an ending in which a brand new character is suddenly introduced to resolve the crisis.

One thing I was probably wrong about was classifying the book as YA. It is actually probably considered a children's book. I don't pay much attention to these categories since I suspect they are used mostly for marketing purposes and tend to have little to do with how much I will enjoy the book. In this case I suspect Colfer wrote it for the 8-12 year old set. He is very careful not to use curse words and that is definitely not indicative of YA lit. There is also a sweet, magical revelation near the end that must be meant for children, but I loved it too. "You're only young once, but you can be immature forever," that's what I say.

There are at least seven books in this series and I will definitely read more. Thanks, Eoin, for a lovely time.

Book Seven - Artemis Fowl - Part One

I knew nothing about this book when I picked it up. It happens to be YA fantasy and I'm all over those, so I'm enjoying it. But seriously, the guy's name is Artemis FOWL yet I didn't recognize the surname as a clue that either the book's subject is poultry or the surname is a homophone. I don't believe it's a spoiler to tell you that the latter is true in this case -- the prologue gives us that much information. This young man has some serious issues.

But don't we all? I mean, his parents did a number on him for sure, but then their parents probably did a number on them, too. Actually we know the grandparents and all the greats- had issues since we know about the foul generations of the Fowl family. I'm about halfway through and wondering how on earth (or where) it's going to end.

Lovely quote--

Yes, but that was five hundred years ago, and you were no spring bud then, not to put too fine a point on it.

Of course I can't read "Not to put too fine a point on it" without thinking about the fabulous TMBG song "Birdhouse in Your Soul." And it's particularly appropriate in this case since Artemis is ultra-nerdy. Because of that I really want to like him, but he'll have to overcome his Fowl nature by the end of the book.

By the way, the author's name is Eoin Colfer, with Eoin pronounced like "Owen." Lest you become impressed by my knowledge of Irish Gaelic, honesty compels me to report that I pronounced it in my head to sort of rhyme with "Eeyore" until my British linguist friend Matt told me it's Owen.

Internationally, phonics only goes so far.

Watership Down Revisited - Part Two

Finishing this book early on a warm Sunday morning gave me a renewed longing to live on a farm in the English countryside. It is clear that the author was intimately familiar with the setting and with human nature. The fact that the characters are rabbits rather than humans is enchanting.

I love many characters in this book, but Hazel is my favorite. Hazel is a great leader. Is it because he is the cleverest rabbit? No. The biggest? No. The best fighter? No. Hazel is none of these, but Hazel is a great leader because he understands that for the group to survive and prosper he must effectively utilize all of his resources. He asks each rabbit to employ his own unique talents. Each rabbit knows that his gift is appreciated. Hazel even embraces those gifts that he does not understand; he is not afraid of the unknown. He has great courage and trust. He asks none to do what he would not do himself. He is loved by his followers.

And by those who read his story.

Watership Down Revisited

When I started rereading this book I loved so much when I was younger, I  worried that I wouldn't feel the same about it any more. I wanted to love it all over again. And I do! I still love the characters (never met better rabbits anywhere and that includes Harvey*) and I still love the story. Life is preventing me from flying through it the way I would like but I'll get there.

Here's a brief example of Richard Adams' insight and descriptive magic, from page 176 of my Avon Books edition--

The full moon, well risen in a cloudless eastern sky, covered the high solitude with its light. We are not conscious of daylight as that which displaces darkness. Daylight, even when the sun is clear of clouds, seems to us simply the natural condition of the earth and air... We take daylight for granted. But moonlight is another matter. It is inconstant. The full moon wanes and returns again. Clouds may obscure it to an extent to which they cannot obscure daylight. Water is necessary to us, but a waterfall is not. Where it is to be found it is something extra, a beautiful ornament. We need daylight and to that extent it is utilitarian, but moonlight we do not need. When it comes, it serves no necessity. It transforms...

Indeed it does, sir. And so do beautiful books like this one.

*Shocking, I know.

The Thorn Birds Miniseries

I couldn't finish the first disc. Barbara Stanwyck played Mary Carson, and while she looked so very Big Valley that I kept expecting her to say, "Nick! Heath! Jared! There's a fire in the barn!" she was also very creepy in her lust for Father de Bricassart. She was beyond cougar; she wanted to devour him, ick. I gave it 30 minutes, and that's my standard for a movie. I'll give a book 100 pages and a movie 30 minutes and if I'm not entralled, I move on. Life is too short, and to quote The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society, "Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books."