Tom Wolfe is a great writer and because he wrote one of the handful of books I've ever reread -'The Right Stuff'- my expectations were probably too high for this book. It is kind of interesting and ok, but certainly not great. I often wonder what skills can be maintained at the top of the pyramid, so to speak, for someone in their eighties. Also, he appears to have become obsessed with sex. I believe his last two outings, 'Hooking Up' and 'I am Charlotte Simmons' are about, well, hooking up. Why else would you have hundreds of phrases like this; "her perfectly formed, perfectly suntanned legs looking a lubricious mile long atop a pair of white crocodile pumps whose to-the max heels lifted her heavenly while Venus moaned and sighed" throughout the book.
In order to satirize any city, society, culture, it helps to have characters who are out- sized and over-the-top and that is what we have here. For a pumped-up Cuban cop - Nestor Camacho; for a Cubana cutie on the make - Magdalena Otero; for a psychotic psychiatrist - Norman Lewis; for his debauched billionaire pervert patient- Maurice Fleischmann; for a WASP Yalie editor - Edward T. Topping IV; for a spineless politician - Mayor Dionisio Cruz; for a Russian oligarch - Sergei Korolyov, and-my favorite for the hard-ass African-American police chief - Cyrus Booker.
The city is, of course, Miami, presented here as definitely not-part-of-America. The Cubans are portrayed as a people temporarily and inconveniently here because they can't be in Havana. The Russians appreciate the freedom, the opulence and good-times, but loathe the country that provides them. All in all, notwithstanding the criticisms, if you have the time, there are quite a few laughs here.
1.31.2013
1.29.2013
The Keeper of Lost Causes, Adler-Olsen - B+
This is the first book of a series. I've downloaded the second and the third is coming in May. And it's going to be a big winner. Thanks to Henning Mankell, Jo Nesbo and the late Stieg Larrsen, if it's set in Scandanavia, it gets translated and I for one am very thankful.
The Copenhagen PD is so frustrated with Carl Morck that they jump at the opportunity to utilize the wizened detective as a pawn in a political power play. The national legislature wants to set aside some funding for cold cases of a public nature and the PD is happy to take the money and set up Carl as the Superintendent of Dept. Q. He's given an office in the basement with a Syrian janitor as his only help and the Homicide Dept. can use the extra money to fund ongoing cases.
With the perfect mix of cynicism and wit, Carl picks a five-year-old case and starts delving. Merete Lynggaard was a rising politician when she disappeared from a Baltic ferry and the face of the earth. She had been orphaned when her dad accidentally ran another car off an icy winter road. A boy in the other car plots his family's revenge and fifteen years after the accident, kidnaps Merete. She was an assumed suicide and the police inquiry was sloppy. As Carl and Assad inquire, research, pursue and eventually solve the matter, it is clear that Assad is more than a political refugee janitor. He has some very obvious police and military skills. I suspect there will be some very interesting inter-play between Carl and Assad as we go forth.
I generally prefer novels that give you a sense of a place. This fails entirely in that regard. The other Scandanavians mentioned above are very good at that: Mankell - Ystad; Nesbo - Oslo; and Larrsen - Stockholm make it feel as if you are walking down their chilly streets. This book offers zero feel for Copenhagen, but has a helluva story to tell.
The Copenhagen PD is so frustrated with Carl Morck that they jump at the opportunity to utilize the wizened detective as a pawn in a political power play. The national legislature wants to set aside some funding for cold cases of a public nature and the PD is happy to take the money and set up Carl as the Superintendent of Dept. Q. He's given an office in the basement with a Syrian janitor as his only help and the Homicide Dept. can use the extra money to fund ongoing cases.
With the perfect mix of cynicism and wit, Carl picks a five-year-old case and starts delving. Merete Lynggaard was a rising politician when she disappeared from a Baltic ferry and the face of the earth. She had been orphaned when her dad accidentally ran another car off an icy winter road. A boy in the other car plots his family's revenge and fifteen years after the accident, kidnaps Merete. She was an assumed suicide and the police inquiry was sloppy. As Carl and Assad inquire, research, pursue and eventually solve the matter, it is clear that Assad is more than a political refugee janitor. He has some very obvious police and military skills. I suspect there will be some very interesting inter-play between Carl and Assad as we go forth.
I generally prefer novels that give you a sense of a place. This fails entirely in that regard. The other Scandanavians mentioned above are very good at that: Mankell - Ystad; Nesbo - Oslo; and Larrsen - Stockholm make it feel as if you are walking down their chilly streets. This book offers zero feel for Copenhagen, but has a helluva story to tell.
1.28.2013
The Dead Season, Kent - C+
This book is apparently the fourth in a police procedural series set in Florence. Sandro Cellini is now retired and working as a private investigator. A very pregnant young woman looking for her fiance sets up the story, which is focused around the characters in the local branch of a city-wide bank. As it turns out, her fiance is using the name of the branch manager, who happens to have been killed by one of his colleagues. A policeman, a spouse, a city - it all adds up to a contrast to the Venetian series written by Donna Leon. I kept pining for Guido Brunetti and any of the twenty plus books he's featured in.
1.24.2013
The Oath, Toobin - B
This book is Jeffrey Toobin's delightful follow-up to his previous title 'The Nine', about the Supreme Court during the Bush years. 'The Oath' of course refers to the botched swearing-in of President Obama in 2009. Toobin is CNN's Legal Correspondent, a fine writer and, like just about everyone else here, a Harvard Law grad. He's also a bit of a wit, as he calls his chapter on the 2nd Amendment, 'Lawyers, Guns and Money' and at least in the Kindle version makes no reference to the songwriter Warren Zevon.
He provides some very good background on Obama's two nominations, Justices Sotomayor and Kagan. But the gist of the story is the continual Republican attack on stare decisis, the practice in the common law whereby precedents are followed. The attack is part of the legacy of the Reagan era and has been carried out by Messrs. Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas, Alito and Roberts. As the Chief Justice, the universally-agreed- to-be-brilliant John Roberts exerts tremendous influence and, by virtue of his age, he is expected to do so for decades more.
For me, the most fascinating part of the book is the section on the rights recently bestowed on gun owners. For nearly two hundred years, just about everyone understood that the term "well-regulated militia" in the 2nd Amendment limited the private use of weapons. Indeed, the Republican platform as recently as 1972 had a plank on gun control. The libertarians in the 80's successfully turned the debate completely around and achieved their high point when Justice Scalia wrote the majority opinion striking down the DC gun control law. The high priest of original interpretation and opponent of an activist judiciary pretty much made it up as he went along.
Although Toobin doesn't address the future, it is somewhat consoling to know that Obama probably will have three more opportunities to nominate new Justices.
He provides some very good background on Obama's two nominations, Justices Sotomayor and Kagan. But the gist of the story is the continual Republican attack on stare decisis, the practice in the common law whereby precedents are followed. The attack is part of the legacy of the Reagan era and has been carried out by Messrs. Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas, Alito and Roberts. As the Chief Justice, the universally-agreed- to-be-brilliant John Roberts exerts tremendous influence and, by virtue of his age, he is expected to do so for decades more.
For me, the most fascinating part of the book is the section on the rights recently bestowed on gun owners. For nearly two hundred years, just about everyone understood that the term "well-regulated militia" in the 2nd Amendment limited the private use of weapons. Indeed, the Republican platform as recently as 1972 had a plank on gun control. The libertarians in the 80's successfully turned the debate completely around and achieved their high point when Justice Scalia wrote the majority opinion striking down the DC gun control law. The high priest of original interpretation and opponent of an activist judiciary pretty much made it up as he went along.
Although Toobin doesn't address the future, it is somewhat consoling to know that Obama probably will have three more opportunities to nominate new Justices.
1.22.2013
Nanjing Requiem, Jin - B
Ha Jin was born in China, is a professor of English at Boston University and is the recipient of numerous awards. This fine book could best be desribed as the novel as narrative history. He pretty much spends three-quarters of the book telling the story of the Rape of Nanjing by the Japanese Army in 1937.
The story is compelling and, as I am one of those who abhor Japan's refusal to acknowledge their war crimes, it is a story that needs to be told over and over again. The story has been well-told before, particularly by Iris Chang in 1997 in her book 'The Rape of Nanking". Chang was a journalist and an historian and her book was fabulous. Her call for the Japanese to acknowledge and apologize caused a public stir, led to the US Congress considering a resolution on the topic and got her a meeting with First Lady Hillary Clinton. Chang was researching a book on the Bataan Death March when her depression overwhelmed her and she committed suicide in her late 30's.
Jin uses the diary of Minnie Vautrin, the President of Ginling College, as his primary source material. Ginling was an American missionary college and Vautrin was honored by the Chinese government for her heroic efforts that saved thousands of lives.
As we know, the past isn't even past, and Nanking remains a major issue between the China and Japan to this day. Both countries have stated a willingness to fight over some barren islands midway between them, and the Japanese have recently elected a Prime Minister who wants to withdraw the half-apology for Japanese conduct during WW2 issued by a predecessor and appropriately honor all of their war dead, including the criminals behind Nanking.
The story is compelling and, as I am one of those who abhor Japan's refusal to acknowledge their war crimes, it is a story that needs to be told over and over again. The story has been well-told before, particularly by Iris Chang in 1997 in her book 'The Rape of Nanking". Chang was a journalist and an historian and her book was fabulous. Her call for the Japanese to acknowledge and apologize caused a public stir, led to the US Congress considering a resolution on the topic and got her a meeting with First Lady Hillary Clinton. Chang was researching a book on the Bataan Death March when her depression overwhelmed her and she committed suicide in her late 30's.
Jin uses the diary of Minnie Vautrin, the President of Ginling College, as his primary source material. Ginling was an American missionary college and Vautrin was honored by the Chinese government for her heroic efforts that saved thousands of lives.
As we know, the past isn't even past, and Nanking remains a major issue between the China and Japan to this day. Both countries have stated a willingness to fight over some barren islands midway between them, and the Japanese have recently elected a Prime Minister who wants to withdraw the half-apology for Japanese conduct during WW2 issued by a predecessor and appropriately honor all of their war dead, including the criminals behind Nanking.
1.16.2013
East of Eden, Steinbeck- B+
Thank you, Lauren, for this gift of literature on my birthday. I look forward to many more. For me the distinction between fiction and literature is the author's ability to wordsmith. The classics' authors that I think highly of, write in such a way that I marvel at their words. And here Steinbeck is in the same league as Dickens and Hemingway. The places are seeable and the characters so well-defined. Since I much prefer the great storytellers, like Michener, Uris or LeCarre, when I come across classic writing, I slow down to take it in. After all, finding out what happens is not the point.
Now as to what happens, that gets complicated for me because I do not see to the depth of the scholars or even students of the tale. In the last paragraph of Chapter 34, Steinbeck says: "We have only one story. All novels, all poetry are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue is immortal. Vice has a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world."
Although this novel spends a great deal of time on the story of the Hamiltons, all the complexity and the main story is that of the Trasks. Adam and Charles have a tortured relationship with their father, Cyrus, a mean lying cheat. Cyrus' stolen fortune, however, allows both, particulary Adam, to make his life choices. His most fateful choice is to love Cathy, a woman so depraved (certainly by mid-century American standards) that she shoots her husband, walks out on her twin sons and turns to running a house of ill-repute as her vocation. Both sons love Adam, but the tension between Adam and Cal is a constant strain. Whereas, Aron can do no wrong. Cal tells Aron of their mother's circumstance, driving Aron to a move of despertion, enlistment in the Army. His death causes Adam's stroke, leaving Cal devastated by the consequences to his family of his actions. His father forgives him.
So ends what the introduction calls "Steinbeck's other big book." Grapes of Wrath was rejected by mainstream America because it was an indictment of the system. This was rejected because of Cathy's brazen sexuality. Both stand as masterpieces.
Now as to what happens, that gets complicated for me because I do not see to the depth of the scholars or even students of the tale. In the last paragraph of Chapter 34, Steinbeck says: "We have only one story. All novels, all poetry are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue is immortal. Vice has a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world."
Although this novel spends a great deal of time on the story of the Hamiltons, all the complexity and the main story is that of the Trasks. Adam and Charles have a tortured relationship with their father, Cyrus, a mean lying cheat. Cyrus' stolen fortune, however, allows both, particulary Adam, to make his life choices. His most fateful choice is to love Cathy, a woman so depraved (certainly by mid-century American standards) that she shoots her husband, walks out on her twin sons and turns to running a house of ill-repute as her vocation. Both sons love Adam, but the tension between Adam and Cal is a constant strain. Whereas, Aron can do no wrong. Cal tells Aron of their mother's circumstance, driving Aron to a move of despertion, enlistment in the Army. His death causes Adam's stroke, leaving Cal devastated by the consequences to his family of his actions. His father forgives him.
So ends what the introduction calls "Steinbeck's other big book." Grapes of Wrath was rejected by mainstream America because it was an indictment of the system. This was rejected because of Cathy's brazen sexuality. Both stand as masterpieces.
1.14.2013
The Passage, Cronin-B
I missed this when it came out in 2010 and I'm sure I know why. I generally don't download 785 page books peopled by night creature "virals" who thirst for blood. Something I perused about the sequel 'The Twelve' caught my eye, so I downloaded both and now probably have to finish the trilogy. Justin Cronin is on Rice University's faculty and is the author of two previous novels categorized as literary.
This complex story starts with an Army science project to create warriors invulnerable to pain, weariness, hunger with super-human fighting skills, by injecting them with a mysterious jungle vaccine. The early iterations of the vaccine do more harm than good. The first twelve subjects are nasty men removed from death row. They are caged in an underground facility near Telluride, Colorado. The perfected vaccine is then successfully used on a six year old girl, upon whom is bestowed great wisdom and extraordinary physical gifts. The world goes to hell in a hand basket when the virals break out and kill most Americans, destroying the country and creating a dystopian waste land.
A hundred years later, Amy, who has physically aged only about fifteen years, walks into a small colony of humans in a fortress in Southern California. She and a handful of the younger humans travel to Colorado to try and learn something about what has happened and perhaps, how to battle the virals. They meet up with members of the Texas Army and a portion of the group go to Texas, where a thriving human colony has survived. Also, they manage to kill one of the original twelve virals, and without him, his millions of blood successors cannot live. Amy and the rest of the group return to the colony in Southern California, only to find it destroyed. The power had run out and the virals broke in. They vow to fight on.
This complex story starts with an Army science project to create warriors invulnerable to pain, weariness, hunger with super-human fighting skills, by injecting them with a mysterious jungle vaccine. The early iterations of the vaccine do more harm than good. The first twelve subjects are nasty men removed from death row. They are caged in an underground facility near Telluride, Colorado. The perfected vaccine is then successfully used on a six year old girl, upon whom is bestowed great wisdom and extraordinary physical gifts. The world goes to hell in a hand basket when the virals break out and kill most Americans, destroying the country and creating a dystopian waste land.
A hundred years later, Amy, who has physically aged only about fifteen years, walks into a small colony of humans in a fortress in Southern California. She and a handful of the younger humans travel to Colorado to try and learn something about what has happened and perhaps, how to battle the virals. They meet up with members of the Texas Army and a portion of the group go to Texas, where a thriving human colony has survived. Also, they manage to kill one of the original twelve virals, and without him, his millions of blood successors cannot live. Amy and the rest of the group return to the colony in Southern California, only to find it destroyed. The power had run out and the virals broke in. They vow to fight on.
1.12.2013
The Crowded Grave, Walker-B
All of the books in this delightful series are subtitled "A Mystery of the French Countryside". The police procedurals are set in the mythical town of St. Denis and feature the town's Chief of Police Bruno Courreges. The pleasure is not the plots, but rather where this series takes you and what it teaches. The Dordogne Valley has been inhabited for 30,000 years because of its mild climate and bountiful countryside. Thus, we learn all about the wine, the truffles, the pate, the cooking and eating habits of the inhabitants. The back-stories of the locals lead to interesting diversions on the differences among the Resistance fighters, with particular emphasis on the Communists. In this one, the story involves a Basque attempt to attack a Spanish-French conference set in St. Denis. As usual, the diversely talented Bruno shows off his many political, personal and police skills.
The Eagle Unbowed, Kochanski - B
The subtitle of this 591-page book is "Poland and the Poles in the Second World War". The author is a British Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the daughter of Polish parents who were granted U.K. citizenship for fighting with the Allies. As Polish hopes were collapsing in the spring of 1945, one of Churchill's last acts was to recommend citizenship for the many who had taken up arms.
Neither Germany nor Russia accepted the Polish state resurrected, after over a century, by the Versailles decision makers in 1919. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of non-aggression signed in August 1939 secretly set the border for the division of Poland. What the Poles called the Fourth Partition was implemented within two weeks of the start of war. You couldn't find two worse occupiers if you tried. The Nazis considered the Poles 'untermenschen' fit only for hard labor and starvation. They immediately began the liquidation of elites and since they considered people who had attended high school elite, they went after everyone who contributed to the fabric of the society. Stalin's hatred and fear of foreigners led to similar actions highlighted by the atrocity of Katyn. Those Poles who the Reds didn't kill were transported to the East, primarily Kazakhstan. After Germany invaded Russia, many of the Kazak Poles were allowed to leave in order to take up arms at the request of Churchill.
The Poles fought with the Americans and Brits in Italy, France and Germany. A handful of Polish pilots served heroically in the Battle of Britain. In Poland, the Nazis exterminated 3 million Polish Jews and as many Christians. Warsaw was destroyed completely during the Ghetto Uprising in 1942 and the Uprising in 1944. Stalin refused to pay heed to the London Poles, recognized his own puppet government in Lublin, moved the Polish eastern border far to the west and evidenced his intent to viciously dominate the country by the time the war ended in May 1945. It was his intransigence on issues of Polish governance that were the first indications that we were headed to Cold War. The Poles wondered how they became the only Allied country to be occupied at the end of the war. It only got worse as freedom would wait another forty-four years.
Neither Germany nor Russia accepted the Polish state resurrected, after over a century, by the Versailles decision makers in 1919. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of non-aggression signed in August 1939 secretly set the border for the division of Poland. What the Poles called the Fourth Partition was implemented within two weeks of the start of war. You couldn't find two worse occupiers if you tried. The Nazis considered the Poles 'untermenschen' fit only for hard labor and starvation. They immediately began the liquidation of elites and since they considered people who had attended high school elite, they went after everyone who contributed to the fabric of the society. Stalin's hatred and fear of foreigners led to similar actions highlighted by the atrocity of Katyn. Those Poles who the Reds didn't kill were transported to the East, primarily Kazakhstan. After Germany invaded Russia, many of the Kazak Poles were allowed to leave in order to take up arms at the request of Churchill.
The Poles fought with the Americans and Brits in Italy, France and Germany. A handful of Polish pilots served heroically in the Battle of Britain. In Poland, the Nazis exterminated 3 million Polish Jews and as many Christians. Warsaw was destroyed completely during the Ghetto Uprising in 1942 and the Uprising in 1944. Stalin refused to pay heed to the London Poles, recognized his own puppet government in Lublin, moved the Polish eastern border far to the west and evidenced his intent to viciously dominate the country by the time the war ended in May 1945. It was his intransigence on issues of Polish governance that were the first indications that we were headed to Cold War. The Poles wondered how they became the only Allied country to be occupied at the end of the war. It only got worse as freedom would wait another forty-four years.
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