Chopsticks

This whimsical coming-of-age novel was so beautiful. The story is told through photographs, youtube videos, snippets of text messages, newspaper clippings and other odds and ends. The harder you look, the more you glean from its pages. It could stand alone as a coffee table book. You could almost flip through the pretty pages absentmindedly and not take in the story, almost.

There is a story there though. Frank and Glory fall in love. From his drawings and almost brutish persistence, I have trouble knowing if he is in love or just lonely and in seventeen-year-old-boy lust. At times Glory is vacant and distant. Their love seems to ebb and flow, like love does.

I enjoyed listening to the various songs on the mix cds that the lovers made for each other while I was enjoying the novel. That really added an extra layer to multimedia experience that this book was trying to produce. It really gave you a very tactile experience. There were some links that did not work, which was disappointing, but I forgave it.  

I had difficulty pinpointing a theme that I was pleased with. Perhaps this is due to lack of narrator. Whatever the reason, I settled on the bohemian “art, freedom and love conquer all.” How it all ended was difficult to infer, but I like to think that Glory got a job on a cruise ship playing things that made her happy, jumped port in Argentina and Frank followed her there. They lived happily ever after drinking red wine and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the windows open and a slight breeze. They freely made art, love and music the rest of their days.

MAUS

Although I went into reading this book knowing that it was a graphic novel about the Holocaust, I really could not fathom how that was going to play out. I wondered if the seriousness of the event would be dampened or if it would be some sort of dark comedy. The book is definitely not a comedy and never makes light of its tragic subject. Maus was generally a critical success and won many awards including the 1992 Pulitzer Prize.

I have to admit that this was my first graphic novel. Being a virgin, I did find that I primarily focused on the words rather than the pictures. I had to train myself to take the drawings into account. I eventually was able to read it effortlessly the way I believe it was intended.

Maus’ author, Art Spiegelman, has received a some criticism over the way is father is portrayed. There has also been much discussion over the use of animals to portray humans and more specifically which animals are used to depict particular races. I did not find this to be a stumbling block. In fact, I believe it adds character to the story and plays directly into the theme “no one escapes unscathed.”

The novel is dealing with a complex set of issues and is as forthright as it can be. One issue is Art portraying his father’s past through the eyes of his father. Of course this can not be objective. People tend to cut themselves quite a bit of slack. Another issue is Art portraying his father now through his own eyes. What we can glean from this is only the tip of the glacier that is parent child relationships. One can easily see that although his father is demanding and unreasonable in his old age, Art is also resistant to his father’s complaints and agenda and has his own objectives.

Arthur’s father is a victim that turns into a very difficult adult. It is easy to see so many of his issues are directly related to what he has been through. One can easily see how living through a monumental tragedy like a concentration camp scars you. The couple, though they survived, did not escape unscathed.

Tiny Time Traveller. A dream.

I was at a bar with Michelle. David came in and said hi, that he was surprised to see me and that he was waiting for my dad and brother. Then he went and stood nearby,  but not with us. Then Thomas came in. He was loud and very happy to see David. I felt angry that they hadn't told me they were in town. Thomas said something to David like "it's good to see you,  man. I really wanted to catch up with you while I was in town."
I turned around and said,  "Hi Thomas." And he looked surprised and confused,  wondering if I'd been invited or if I just happened to be there. And I said something like,  "Imagine! Running into your sister, at a bar in the city that she lives when you were just trying to catch up with the rest of your family!"
Thomas rolled his eyes and looked pissed off. I introduced them to Michelle briefly and they hugged her awkwardly.
Thomas and David went to another part of the bar because they didn't want to hang out with me. Then I saw my dad with a little boy. It was a little Thomas. Thomas when he was three or four.  I went over to my dad and asked if I could talk to him (little Thomas).
He said yes, and I scooped him up and he threw his little arms around my neck. I was trying not to cry and I said "Hi Thomas!" He said "Hi Heidi." I asked him "Are you being a good boy?" He nodded solemnly.
"Are you brushing your teeth every day? Are you listening to mommy and Maria? Are you eating all your lunch?"  He would think about it and nod each time. "Be a good boy,  ok? Be careful. Be careful when you cross the road,  don't forget to look both ways." (He was an absent minded child and I was always scared he was going to die because he almost did when he was a baby).
I was holding him and hugging him and tears were streaming down my face. "Are you staying in your bed?" (He never stayed in his bed and my mom used to lock him in his room) "Noooo." He said, smiling bashfully. "Stay in your bed, sweetie. Otherwise mommy will lock your door and you don't like that. Just play in your bed quietly if you can't sleep."
"Ok." He said. "Keep being good,  ok?  Help mommy when she's tired. If she looks tired ask her if you can help her with something. And help Daddy put away the laundry, Ok?" "Ok." He said.
"Don't forget me. Don't forget how much I love you, that I've known you from the beginning." I squeezed him one last time and put him down. I thought about him growing up now in the wrong time and was worried he would turn out differently and that he wouldn't meet his current girlfriend,  Sharon.  Then I woke up.

Nothing but the Truth

This self-proclaimed documentary novel was comprised solely of conversation snippets,  letters,  telegrams, memos and journal entries. Cleverly, Nothing but the Truth was just cold hard facts with a very objective eye. 

Although the story was an upsetting one,  I really liked this method of story telling. There are no judgements made. The facts are laid upon the table and you may do with them what you will.  This leaves room for a vast array of feelings for the reader and treats each character with fairness and shows them in a fairly unbiased light.

I could sympathize with each character and I enjoyed being the only one holding all the information. Each character had flaws,  just like everyone does,  but it did not seem like any one character was villianized. They were all just very understandable. The theme of the novel could be "the truth is in the eye of the beholder," but I think more is being said about knee-jerk reactions, and jumping to conclusions. Therefore,  I feel that the real crux of the novel is the importance of telling and seeking out the whole story.

The Eyre Affair

This book was a lighthearted breath of fresh air.  It was very playfully written, with characters named Thursday Next, Jack Shit and Acheron Hades. The narrative uses Jane Eyre as a backdrop for part of the story, adding a new meaning to "getting lost in a book". The story was so creative with its alternate universe that I was amazed that the author was able to keep so many complicated ideas in his head.

Some of the action sequences seemed complicated and hard to follow to me. There is a very good reason car chases and fist fights work better on film. I do not think I felt the sense of excitement during those moments in the book that I believe the author was trying to convey. It was clear that he had a well thought out idea, and the writing was concise, but it was still not easy to follow. 

In spite of this, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was a sci-fi, fantasy,  action novel that I have never seen the likes of before.

Thanksgiving

Top ten things I'm thankful for:

1. My children and I are healthy. No matter what I complain about,  I have decidedly first world problems.

2. I have two jobs that I like. They allow me to eat cheaply and provide for my family. They have both been flexible with me and allowed me to have time with my children and go to school.

3. I work with people that I love, who have hugged me when I cried, encouraged me, left their phones on late at night in case I needed them, called me when I was at my lowest lows, and soothed me. I love you people.

3. My children are my greatest treasure. They are awesome and smart and super funny.

4. I'm grateful for therapy. I think it has probably saved my life in a couple ways. Devoting time to my life and well being this way is time well spent.

5. Amazing technology has made my life so much easier. I can deposit checks, get directions,  grocery shop, listen to audio books, sell crap on eBay,  and do homework on my phone. Remember Penny's awesome computer book thing from Inspector Gadget? I totally have that.
6. I love my apartment and I love its location.

7. I have a startlingly good memory and I'm so glad.

8. Affordable healthcare is coming soon!

9. I am thankful to be feeling and experiencing what life has to offer, even if some of it has hurt.

10. I'm so grateful that my herniated disc feels so much better. I'm grateful for Mickey, physical therapy on YouTube, Harvest Moon and my heating pad for getting me through it.

The Things They Carried

This collection of short stories not only stand alone,  but bind together in a long intertwining nonlinear narrative. Initially, I hated this book. The first story about weights and measures of weapons that I didn't understand, and the cast of young male characters that I could not tell apart aggravated me. The story grew on me and I ended up really liking it. I never would have read it if I had not been made to because of school, and I am glad I did.

What I enjoyed about this book was the reflection. We all have something,  some trauma that feels like it nearly did us in. The major tragedy in our life haunts us in the dark night and makes quiet moments inside our head difficult. We hope that we do not have to live through anything worse than that thing. For the first part of my life, mine was the carbon monoxide suicide and accidental death of my grandmother and grandfather respectively. More recently, it was my ugly divorce and the subsequent loss of my family of origin as they sided with my ex-husband and left me by the wayside. Whenever I reflect, there these things are.

The moment the main character struggles with fleeing to Canada was a particularly well illustrated story. Elroy Berdahl is a stranger that does an extraordinary kindness in a dark hour. Tim O'Brien painted that turning point so vividly that my heart ached in throbbing empathy. I set the book down and laid my head back and cried.

The author is grappling. It's difficult. He fought a war he did not believe in. He saw things people should not see. He is still struggling. He cannot sleep. His family does not understand why he does not let it go.

I enjoyed the use of self aware metafiction. The story knows it is a story. It is conscious of itself.  It knows why it is a story and why that helps with the grappling. I felt that the main drive of the novel was that the author wanted to give us a story to give himself closure.

Names For The 2014 baby

Neandertom
Orzo
Coblinn
Spherical
Copter

Thornado

Atonement

This book was thoroughly enjoyable. I thought it was very well written. It effortlessly flowed between time periods and characters’ points of view. Briony was believable as a smart and sassy little girl and as an adult, her voice still rang true. Cecilia, Robbie and Mrs. Tallis are all vividly portrayed.

There were moments of hilarity early on in the book and it could have easily ventured into a period piece with quiet thoughtful conversations and brooding almost-friendship-turned-love in the style of Pride and Prejudice.

Instead, there was a rape of a child. This singular moment changes everyone’s lives. That is really what the novel is about. How a singular moment, one decision can change something drastically forever. Thirteen is a prudish age for many little girls, and Briony misunderstands. She means no malice but damns everyone around her, including herself. Fiona, the pathetic victim marries the criminal. Cecilia cuts her family off. Robbie goes to jail and then war instead of medical school.

Briony feels that she has crossed the road into adulthood. In truth, she has. She will never be the same. Though initially it seems there may be hope, Briony can never quite pay her penance.

The ending is so profoundly sad. In a very off-handed way, with little fanfare or detail, we find that Robbie and Cecilia lose their lives due to the rape and Briony’s foolishness. The unfairness that Briony, Fiona and the rapist outlive them all is almost too much to bear. There is no Hollywood ending in Britain.

I loved this book. I loved its encompassing of each scenarios from separate points of view. I  loved the tenderness of it. What I loved the most was the way it ran the spectrum of emotions from joy, to longing, to hope, to sorrow.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold

To say that I enjoyed Chronicle of a Death Foretold would be inaccurate, but I definitely appreciated it. I liked its brevity and the fact that it stuck to the point while still providing bits of color and background. It was never a chore to read.

The geographical setting is a beautiful coastal Caribbean town that one might like to visit. The setting never really gets muddied in spite of the dark deeds going on. There were places open at odd hours. I liked the idea of a convenience store by day, bar by night. The brothel sounded like a beautiful, happy place with a courtyard and gourd lanterns.

The characters were well drawn and fanciful.  I loved the imagery of the “eyes of an insomniac leopard”, referring to a favorite prostitute that never slept. The entire book has an ethereal quality to the setting and the characters. Even the superstitions of the culture are brought forth with such authority, that you find yourself absolutely agreeing to a romantic idea. Of course a dream meant something more. Of course one could die of a broken heart. This makes sense. The author easily gets you to come along.

The death was gruesome and graphic. It was difficult for me to read, but I appreciated the artistry in it. What I really thought was amazing was the way the Gabriel García Márquez presents everything in such a matter-of-fact way. The entire scene is laid out in colorful terms, but he is even-handed with his characters. There is a lot of nobility in that. Santiago is a sexual predator but also a friend, and a victim of a brutal murder for an act he likely didn’t commit. Angela is probably a liar who caused a man to die, but she is also a confused girl with an overbearing and abusive mother. Everyone is presented in all of their glory, vices and virtues. I love that. If you only look at the worst trait in anyone, of course you will see a monster. What is presented here is a cast of real characters.

I came away with the feeling that people are human above all else. In spite of the fact that the murderers were reluctant and that the victim was unlikely. Although there were countless ways that the crime could have been avoided. People repeatedly forget, get distracted, procrastinate, second-guess themselves, feel embarrassed, feel obligated, miscommunicate and lie. This is the human experience. These all take place hundreds of times throughout the novella to culminate it one man’s preventable death.

black knight

I'm counting sheep
Waiting for The Sleep
To swallow me whole
Murder this day
Let the night smother it
Keep it down,  keep it quiet
And for fuck's sake,
Don't. Think.
Rescue me.

Einstein's Dreams

This novel was a less a novel and more series of whimsical vignettes. There were a few chapters describing the life of a young Einstein and his colleague. Other than that there was not a real plot or story arc. 

Most chapters contained a creative idea about how time might be structured and how the human experience would react. I felt that the book went on a bit too long for what it was. However, I found the description of Albert Einstein, the young man, and his dear friend Besso to be endearing. 

I enjoyed the Dr. Seussesque moving buildings and houses on stilts. I appreciated the touching wish to be frozen in time in your most perfect moment and the thoughts on the shifting perception of the past. What I found profound were the statements each vignette made. How would one act differently if there were infinite time? If life lasted a mere day, how would you spend it? The thoughts on love when there is no past were soul-stirring. Lovers’ attraction never waned. They stayed up all night as if each night was the first. The chapter describing people who receive a revelation about their future was interesting as some tried to fight what they knew what must be. 

What was said about the human experience in these fantastic stories speaks loudly to why we act the way we do. How do we each chose to spend what is more valuable than any currency? We each have an unknown allotted amount and when it has run out, you cannot buy, bargain or beg for more.

The Hours

The Hours seemed to revolve around the theme “Nothing matters, everyone dies.” This would seem, at first glance, very depressing. In truth, I did find The Hours fairly depressing, but that did not preclude me from liking it.
One of the reasons that it was enjoyable was the very real characters, each one complete with a background, strengths and imperfections. Michael Cunningham has a knack for very whole characters. Even Mary Krull and Walter Hardy, who appeared only briefly, had personalities that were fleshed out with broad strokes. Their physical descriptions were articulated and an idea of their histories and futures were alluded to. Actually, the The Hours gives the feeling that it might be a chapter in a larger book. It does not try to give a complete history, and almost assumes that the reader has some prior knowledge about things. It also does not tie everything up in a neat bow or answer all the reader’s questions.
Because the novel occupying the space of only one day in each of the heroines’ lives. In order to draw time out that way, the author must go into great detail about background and the thoughts of each character. It did move fairly slowly in that regard, but it was able to hold my interest with it’s thoughtful and profound descriptions of feelings and surroundings. The extraordinary in the everyday sights and sounds gave it a “stop and smell the roses” feel, and not just that. In the undercurrent of the novel was the urgency to feel all things wonderful and sad.

Haroun and The Sea of Stories

I wanted to love this book. I admire Salman Rushdie. I liked the colorful wording and random references sprinkled throughout the book like Easter eggs. It reminded me very much of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland which is one of my favorite books of all time. However, somewhere in the ornateness of the story, Rushdie lost my attention. About halfway through, I felt like I always do while standing in the National Cathedral. Amidst the carefully crafted gargoyles, stained glass, intricate ceilings and decorated door handles, I feel bewildered and overstimulated. I cannot take it all in. I cannot make the kind of sense of it that I would like to.
In trying to comprehend the theme of the story, I feel overwhelmed. I settled on “stories are invaluable”, though I toyed with “speech is worth fighting for” and “family first”. The sole reason I settled on this was that both Haroun and Soraya question the usefulness of a fictional story.
I liked Rushdie’s “real” world better than the dream world of Kahani. The city of K with its sadness factories and tangible characters were easier to grasp. The dream world required long descriptions of every fantastic aspect. I would get lost along the way, having to reread very carefully to try to picture what was being said. The characters, being several different species, were hard for me to focus on. The flowery descriptions of scenery and physical aspects of the characters left little room for their background and development. I wanted more from this book. I wanted more than a world full of interesting looking things. I wanted to feel something. Rushdie failed to make me really care.

An Excellent Day 10/9/13

We had apple, scones, and peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwiches for lunch. We did spx and it was lovely outside. I spent too much money but that is ok. We met We came back. I took the Clara Barton parkway and it was beautiful. When I got home the children were so engrossed in their books that they didn't get out of the car for a while. I took a little nap. Then we had beef stew and biscuits for dinner. I I drank a half a bottle of white wine that abby gave me. Miles and I worked on cleaning the house. We determined that we needed a filing cabinet. Then, I sent the boys to bed and I read Haroun until I fell asleep. It didn't take long.

How We Spent Thursday Night

Miles: Abby stuck her freaking long skinny pinky fingernail all the way in my ear!

Abby: Ok, first, I don't have long nails.  Second, it wasn't my pinky, and third, it didn't go all the way in.

Great Quotes

I'm alone and in severe pain in the middle of the night.  This quote came to mind.

"I'm tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. Tired of not ever having me a buddy to be with, or tell me where we's coming from or going to, or why. Mostly I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world everyday. There's too much of it. It's like pieces of glass in my head all the time."
-John Coffey in "The Green Mile"

Good Save

Mickey: I got 99 problems...
Heidi: Don't finish that sentence.
Mickey: ...And one beer on the wall.

Cole Says

"People are so stupid. How are there even enough smart people to design stuff for the stupid people to not know how to use?"

It's Funny Because It's True

Mickey: I love you, even though you are a manhater
Heidi: I love you, even though you are a man