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The Maine book review
Jul. 19th, 2005 03:33 pmA week off means I get to spend a good portion of it sitting on the porch and reading. Here's what I got through this year. Ranked from worst to best.
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
Thankfully, this was not my book, but rather my mother's, so at least I didn't have to pay for it. The Secret Life of Bees was such a great read that I had high expectations, but this book turned out to be yet another exasperating tale about a housewife who finds emotional fulfillment by having an affair. Didn't The Horse Whisperer already cover this? Instead of concentrating on just why the protagonist's mother chopped her finger off, Kidd slides into rhapsodies about the spiritual fulfillment Jessie finds in getting a bit on the side with a monk-to-be. Yawn. Next.
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
I was very excited about reading this book and refused to touch it until Maine. The authors take on some controversial and charged topics, such as whether abortion was responsible for the massive drop in crime in the 90's, and whether your name determines your ultimate success. They draw some interesting conclusions (e.g. with the name thing, your name can be an indicator of your social class and the education of your parents, so it's not being named [X] that causes you to be/not be a success, it's that people from [Y] stratum of education and wealth tend to name their kids [X], and it's that stratum that indicates whether you had access to good schools and the like.) Ultimately, though, their conclusions are unprovable, and that left me feeling unfulfilled.
The Wilding by C. S. Friedman
I'd read In Conquest Born, the predecessor to this novel, some time ago. It didn't catch me all that much, but Friedman is one of my favorite authors, and I'm generally interested to read anything she writes. The Wilding was a decent yarn, but it felt patched together in spots, and Friedman's style of writing was not up to previous standards. I was more interested in Tathas' quest than in Zara and Rho, and their meeting was too contrived. Still, it made me curious enough to try In Conquest Born again, because the ruthlessness of the Braxana and the Pri'tiera's secret were intriguing.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
At the risk of having rotten tomatoes thrown at me by the people on my list who are sick of HP already, I'll just say that either Rowling has a better idea of the story she was telling or her editor cracked down on her, because HBP was much tighter than OotP and I enjoyed it much much more. Ending was affecting but approached maudlin.
The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
Guy Gavriel Kay is one of the most well-regarded writers in fantasy. His books take historical events - in this one, the unification of Spain and the expulsion of the Moors - and set them in an alternate universe, often mixing in magic. No magic in Al-Rassan, but a compelling trio of main characters and a beautifully-developed set of minor characters. The interkingdom machinations of the Jaddites and the impending fall of the Asharites are detailed clearly, and Kay leads the reader in such a way that in the end, you fear the inevitable conclusion because it means one side has to win and one side has to lose. The conflict between Ammar ibn Khairan and Rodrigo Belmonte and between their loyalties to one another and to their respective countries make the end of the book all the more wrenching. My only criticism is that the ending felt rushed, like Kay had to hurry and wrap up loose ends, but there's also an argument to be made for not bogging down. Definitely the best Maine read.
That's all from Arafel's Book Club. ^_^
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
Thankfully, this was not my book, but rather my mother's, so at least I didn't have to pay for it. The Secret Life of Bees was such a great read that I had high expectations, but this book turned out to be yet another exasperating tale about a housewife who finds emotional fulfillment by having an affair. Didn't The Horse Whisperer already cover this? Instead of concentrating on just why the protagonist's mother chopped her finger off, Kidd slides into rhapsodies about the spiritual fulfillment Jessie finds in getting a bit on the side with a monk-to-be. Yawn. Next.
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
I was very excited about reading this book and refused to touch it until Maine. The authors take on some controversial and charged topics, such as whether abortion was responsible for the massive drop in crime in the 90's, and whether your name determines your ultimate success. They draw some interesting conclusions (e.g. with the name thing, your name can be an indicator of your social class and the education of your parents, so it's not being named [X] that causes you to be/not be a success, it's that people from [Y] stratum of education and wealth tend to name their kids [X], and it's that stratum that indicates whether you had access to good schools and the like.) Ultimately, though, their conclusions are unprovable, and that left me feeling unfulfilled.
The Wilding by C. S. Friedman
I'd read In Conquest Born, the predecessor to this novel, some time ago. It didn't catch me all that much, but Friedman is one of my favorite authors, and I'm generally interested to read anything she writes. The Wilding was a decent yarn, but it felt patched together in spots, and Friedman's style of writing was not up to previous standards. I was more interested in Tathas' quest than in Zara and Rho, and their meeting was too contrived. Still, it made me curious enough to try In Conquest Born again, because the ruthlessness of the Braxana and the Pri'tiera's secret were intriguing.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
At the risk of having rotten tomatoes thrown at me by the people on my list who are sick of HP already, I'll just say that either Rowling has a better idea of the story she was telling or her editor cracked down on her, because HBP was much tighter than OotP and I enjoyed it much much more. Ending was affecting but approached maudlin.
The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
Guy Gavriel Kay is one of the most well-regarded writers in fantasy. His books take historical events - in this one, the unification of Spain and the expulsion of the Moors - and set them in an alternate universe, often mixing in magic. No magic in Al-Rassan, but a compelling trio of main characters and a beautifully-developed set of minor characters. The interkingdom machinations of the Jaddites and the impending fall of the Asharites are detailed clearly, and Kay leads the reader in such a way that in the end, you fear the inevitable conclusion because it means one side has to win and one side has to lose. The conflict between Ammar ibn Khairan and Rodrigo Belmonte and between their loyalties to one another and to their respective countries make the end of the book all the more wrenching. My only criticism is that the ending felt rushed, like Kay had to hurry and wrap up loose ends, but there's also an argument to be made for not bogging down. Definitely the best Maine read.
That's all from Arafel's Book Club. ^_^
