John Adams by David McCullough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Occasionally, I like to take a break from fiction and read about real people, often historic figures who contributed to significant events in history, especially those involving the U.S.--in other words, the Founding Fathers. However, I sometimes find such biographies dull and have, at least in one case, quit reading half way through the book. Such is not the case with David McCullough's John Adams.
McCullough masterfully brings to life a man who was highly intelligent and independent, at times vain and temperamental, always loving and loyal to friends and family, and dedicated to the founding of the United States of America. Of course, McCullough covers all the major political events of Adams's life, but he also makes Adams human, depicting his close relationship to his wife, Abigail, and his children as well as his long and sometimes tumultuous friendship with Thomas Jefferson.
Overall, McCullough has written a biography that reads like a novel. Engaging and informative, John Adams is worth reading if you have an interest in understanding one of the greatest men in the history of the United States.
View all my reviews
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I don't typically go for the plot driven who-done-it novels, preferring character driven stories instead. That said, I really enjoyed Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union , a clever, gritty detective story with substance. Meyer Landsman, an archetypal down-in-the-dumps detective, in the course of a homicide investigation, uncovers a much larger conspiracy. More importantly, he uncovers his purpose and his place in the world. This novel is well worth the time for anyone who likes a good mystery combined with memorable characters.
View all my reviews
When the Light Goes by Larry McMurtry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
When the Light Goes, by Larry McMurtry, appears to be the last in a series of novels (The Last Picture Show, Texasville, and Duane's Depressed) that follows the often hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking life of Duane Moore, a West Texas oilman. In this latest novel, we find Duane returning to his hometown, Thalia, from a trip to Egypt. Once home, Duane finds that in the short time that he was gone, much has changed. As the novel continues, Duane grapples with the fact that most of his family and friends have either died or moved elsewhere, leaving him in a town that doesn't feel much like home anymore. To add to his dilemma, Duane also discovers that he has a serious health issue. However, Duane meets a young woman, Anne Cameron, who rekindles his dwindling sexual desires and his interest in life, ultimately helping him decide where he belongs.
Though not as developed as, and more erotic than, the other novels in this series, When the Light Goes is classic McMurtry, complete with quirky characters, humor, and real emotion. Assuming this is the last in the series, it is a fitting conclusion to the life of Duane Moore.
View all my reviews
The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow! Every family has an oddball or two that are often avoided and only seen at the occasional family reunion, but the Berry family is nothing but oddballs, which makes for a hilarious yet tragic story. John Irving's The Hotel New Hampshire tells the story of the five Berry children as they follow their father, an irrepressible dreamer, through one failed hotel adventure after another. Along the way, they have to deal with rape, incest, and death as well as terrorists, prostitutes, a few bears, and a dog named Sorrow.
Using tight, direct, and often poetic prose, Irving tells the story through the point of view of John Berry, the middle son. John admits that he is the "least opinionated" of his siblings and so it is up to him to "set the record straight, or nearly straight" about his family's story, but he then admits that his view of the story, at least the parts he was present for, are "colored by the fact that they were up-and-down times, about which [he has] up-and-down opinions." Though John's point of view may be questionable at times, it has a nostalgic quality that is endearing, evoking sympathy from readers as he tells about and deals with his family's tragedies.
In addition to dealing with serious subjects honestly, Irving inserts a bit of metafiction via Lilly Berry (John's younger sister) as John recalls Lilly's struggles with her perceived inadequacies as a writer and the effects of critical reviews. Irving also manages to poke fun at literature professors and "a certain illiterate kind of college student" who are "relieved to discover that absolute obscurity [is] not only publishable but seemingly identified with seriousness," and that the "obvious failure to be clear [in writing] confirms that what any fool knows is a vice can be rearranged, by art, to resemble a virtue."
Altogether, The Hotel New Hampshire is a beautifully written novel filled with unforgettable characters and ridiculous situations that will make readers laugh and cry--or at least chuckle and then choke up--within the span of a page.
View all my reviews
