Book Review: The Professor's House

I am an undying Willa Cather fan. Her collection of stories was the first e-book that I bought on my Kindle (at least this electronic version will not lose it's cover or binding like my other Cather books that I may have loved a bit too hard). Of course, every writer has their slips and that's what I think The Professor's House is. Even though it is listed in the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, I don't think it even holds a candle to O! Pioneers or My Antonia. Still, it has some redeeming qualities that a Cather enthusiast will surely enjoy.

The short novel is divided into three sections the first of which focuses on the professor's family. It is clear that the professor feels at odds with most of his family for while he values education and knowledge, his wife and one of his daughters are materialistic. When they plan to move into a newly built house, the family does not understand the professor's reluctance to leave their old house behind. The second section focuses on the professor's former student, Tom Outland. In fact, the whole section is written by Outland and describes his life and connection to the ancient civilizations in America's southwest. The final section gives greater insight into the professor and his admiration for his late student, Outland.

As one can see, this novel is character driven as opposed to plot driven. However, the characters are not that interesting and seem a bit convoluted. Therefore, the story becomes bogged down. Cather clearly wants to send a message about the dangers of materialism. However, these characters do not seem to be the best vehicle for this message. Additionally, the fragmented storyline is a bit confusing which distracts from Cather's theme.

Overall, this is not one of Cather's finest but Cather fans will certain see its redeeming qualities and perhaps a different side of Cather herself.


-DLP

Dramatic Review: Frankie and Johnny In the Clair de Lune

Last month, I went to the New Rep in Watertown to see Frankie and Johnny. I had heard the song before and knew that it was a movie, but I have never seen the play. The venue was small and intimate as under 200 of us were seated in the black box. Overall, the production was well done. The two leads were excellent in their parts, though it might have helped that they were actually married. However, I cannot say that I enjoyed myself. This was not the fault of the specific production that I saw but of the play in general.

All of the action in this piece takes place in Frankie's apartment. The play opens with the couple having sex. It is clear from the beginning that they know each other though not very well. The audience soon learns that they met at the diner where both work. Frankie is a waitress while Johnny is the cook. Johnny is idealistic, looking for true love, and has set his sights on Frankie. Frankie is jaded/grouchy, suspicious and will have none of Johnny's romantic advances. This creates 71 pages of back and forth between the two. The repartee is humorous at its best and laborious at its worst. The two characters are grotesque stereotypes in which Johnny's idealism actually becomes creepy to the point that I questioned it the play was going to reveal that he was an escaped patient from a mental institution. Frankie's abrasiveness is further exaggerated as she huff and puffs around the apartment threatening to leave or kick him out. As they go back and forth, they start to open up to each other and see the potential for happiness within themselves and with each other.

Don't get me wrong, I love Terrence McNally (Love! Valour! Compassion! is one of my favorite plays) but this is just uncharacteristically weak. The dialogue feels stilted and unrealistic, the symbolism barrels in on anvils, and the ending is childishly foolish. Overall, McNally is a classic playwright who deserves great respect and praise. Unfortunately, this is far from his finest work and is worth skipping over on your way to his other pieces.

-DLP

Book Review: Too Much Happiness

To continue with my reading of Canadian literature, I decided to read Alice Munro's Booker Prize winning collection of short stories. Usually, it takes a lot for me to take a chance on short stories. I typically find them to be either too short (and I want a novel-length more) or too long (and I wonder why it bothered being a story at all). However, Munro is a master! She gives the reader just enough to keep you intrigued and unable to put the book down. Yet, each story feels complete and you can walk away from the collection feeling satisified.

I enjoyed this collection a great deal because the stories dealt with some heavy issues that I think most short story writers shy away from. In this book, Munro tackles issues of spousal abuse, child abuse, adultery,  and long-kept secrets. Many of the stories do not have a traditional "happy ending" and most of the characters are far from being heroes (or even likable). Somehow this does not seem to be a problem for I couldn't put the book down from the second I opened its cover. Perhaps the reason is because Munro's work isn't really about the plot or storyline of the story but instead about the characters and the emotions that the illicit in the reader. With each story Munro triggers a different emotion or question to ponder from how to forgive, to what is degradation, to what is the difference between hatred and fear. Though the characters faded with time, these questions still run through my mind.

Due to these topics, this is not a book for a dabbler or one who is hunting for a good beach read. This is catered towards those who want their literature to challenge them, disturb them, and above all make them think. If you are one of those kinds of readers, you will not be disappointed.

-DLP

Book Review: I Am America (And So Can You)

I have to first own up and say that I love John Stewart and Stephen Colbert. I am not a die hard fan, but I respect both of them and find myself laughing whenever I catch their shows. That's why when Colbert's book came out I did not flock to the store to get it. Instead, I waited for it to go on clearance and picked up the audiobook read by Colbert himself. After reading it, I honestly want to send him a check for the full price because this book is well worth it!

In his book, Colbert basically reiterates the same positions that he holds on his show regarding politics, family, and overall American life. His one liners are quick and incredibly memorable. There are also little interludes titled "Stephen Colbert Speaks for Me" in which various guests write in on how Stephen expresses exactly how they are feeling. These "guests" range from an old cat lady, to a cow and even God himself. These are always witty and on the audiobook they are read by various actors/actresses.

At first, I feared that I would tire of listening to Colbert for over 3 hours but I was horribly wrong. Even after finishing, I wanted to go back and listen to it all over again. It was like listening to a 3 hour stand-up routine. Of course, this book is not for everyone. It is meant to be humorous and therefore should not be taken too seriously. But if you want a treat and feel like some laughs, then certainly take a chance on this!

-DLP

Now on DVD: Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog

Almost three years ago, brothers Zack and Joss Whedon decided to make a musical web series during the writers' strike. What they produced was this phenomenal cult sensation in which Neil Patrick Harris plays a good-hearted bad guy who desperately wants to become a super villain in order to get his crush's attention. His efforts are thwarted when Captain Hammer makes an appearance.

What I found most brilliant is that this grassroots web series it superior in almost every way to hundreds of fully funded network shows. The songs are too catchy for the viewer's own good, the singing is great, and the acting is nearly flawless. Additionally, the Whedon's have perfected the formula for tragicomedies.

It is also astounding that in less than 6 months the web series made back its costs of production. Now that the whole series is on DVD, it is certain to make an even bigger bang! The DVD even has a musical commentary (the songs from the original series and the commentary are available on iTunes). So if you're behind the times, like me, pick up this DVD because you have no idea what you're missing.

-DLP

Book Review: Water for Elephants

As I have stated before, one of my MANY quirks is that I must read a book before I watch the movie. When I read in Entertainment Weekly the Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattison would be starring in the film adaptation of Water for Elephants, I knew that I had to pick it up. I rarely pay full price for a book. However, this one had such rave reviews that I couldn’t help myself. Still, it sat on my bookcase until this week when I promised to read it before the opening of the movie. Honestly, I was greatly disappointed.

Sara Gruen tells the story of Jacob Jankowski who is so distraught after his parents’ deaths that he runs away with the circus. He leaves between his education at Cornell University and his future as a veterinarian. Fortunately, his study of veterinary medicine helps him land a job as the circus’ vet. While touring with the circus he meets a number of characters from a red haired midget clown, to an old circus worker who is struck with “jake walk” (a condition brought on by drinking tainted whiskey). Jacob soon discovers that life on the road is beyond trying. When an elephant is brought on as part of the show, Jacob finds himself torn between his job as a compassionate vet and the rules of the circus. This causes Jacob to bump heads with his boss, August, who is beyond temperamental and at times masochistic. To complicate matters, Jacob is in love with the lead actress of the show, Malena, who just happens to be August’s wife.

While the subject matter of the circus would seem to be incredibly interesting, this novel was boring from start to finish. The entire plot was cliched, the relationships were shallow, and the characters were without depth. From the first chapter, I knew the exact path that the novel was going to take. Every time I thought to put the book down, I convinced myself to give it one more chance. It was after all a bestseller, therefore, I thought it would get better. It never did. If anything, it got worse as every cliche was reinforced. The only twist came at the very end and was so absurd I had to re-read the last few pages three times over to make sure that I read it correctly. A book is only as good as its character development but in this novel there is no development. Though Jacob attempts to mature, he can’t seem to figure out what his priorities are. Incidentally, neither can Gruen for she has Jacob bemoan his conflicting emotions between his love for Marlena and his feelings towards animal abuse. Fortunately for Jacob, the animals take their fate into their own hands which relieves Jacob of having to develop. I hope, for the box office’s sake, that the movie fails to resemble the book. Either way, I will not be the first in line at the theater.

-DLP

Now on DVD: Charlie St. Cloud

I have to start by saying that I give Zac Efron props for trying to break out of his High School Musical/Teenage Heartthrob stereotype. He is certainly trying to differentiate himself from his past characters and for that I give him a great deal of credit. It is difficult for a teen sensation to break out from the mold he has made for himself, especially if that childhood mold was as lucrative as Efron’s. Sadly, I don’t think Charlie St. Cloud was the role to break Efron free from his teen bop status. The plot is weak, the writing is cliched, and the storyline is beyond convoluted. It seems that this movie was made to show Efron’s acting chops but instead it comes off as a Hallmark version of The Sixth Sense.

Charlie is a sailing champ who is devoted to his younger brother, Sam, and their single mom. While the two brothers are close, Charlie has just graduated and wants to spend time with his friends. One night, while their mom is out, Charlie is put in charge of watching Sam. The two get into a bad car accident in which Sam is killed. Charlie is unable to forgive himself. He defers going to Standford and spends five years working as a landscaper/caretaker of the local cemetery. Every evening he meets Sam’s ghost in the forest to plan catch. Charlie’s pattern is disrupted when he meets a female sailor with whom he falls in love. Suddenly he must choose whether to live in the past with the ghost of his brother or try to forge a life for himself in the present.

Though this movie touches on deep issues of life after death, grief, and regret, it does little more than tap on these issues. As a Massachusetts resident, it was hard for me to believe that this movie actually took place in Quincy when in fact it looked a great deal like the California coast. Yet my greatest disappointment was how forgettable this film is. I only watched it a couple of days ago and my memory of it is already hazy. I always look for movies and books that leave a lasting impression and make me continue to think about the characters for days or even weeks. This is not so with Charlie St. Cloud. Though I wanted to like this movie and cheer for Efron’s development as an actor, I found myself disappointed.

-DLP

Bookworm goes to the gym!

In the winter I like to hibernate. What with the snow, ice, sleet and other assorted cold qualities of the season, curling up on my couch with a good read, coffee and cookies sounds divine. However, this does not aid my overall health in which one should get regular exercise. I have to turn the pages...isn't that enough?? As I do enjoy a brisk walk in good weather, I decided to try out a gym. Turns out watching tv while run/walking on the treadmill gives me a headache and not watching tv means I am agonizingly watching the minutes tick by, trying to convince myself that it is worth the money if I'm only on the treadmill for 15 minutes each day. Not really a win. So I decided I'd read on the treadmill. And it works!

Okay, maybe you can't read on the treadmill because you are running. Fast. And sweating a lot like "Mr. Military" who was next to me this weekend. But I don't run. I walk briskly. On an incline. And I work up a sweat and the machine says I'm burning calories and that my heart rate is up. Considering that every winter of my life until now (except those in my childhood during which I took weekly swimming lessons), I hardly got any any exercise, I consider this an accomplishment. What do I read whilst working out you ask?

I recommend a paperback that isn't too long because if it's long that means there are lots of pages, which are difficult to prop open on the treadmills at my gym. I also recommend a novel (unless you only read non-fiction, in which case I recommend reading the "least intense" books). I find reading books that I'm really interested in help the time pass, which is why I bring along a book in the first place! I've been able to read at least a book a week ever since I started reading on the treadmill. So I'm killing two birds with one stone! In 2011 I'd like to get exercise regularly and read many more books. I read 41 books in 2010. I'd like to read at least 52 books in 2011 and I think I've figured out how to make that a reality!

See you on the treadmill!

- KER

Book Review: TheWave

This book was written up in so many places and discussed on so many podcasts, that I could not ignore it. I have never been all that interested in waves or stories or the sea (I live in Massachusetts and haven't even read "The Perfect Storm"), but with that much publicity I just couldn't ignore it. I am certainly glad that I took a chance on this non-fiction that reads more like a thriller than a historical and scientific piece.

Author Susan Casey takes on the subject of waves from scientific, historic, and athletic perspectives. She begins by describing famous, and some not so well known, shipwrecks and the waves that did them in. Casey then introduces the reader to a motley crew of surfers who devote their entire lives to riding the largest waves in the world. She follows them across the country and around the world as they search for the perfect wave and the perfect ride. They feel a connection to the ocean and its movements in a way that can only be described as a "wave-whisperer". Casey then dips into the science behind these waves and how climate change is making waves larger and more powerful. She attends symposiums to hear the most renowned scientists speak on the subject (even if she doesn't understand exactly what they are saying). In the end, she returns to the surfers who live amongst the waves and their constant ebb and flow.

First, I have to say that I enjoyed the time I spent reading this book. Casey makes it fast-paced and action-packed. While I found the surfers very intriguing, I was a bit disappointed that so much attention was given to them while the historic and scientific aspects seemed to play second fiddle. I think a fellow reviewer put it best when he stated that it is the Discovery Channel meets ESPN. Unfortunately, it seems that this book is 67% surfing and 33% historical/scientific. So while I enjoyed the read, this wasn't a book that left a lasting impression on me.

-DLP

New Year's Resolution and Book Review

Though I pride myself on not following the crowd, I always seem to make a New Year's Resolution. Of course, I end up breaking my resolution before the first of February. So I have decided to make a New Year's Resolution that I actually WANT to keep this year! For 2011, I vow to post more often and to get up to date on previous posts. With that said...I have the first book review for 2011!

As some of you may know, I am still working on reading novels set in Canada and by Canadian authors. I just recently finished Howard Norman's "The Bird Artist". Last year I read Norman's "The Museum Guard" and felt lost for over 200 pages. Therefore, I was reluctant to dip into another one of his novels. However, I am so glad that I did for "The Bird Artist" is exactly what I have been looking for!

Fabian Vas is the main character and engrossing narrator of this novel. Within his first paragraph is states that, "Obscurity is not necessarily failure, though; I am a bird artist, and have more or less made a living at it. Yet I murdered the lighthouse keeper, Botho August, and that is an equal part of how I think of myself." From here he tells the story of growing up in a secluded fishing village in the early 1900s. Vas develops his skills as a bird artist which means that he draws birds. He begins a correspondence with a professional bird artist who coaches him on his sketches. However, there is little money in such a field and Vas knows that he will one day have to join his fellow townspeople in fishing and living off of the sea. Vas' personal life escalates when he begins a relationship with his childhood sweetheart Margaret. Though she too has lived in the same fishing village since her birth, the community has not embraced her but instead believe her to be wild and feared. Vas' parents believe these rumors and set to arrange his marriage to his fourth cousin in New Brunswick. For years Vas let his parents and members of the community run his life for him, yet this is all about to end as Vas discovers his own free will.

Many have described this novel as a murder mystery or haunting thriller. While I understand these assessments, I do not agree with them. This novel is about more than a murder. It is about life in a small town and the feeling of being cloistered. It is about the expression of self and the importance of finding a personal outlet. It is about the confusing roles within families which can result in betrayal and hurt. In other words, this is no Nancy Drew or Dean Kootz mystery. Norman even takes the mystery out of the story by not only naming the murderer on the first page but by making him the narrator. This instantly changes the novel from being a thriller to being about the consequences of living a life that is forced upon you. In many ways, this novel reminded me of Albert Camus' "The Stranger" in that a murder occurs and the reader has the ability to be fascinated by that act or by the complex character who committed it. Personally, I find the characters in this novel to be superb and far more interesting than the mystery. The writing is fantastic and while I never sympathized with the characters, I was completely engrossed. Even weeks after finishing the novel, the characters still haunt me and beg for a second reading.

-DLP