It's a beautiful life

I actually finished Matrimony by Joshua Henkin almost a month ago but I've really been struggling to know what to write about it. I just loved it so much but I'm not sure what to say about. It's one of those books that doesn't actually seem to be about anything, it's just about life and people and relationships. In some ways Henkin reminds me of Marilynne Robinson. His characters are lovely and realistic. The relationships he portrays are difficult and comforting, much like real relationships. I just really loved it so much.

The main characters are Mia and Julian. Julian is a writer and there are definitely times that I wonder how much of the author comes through in his character. Mia and Julian meet in college and, at first, theirs seems like it is going to be one of those college relationships that dies at graduation. Then, at the end of their senior year Mia's mother is diagnosed with cancer and this causes them to draw closer together. The book then goes on to follow 15 years of their marriage, including a trouble spot in the middle. It's a beautifully written novel....I highly recommend it.

Love that Lionel Shriver

Okay, so, I'm hooked on Lionel Shriver. I really enjoyed We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Post-Birthday World (I read both last year). I think what I like about her novels is that they aren't easy. The books are thought-provoking and difficult. The characters aren't especially likeable and the topics are hard. Still, I love to read her books.

Today I finished A Perfectly Good Family. It was first published in 1996 but, like her other older novels, is getting new attention since she won the Orange Prize in 2005. When I said that Shriver's characters aren't likeable, that goes triple for the characters in this novel. The novel tells the story of three siblings, Mordecai, Corlis and Truman, as they respond to the death of their mother and deal with the issues surrounding their inheritance. All three of them are totally self-involved and selfish. The story is told from the point of view of Corlis, the only daughter. In some ways she is the worst of the bunch, simply because she thinks she is so much better than her brothers. Most of the time I just wanted to strangle her.

The book does have some interesting observations about sibling rivalry and family life and, in some ways, is probably a description of every family, just magnified 1000 times. I did enjoy the book and recommend it although, like all of Shriver's books, it's just not for everyone.

More on the election

I just finished reading The Undecided Voter's Guide to the Next President: who the candidates are, where they come from, and how you can choose by Mark Halperin. I liked the book. The format was really nice, I like that each of the main candidates was discussed in the same way. The format of the book really made it easier to compare issue positions and other important facts about the candidates.

The problem? This book was clearly written before certain candidates were thought to have a chance. Mike Huckabee was really given barely a mention. I think his was the biggest mistake....maybe he won't end up having a chance but I'm definitely interested in learning more about him!

So, it's a good book. It's basic, interesting information about the main candidates...with the exception, really, of Mike Huckabee.

A Case of Mistaken Identity?

I really try not to say things like "the best book I've ever read." I tend to feel that way a bit too often. Really, for me, every book is the best book I've ever read so, of course, the last book is by definition the best. Still, this time I have to say that The Polish Woman by Eva Mekler is one of the best books I've ever read, certainly the best in the last few years.

Shortly after Jacob Landau dies, a woman approaches his nephew, Philip, claiming to be his long lost daughter. Karolina believes that she may be the daughter that Jacob hid with a Catholic Polish farm family shortly before being deported to a concentration camp by the Nazis. Philip is very wary and does not want to believe Karolina but as time goes by he is drawn to her honesty and begins to like her very much. The Landau family wants to know the truth and sends Karolina and Philip back to Poland to look for clues to determine if Karolina might in fact be Chava Landau.

The book is so moving, I cried on more than one occasion. The basics of the story, dealing with the Holocaust and the terrible choices that people were forced to make during that time, are very heart wrenching. The book also really forces you to think about racism and the things we pass down to our children. When Karolina starts believing that she might be Jewish she faces a genuine personal struggle. Her parents, like many Poles, were very anti-Semitic and Karolina was raised strictly Catholic, believing that the Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus. Karolina struggles with what she believes is her new identity and begins to feel that she does not fit anywhere.

At the same time, Philip really tries not to like Karolina. He had been raised to blame the Poles for what he believed was their complicity with the Germans in the Holocaust. His family had no good memories from Poland and really lumped all Polish people into the same category. What would it mean if this woman, who had been raised Catholic during the war, was actually his cousin? Would he have to change his opinions?

I really cannot say enough about this book. I loved it and definitely want to re-read it as soon as possible. The end of the book contains one of the most devastating revelations I have ever read. Really, read this book. It is not easy and it will definitely cause you to think. I promise that it will be worth it.

On Changing the World

My book club is discussing Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson this month. I've really been looking forward to reading it and finally finished it this week. It was good. I really enjoyed Mortenson's in depth knowledge of Pakistan, especially since the country has been in the news a lot lately, it was very timely that I read the book. I also enjoyed the parts about mountain climbing...that has always been an interest of mine (in books, I mean...not actually climbing mountains). It was an interesting book. I recommend it.

Another Year in the life....

After Joan Didion's lovely book, The Year of Magical Thinking, it seems like a lot of authors are using that as a title template. I've seen books about a year without money, a year of yoga, etc. One of the books in this group that seems to have gotten a lot of press is The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs. I thought the premise was interesting and I'm glad I read it. Still, I really think Jacobs misses the point of the Bible.

So, Jacobs, who is Jewish in name if not practice, decided he was going to spend a year trying to follow every law in the Bible. His purpose in doing this was to show that fundamentalism of any stripe is ridiculous, that it is impossible to follow every law in the Bible and that, therefore, any follower of the Bible is forced to pick and choose the passages they will adhere to. He intended to show that the Bible must be read critically.

Because Jacobs is Jewish he started out much more familiar with the Old Testament than with the New and he spent much more time during his year and in his book talking about the Old Testament laws. His book points out many of the laws that seem more ridiculous, including the many cleanliness laws that are virtually impossible to follow. He consults with a number of religious leaders and gets their opinions on why God chose to include certain laws. I think my favorite parts of the book are his discussions with religious leaders of various stripes. One of the leaders he spoke with during his New Testament portion told him that following the laws of the bible MIGHT make him a better or more moral person but that, really, there is no point without Jesus. That comment, at least, I agree with. It's an interesting book but not really ground breaking.

And now for something totally different

I promise this will not become a political blog. I know we will all be sick of that stuff by the end of this year. I'll probably never even mention who I'm going to vote for (not that I know yet). I just want to put this out there: REGISTER TO VOTE. I honestly believe this is an extremely important election year. Please do your part. Inform yourself. Make the decision you believe is the right one. VOTE. It is so, so important. It is fairly probable that your state has a primary coming up in the next month or so (I believe 29 states are voting before the end of February). Primary elections are important too. Vote!

For all CSI Fans

Kathy Reichs is one of my secret vices. I love her descriptions of rotting corpses in varying phases of putrefaction. I love that her super-popular mysteries contain serious discussions of saponification. The CSI fan in me just loves the detail that Reichs, who actually is a forensic anthropologist, brings to her stories.

Now, truth be told, her mysteries just aren't that mysterious. I usually have it figured out fairly early. Her dialogue is awful. The love story between her main character, Tempe, and Ryan the cop is getting a little old. Still, I'll always pick up a new Kathy Reichs book. I finished the latest, Bones to Ashes, a few days ago. It was great and I highly recommend it.

Stockholm Syndrome

I recently finished Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. I've been on a bit of an Ann Patchett run lately, I kind of just discovered her and I'm really enjoying her novels. Anyway, Bel Canto was fantastic. It tells the story of a famous Opera singer and a powerful Japanese businessman. Trying to entice the business man to do some of his company's business in their country, the leaders of a small tropical country in Latin America decide to throw a birthday party for him. They are able to get him to attend the party by promising a performance by his favorite opera singer. Although he really has no intention of doing business in the country he can't pass up the opportunity to see the singer in such a small venue.

The party ends abruptly when a small band of terrorists takes the party goers hostage. They had intended just to kidnap the President but at the last minute he had decided not to attend the party. So, the terrorists, at a loss, end up holding the party goers hostage for months. Over time, things become more lax. The terrorists don't seem so terrible any more. The hostages no longer seem like symbols of subjugation. The terrorists and hostages become friends. Inevitably, this situation ends poorly. The book, however, is a very interesting read. I highly recommend it.