The Book Mine Set: The Great Wednesday Compare #5- Margaret Wise Brown VERSUS Maurice Sendak

Two great children's authors go head-to-head. Who will win? I'm voting for Margaret Wise Brown, but Maurice Sendak is pretty amazing too.
The Book Mine Set: The Great Wednesday Compare #5- Margaret Wise Brown VERSUS Maurice Sendak

Avatar

So last week, my husband and I got a babysitter and finally made it out to see Avatar. It was a visually impressive movie. It had a great story. The actors were fantastic. The 3D was great. I really liked it. I didn’t think it was the best movie ever, but I’ll definitely be getting the Blu-Ray when it comes out. Maybe they’ll have it in 3D too.

Here is my problem. It has nothing really to do with the movie itself. It is the same problem I had when I went to see Watchmen just over a year ago. The movies themselves aren’t really anything alike, but when I’m watching a movie and there is a small child making sounds of unhappiness it is very distracting. You can read what happened last year at Watchmen in my previous post. At Avatar there was a five-year-old girl watching the movie, presumably with her parents and she didn’t seem very happy about it. Avatar isn’t a super violent movie, but a guy does get shot through the chest with a giant arrow in a very obvious way. There are battle scenes and people die. One year later I am asking again. PLEASE, do not take your children to movies that are going to scare them. I can speak from experience; your child will have nightmares. It also disturbs other people in the theatre. If your child starts to cry it should be obvious that they’re not enjoying themselves. It makes me so angry; it taints the movie for me.

The Book Mine Set: Thoughts on Canada Also Reads

The Book Mine Set: Thoughts on Canada Also Reads

Now I Lay Me

Now I Lay Me is the last story in Ernest Hemingway’s collection, Men Without Women. The collection is one of Hemingway’s earliest works and his second book of short stories. Hemingway was one of the most influential writers in American literature; some even see him as the ultimate American writer. Hemingway was not one for long, flowery passages describing a summer day or a cottage on a hill. He used quick exchanges and short sentences. Now I Lay Me is a great example of his ability to create forward momentum. Hemingway also wrote what he knew; this story deals with a shell shocked soldier from the Great War (aka World War I, when he published this story in 1925, there was no World War II.) Many have said that Hemingway wrote a fictionalized version of his own life, a “what if” idea. If you know anything about Hemingway’s experiences as a soldier and as someone who was involved in more that one war, you can see that reflected in his work. This story and the entire collection is a must for any Hemingway enthusiast or even a beginner wanting to ease into his work.

The Gum Thief

The Gum Thief was brilliant. Douglas Coupland has amazing skill at creating such great characters. Roger and Bethany feel like real people. Even the secondary characters have a reality about them. Doesn’t Kyle remind you of someone you dated? You can see DeeDee as someone’s mother. Roger and Bethany are not generic. They are individuals who are shaped by their circumstances.

It took place (mostly) in Staples! It’s one of the things that drew me to the novel. I worked at Staples a long time ago. I’m sure employees of the big box stores can relate to what Bethany and Roger say. Maybe everyone else will discover something. When a customer goes in, they don’t know that their sales associate is a budding novelist. No one knows who’s divorced, who has children or who has lost a loved one. Box store employees are anonymous. I think it was a wonderful idea to have a non-generic setting. Having such a specific location really makes you think about the people there.

I don’t think I have anything negative to say. I enjoyed the letter writing style. I thought Roger’s Glove Pond was strange and funny. I liked how “real life” events were making their way into the fictional novel. I even love to hate the person who gives Roger a C-. She hates all the things that make this novel wonderful. In case it’s not obvious, I loved The Gum Thief.

The Host

The Host is the “other” novel by Stephenie Meyer. It’s not about vampires and has nothing to do with werewolves. The Host is about life post-alien invasion. It was an invasion so quiet, humans didn’t realize it was happening. Once they did, it was too late. The Host doesn’t focus on the invasion itself, that’s the past. It deals the present and the future.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the novel. Friends had warned me that The Host wasn’t as good as Twilight. Maybe they spent too much time comparing the stories. They are different in content, as well as characters. I don’t think there is anyone like Uncle Jeb in Twilight. I don’t know if someone who really likes vampire fiction is going to like a story about aliens. Though, on her website, Stephenie Meyer says that The Host is science fiction for people who don’t like science fiction.

If you’ve read her other books, however, you can’t help but make a comparison. There is a love triangle, though it might be more of a square. There’s a family member that Wanderer, the main character, is concerned about. Meyer’s quick pace and eventful plot keeps you racing through the [over] 600 pages. The Host is more mature in its language, though it has been a while since I read her other books. I like Wanderer more than Meyer’s other heroine. Wanderer has a strength, determination and conviction that Bella lacked, though maybe the movies have coloured my view. Yes, she a lot of what she does is out of love, but she also thinks of the greater good. Wanderer has a great altruistic quality.

Would fans of Twilight like The Host? I certainly do. I suppose it depends on how diverse their tastes are in books. It’s being made into a movie, so I’m sure Meyer and the people producing the movie hope so. For those who have never read Meyer’s other novels, The Host is a great story about an alien’s quest among humans and human survival among the aliens who now inhabit the Earth.

Divisadero

I just finished Divisadero, the latest in fiction by Michael Ondaatje. Divisadero is a beautifully written novel. The language is fluid and emotional. Perhaps it is too emotional or sentimental, at least with the last third of the novel. The first part of the novel introduces the reader to Anna and her family in the 1970s and it takes us from their childhood, through their personal evolutions after the family is splintered. I spent the second part of the book longing to know what happens to Anna, Claire and Coop.

In the second section, Ondaatje takes us into the life of the author Anna is studying. The life of this author is connected to Anna’s current lover, who knew him as a boy. It’s an interesting story. The style changes here, the story seems to float along, moving away from the excitement and urgency evoked by the first section.

I feel as though Divisadero should have been two novels. They can remain connected, like In The Skin Of A Lion and The English Patient. There are definite parallels between the life of Anna and the life of the author she studies. There are fractured families, secret love affairs and solitude. The narration changes throughout the entire novel, but that’s easy enough to follow; each character has their own voice. It’s the two stories, yes connected, but not necessarily needing to be in the same book. I might have liked it better it the story came back to Anna, Claire and Coop in a more decisive way. Though I liked it, I find myself unsatisfied with the ending.

The Book Mine Set: The Great Wednesday Compare #5- Louisa May Alcott VERSUS Thomas Hardy

Vote for your favourite. I'm going with Thomas Hardy personally. Is it bad that I've never read Little Women?

The Book Mine Set: The Great Wednesday Compare #5- Louisa May Alcott VERSUS Thomas Hardy

Escape to Etobicoke

“Escape to Etobicoke” is a short story in the collection The Book of Ifs and Buts by Rabindranath Maharaj. I was drawn to this collection for a couple reasons. I liked the title. I liked the book cover. I liked the name of the author. After reading the little blurb about him on the back, I thought he was someone I could relate too. (Maharaj immigrated to Canada from Trinidad, just like my parents.) Therefore, I had to buy his book of short stories.

Like other stories in the collection, “Escape to Etobicoke” is about the issues immigrants face when moving to Canada. The main character, Robert, was journalist at a prominent Trinidadian newspaper. Now he tutors a boy in English. He tries to make his life work here. He talks about the relatives he stayed with, also immigrants, formerly teachers. Now they’re shift workers. He talks about their children, who are Canadian, who speak differently, act differently from their parents and what that does to their family. He faces difficulties trying to make this new life for himself and refuses to go back to Trinidad.

The story takes the form of a letter to a friend. I’m never sure with letters-as-short-stories. Is this really the way someone would write a letter? I don’t think so. Maharaj actually seems to address this issue. In the letter, the writer, referring to the language that he’s using, says that he’s not a poet. The reader remembers that he is a journalist and so then presumably has a way with words.

I like that the main character describes what he has come to learn as the difference between Americans and Canadians. I also like the way he describes the hardships faced by immigrants. He does this without being melodramatic or begging for sympathy. It’s a description of his experiences. You get the feeling that perhaps “Escape to Etobicoke” started as an actual letter that Maharaj wrote to someone back in Trinidad. I suppose there's a lot I like about this story and the collection it comes from.

The Book Mine Set: The Great Wednesday Compare #5- Louisa May Alcott VERSUS Sylvia Plath

The Book Mine Set: The Great Wednesday Compare #5- Louisa May Alcott VERSUS Sylvia Plath

The Helmet of Horror

I’m not even sure where to begin. I finished The Helmet of Horror a lot faster than I thought I would. It only took two days; I couldn’t put it down. I could have read it in one if I had the time. I’m thinking about it now, even considering re-reading it. There’s so much symbolism and philosophical thought I’m certain I missed. I’m never sure with translations, whether to attribute the readability to the author or translator, but the language was engaging and easy to follow. The concept however, is all Victor Pelevin.

The Helmet of Horror is a modern re-telling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. For those that don’t know, Theseus has to find his way out of a labyrinth while being pursued by a Minotaur. He uses a magic ball of string to find his way out and kills the Minotaur. There’s more to the myth that you can find here.

The novel is written entirely in dialogue, but without any of the characters actually speaking to each other. It takes place in an internet style chatroom. I say “internet style” because they actually aren’t on the internet; they can’t access anything with their computers except the chatroom. Their only interaction with anyone is through the computer screen; there are no voices or faces. They can’t share any personal information, not even their names. Each person is assigned a pseudonym, which they can’t change.

ASIDE: You can see what I mean with a preview from Google Books. I just discovered it as I was looking for an image of the front cover to add to this post. I tried a few other books out. It has previews for quite a few. I think I might use this in the future. I vaguely remember some kind of legal thing in the news about Google and publishers. Well, hopefully they’ve solved that problem.

There are mysterious moderators. There is a search for Theseus. Who is Asterisks? There is religion, philosophy and an incomprehensible Helmet of Horror. There is no proof than anyone the characters “speak” with is real.

Victor Pelevin’s The Helmet of Horror is a great addition to the Myth Series. Unlike the last Myth book I read, this one makes me eager to read another.

Rhyme Stew

Rhyme Stew is a great little book of satirical poetry by Roald Dahl. It was given to me with a few other books for my daughter. Like I do with other books, before reading this to my child, I read it for myself. I’m glad I did. The cover of Rhyme Stew has the recognizable Quentin Blake illustrations. On the side of the cauldron it says, “WARNING Unsuitable for Small People.” It really is. For example, the short poem, St Ives:

As I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wives
Said he, “I think it’s much more fun
Than getting stuck with only one.”

I thought it was hilarious, but would I read it (then have to explain it) to a small child? Not likely. This isn’t even the most inappropriate one. There’s nudity, a vicar feeling the thigh of a woman, cat kicking and thievery. This book should be rated at least PG-13. I was quite surprised by the content. Though I enjoyed it, I think it’ll be a while before I let my daughter read it.

The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower

I’ve finally finished Stephen King’s Dark Tower series (not including the graphic novels). I think I read the first book, The Gunslinger when I was thirteen, maybe fourteen. Let’s just say that was a very long time ago. How do I feel now? I don’t know. Happy to know how it ends, definitely. I’m not sure what I think of the ending. To those who have read the book: The horn makes it different, right?

At the end of The Dark Tower (and most of the others in the series) King includes an “Author’s Note”. In it, he asks that readers not send him angry letters; he won’t answer them. I could have been happy if he had just ended after the “Prologue,” but no, he writes something that could make a lot of readers angry. Before what he titles “Coda,” King includes an appeal of sorts, telling the readers they have a choice, they don’t have to read this part. They can enjoy the end as it is. Does he really think people won’t read the last few pages of the book? At least it’s an ending with a little glimmer of hope.

The Dark Tower is a long book. The copy I have is 845 pages. As much as I like this novel, I have the same problem with it that I’ve had with the last three in the series. The beginning starts great, but then it hits a chunk of story that’s too much talking, too much explaining of things that I don’t think matter. Then, when you get to the second half, it moves quickly and the story picks up an amazing flow. I think I might have said this with the last book of his I read, the book could have easily been a hundred pages shorter. Does this ever stop me from reading his books? No. They are exciting stories that I enjoy.

A Haunted House

Inspired to read, A Haunted House by Nan’s review last week, I dove into my collection of Virginia Woolf’s short fiction for this week's installment of Short Story Monday. It wasn’t a very deep dive since A Haunted House isn’t even two full pages long. It is however, Woolf’s distinct “stream of consciousness” style. The reader moves along with both couples, living and dead, as they search and go about there day. I love the end. A Haunted House isn’t a scary ghost story. It’s sweet, with just a touch of creepy. It’s perfect for a Woolf lover or a Woolf beginner.

As Birds Bring Forth The Sun

A little late in the day, but this is the first of what I hope to be many contributions to Short Story Monday. Every Week I read John Mutford’s reviews of short stories. As I looked at my every-growing library, I realized that I had a lot of Short Story collections, Alice Munro, Carol Sheilds and even Stephen King are just a few of the authors whose short stories I have read and will read. I also have a fair stack of literary journals/magazines, including PRISM international, Other Voices and Geist. So I hope, every week, to add my review to Short Story Monday.

As Birds Bring Forth The Sun by Alistair MacLeod is the first story in a rather thick collection called From Ink Lake edited by Michael Ondaatje. (I know it’s also the title of one of MacLeod’s collections. This is just how I was introduced to it.) As Birds Bring Forth The Sun is part short story, part ghost story and part family legend. Simply, it’s about a love of a man for his dog. Yet, it’s not a simple story. It’s a powerful love. The story of the mysterious grey dog remains a part of the life of the family generations later. MacLeod tells an interesting and thoughtful tale. Though it isn’t long, the story stays with you. You wonder about the secret of the dog.

The Almost Moon

What if your whole life had been leading up to the murder of your mother? I feel like that is the case of Helen Knightly. Her mother is crazy. After the death of her father, Helen is left to care for her. She is divorced and her children have moved away. She also manages to alienate her best friend, really making herself alone. Does she do this on purpose? Yes and no.

The novel takes place over 24 hours (or a bit more). It starts one evening and ends the next. It also takes place over Helen’s whole life, as she looks back to see what brought her to this place. The Almost Moon had a good ending. I think Helen finally makes the right decision. However, it also left me with a lot of questions. Just a page or two more and I would probably have the answers I want. They’re just not there.

If you’ve read Alice Sebold’s amazing novel, The Lovely Bones, (if you haven’t, got get it, now), you’ll enjoy The Almost Moon. It didn’t have the same level of excitement for me, but that’s okay. It was a great read that definitely captures your interest. It’s Sebold’s style that holds you. I eagerly await another Sebold book.

The Lump Of Coal

The Lump Of Coal is a children’s Christmas tale written by Lemony Snicket. When Lemony Snicket’s An Unfortunate Series of Events ended, I was sad. (You can find my comments on the various books on this blog in July, August and November 2006.) Not only did I want to know more about the Baudelaires, but I was going to miss Snicket’s unique style of writing. He has a way of teaching something to the reader, whether a moral or meaning of a word, with ease. He does not condescend; explanations are done plainly and with humour.

In this story, it starts off a little sad. No one wants a lump of coal for Christmas. At least, that’s what you think. Someone wants a lump of coal and it makes them very happy. Snicket turns a negative into a positive without being obvious. It just happens naturally, as we follow the coal on his journey. The Lump Of Coal, I think, actually teaches you to look beyond preconceptions. A cliché comes to mind, but I think it’s appropriate in this instance. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

PS: The cover is actually silver, not white.
PPS: The illustrations are done by Brett Helquist and they’re fantastic!

Loneliest Number

Go to your Google search engine and type in "loneliest number". Please.

Negotiating With The Dead: A Writer On Writing

Negotiating with the Dead is Margaret Atwood’s tale of what it’s like to be a writer. It’s not instructions; it doesn’t tell you how to be a writer. Negotiating with the Dead expounds different aspects of what it’s like to be a writer. Atwood uses many metaphors and explains what is often going on in a writer’s mind. She also talks about the relationship between writer and reader. It is a good book; just don’t expect a road map on how to be as successful as the author

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is Quirk Classics newest Jane Austen installment. Ben H. Winters’s does a fair job taking the classic tale to a sub-surface level. It is a fun and interesting read, blending personal heartbreak with sea monster attacks. Winters keeps the essential personality of each of the characters. He leaves the old world of Austen behind and creates a new one. It is a world fraught with battling sea-beasts.

Winters is not the same author who created Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. There is a difference in writing style and the manner in which the books are transformed. While Winters created entirely new towns and re-wrote much of the story, Seth Grahame-Smith’s approach was more subtle. So don’t expect the same feeling from both books. The individual style is apparent. I prefer PPZ; SSSM seemed too long. It lacked something that PPZ managed to keep from the Austen original. SSSM is a fun read though, and if you liked the first Quirk remake, try this one too.