Circe by Madeline Miller
The Song of Achilles blew me away, and now I've had the chance to drink up Circe, Miller's other epic novel that is an absolute masterpiece.
Spanning eons, Circe tells her life story as a god. I could tell you the particulars of the plot, but while it's completely engrossing, it's not where the novel shines the brightest. The writing is glorious, true art in itself. And the story weaves together so much Greek mythology that we are treated to a different glimpse of these characters we've heard about over the years--what fuels them, the relationships they had amongst themselves, their pettiness. I never imagined I could feel ambivalent toward Athena.
The courage of Circe, her life as a witch, and her compassion toward mortals enveloped me for days. I feared the end of the novel because I didn't want to leave the space the novel created in my life. We have so much to see in ourselves by reading about these gods and the mortals they interacted with. Greek mythology has been presented to me as somewhat silly, something that ignorant people clung to when they didn't know better. Now I see that we aren't that different with our beliefs today, or in how we respond to our lives.
General consensus: This is a voyage into another realm that forces us to expand our sense of reality.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Friday, October 18, 2019
Book Report #224 The After Party
The After Party by Cressida Connolly
It's between WW1 and WW2, and Phyllis is a wife and mother of three living in England. She has two sisters that she's been missing as she's been living abroad with her husband, and is excited to finally be moving near them.
Her sisters, their husbands, and Phyllis and her husband become enamored with Sir Oswald Mosley and his Party. Phyllis' sister Nina even runs a summer camp that promotes The Party's principles, which Phyllis ends up working at, and her daughters enjoy spending their days there. Phyllis' sister Patricia and her husband think the camp is silly, but are honored to be friends with Sir Oswald. Phyllis' husband Hugh even goes to work for his campaign.
Sir Oswald was a real person, this camp was a real thing, and The Party was the British Union of Fascists. Somehow, Phyllis never comes to see fascist as a dirty word, and she thinks Mussolini is just fine. Thankfully, she doesn't seem so sold on Hitler. The whole time, Phyllis never wavers from her faith in Sir Oswald and her belief that The Party espouses the most patriotic of British principles.
But there was a period where Phyllis and Hugh were imprisoned for their allegiance to The Party. First, their house was searched and they were hauled off to London as WW2 waged. The prison conditions were absolutely miserable. And then they were taken to the Isle of Man for a more relaxed, summer vacation kind of imprisonment that was actually an interment camp where they lived alongside foreign prisoners like Germans and Italians.
Yet neither of Phyllis' sisters or their husbands were imprisoned, which was curious...
General consensus: It was interesting to learn about these British Fascists and get history from their perspective. I had no idea about them or their internment camp.
It's between WW1 and WW2, and Phyllis is a wife and mother of three living in England. She has two sisters that she's been missing as she's been living abroad with her husband, and is excited to finally be moving near them.
Her sisters, their husbands, and Phyllis and her husband become enamored with Sir Oswald Mosley and his Party. Phyllis' sister Nina even runs a summer camp that promotes The Party's principles, which Phyllis ends up working at, and her daughters enjoy spending their days there. Phyllis' sister Patricia and her husband think the camp is silly, but are honored to be friends with Sir Oswald. Phyllis' husband Hugh even goes to work for his campaign.
Sir Oswald was a real person, this camp was a real thing, and The Party was the British Union of Fascists. Somehow, Phyllis never comes to see fascist as a dirty word, and she thinks Mussolini is just fine. Thankfully, she doesn't seem so sold on Hitler. The whole time, Phyllis never wavers from her faith in Sir Oswald and her belief that The Party espouses the most patriotic of British principles.
But there was a period where Phyllis and Hugh were imprisoned for their allegiance to The Party. First, their house was searched and they were hauled off to London as WW2 waged. The prison conditions were absolutely miserable. And then they were taken to the Isle of Man for a more relaxed, summer vacation kind of imprisonment that was actually an interment camp where they lived alongside foreign prisoners like Germans and Italians.
Yet neither of Phyllis' sisters or their husbands were imprisoned, which was curious...
General consensus: It was interesting to learn about these British Fascists and get history from their perspective. I had no idea about them or their internment camp.
Book Report #223 Disclosure
Disclosure by Michael Crichton
It didn't even take me 24 hours to consume this book. I was so hooked. And what deliciousness to find out at the end that it was based on a true story.
Plus, it's a movie with Michael Douglas and Demi Moore. I'd never heard of it!
Set in the early 90s Seattle, Tom Sanders is a department head at a tech company expecting a promotion to VP. When he gets to work, he finds out that his ex-girlfriend from ten years ago got the job instead, and he wasn't even aware she'd been working at the company.
Tom's department is experiencing production problems, so he tries to navigate that storm while adjusting to the changes in his company as it heads into a merger. Tom stands to gain millions if the merger goes through. But his ex-girlfriend makes advances on him in her office that lead him to claim sexual harassment.
The examination of sexual harassment, how murky the subject can get, the biases people bring into it, and the corporate and legal proceedings around it were endlessly interesting. Plus, the plot was a real thriller.
General consensus: Crichton took on such a wide array of subjects in his novels, and they were all brilliant. I'm in awe, and ready to read another one.
It didn't even take me 24 hours to consume this book. I was so hooked. And what deliciousness to find out at the end that it was based on a true story.
Plus, it's a movie with Michael Douglas and Demi Moore. I'd never heard of it!
Set in the early 90s Seattle, Tom Sanders is a department head at a tech company expecting a promotion to VP. When he gets to work, he finds out that his ex-girlfriend from ten years ago got the job instead, and he wasn't even aware she'd been working at the company.
Tom's department is experiencing production problems, so he tries to navigate that storm while adjusting to the changes in his company as it heads into a merger. Tom stands to gain millions if the merger goes through. But his ex-girlfriend makes advances on him in her office that lead him to claim sexual harassment.
The examination of sexual harassment, how murky the subject can get, the biases people bring into it, and the corporate and legal proceedings around it were endlessly interesting. Plus, the plot was a real thriller.
General consensus: Crichton took on such a wide array of subjects in his novels, and they were all brilliant. I'm in awe, and ready to read another one.
Friday, September 13, 2019
Book Report #222 The Remains of the Day
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Stevens is a dignified butler in the great house of Darlington Hall of England. He served Lord Darlington for many years, but since his passing is employed by Mr. Farraday of America.
Mr. Farraday allows the house to be closed for some days, so the staff is able to take time off away from the house. He encourages Stevens to go on a motor trip of the English countryside in his nice Ford car. Stevens accepts, and makes it a point to include a visit to Miss Kenton (now Mrs. Benn) who was formerly the housekeeper at Darlington Hall. From her latest letter, it seems to him that she may be interested in returning to Darlington Hall, and that could potentially solve a staffing problem for him.
Stevens takes his leisurely days to reflect on moments that have stuck with him throughout his career. This is how we learn more about his relationship with Lord Darlington and Miss Kenton.
This story is not fraught with tension or filled with adventure. Like Stevens, it slowly and thoughtfully reveals itself.
While Stevens explains events through the eyes of reason and professionalism, it seems that there could potentially be more at play. In the end, it's clear what has been going on under the surface, and Stevens' humanity is revealed in a tender moment. What he chooses to do with the information he gathers has to be what earned this book the Booker Prize.
General consensus: A relaxed character study that moved me to tears in the end. Beautiful.
Stevens is a dignified butler in the great house of Darlington Hall of England. He served Lord Darlington for many years, but since his passing is employed by Mr. Farraday of America.
Mr. Farraday allows the house to be closed for some days, so the staff is able to take time off away from the house. He encourages Stevens to go on a motor trip of the English countryside in his nice Ford car. Stevens accepts, and makes it a point to include a visit to Miss Kenton (now Mrs. Benn) who was formerly the housekeeper at Darlington Hall. From her latest letter, it seems to him that she may be interested in returning to Darlington Hall, and that could potentially solve a staffing problem for him.
Stevens takes his leisurely days to reflect on moments that have stuck with him throughout his career. This is how we learn more about his relationship with Lord Darlington and Miss Kenton.
This story is not fraught with tension or filled with adventure. Like Stevens, it slowly and thoughtfully reveals itself.
While Stevens explains events through the eyes of reason and professionalism, it seems that there could potentially be more at play. In the end, it's clear what has been going on under the surface, and Stevens' humanity is revealed in a tender moment. What he chooses to do with the information he gathers has to be what earned this book the Booker Prize.
General consensus: A relaxed character study that moved me to tears in the end. Beautiful.
Sunday, September 08, 2019
Book Report #221 Maybe You Should Talk To Someone
Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb
This is the true story of therapist Lori who has a practice in LA. She has a unique story of how she became a later in life therapist where she first was a writer in Hollywood on popular shows, and then went to medical school. But the most interesting thing about her is how willing she is to bare her soul in this book, and not bullshit her readers or herself. As she relates her time with her own therapist, her courage in vulnerability is stunning.
We become immersed in the lives of some of her clients-- Charlotte, Julie, Rita, and John. It feels like if we met them in real life, we'd instantly be frustrated with them (actually, not Julie). Their behavior can be so annoying, and they're dead wrong in how they see things. But that's not how Lori interacts with them. She gives them space without judgment. She can be still through their nonsense and slowly pick out what's bothering them, and then discover how she can be a mirror so they can recognize what they need to on their own and do their inner work.
This is also the case for how her own therapist helps her. She has to accept that he will see through her to her core, and will have to suffer through the embarrassment that comes with that kind of nakedness to get to the other side.
The intimacy that comes from this kind of work between therapist and patient is wonderfully touching. Lori's explanations of how therapy works and the theories behind it gave me clarity I'd been looking for.
Lori is a gifted writer, so the story read beautifully, and moves with elegance and grace. There was so much that she covered but it felt like I could have sat with her for eons and been riveted. I felt like I was growing right along with her and her patients.
General consensus: If you only read one book this year, make it this one.
This is the true story of therapist Lori who has a practice in LA. She has a unique story of how she became a later in life therapist where she first was a writer in Hollywood on popular shows, and then went to medical school. But the most interesting thing about her is how willing she is to bare her soul in this book, and not bullshit her readers or herself. As she relates her time with her own therapist, her courage in vulnerability is stunning.
We become immersed in the lives of some of her clients-- Charlotte, Julie, Rita, and John. It feels like if we met them in real life, we'd instantly be frustrated with them (actually, not Julie). Their behavior can be so annoying, and they're dead wrong in how they see things. But that's not how Lori interacts with them. She gives them space without judgment. She can be still through their nonsense and slowly pick out what's bothering them, and then discover how she can be a mirror so they can recognize what they need to on their own and do their inner work.
This is also the case for how her own therapist helps her. She has to accept that he will see through her to her core, and will have to suffer through the embarrassment that comes with that kind of nakedness to get to the other side.
The intimacy that comes from this kind of work between therapist and patient is wonderfully touching. Lori's explanations of how therapy works and the theories behind it gave me clarity I'd been looking for.
Lori is a gifted writer, so the story read beautifully, and moves with elegance and grace. There was so much that she covered but it felt like I could have sat with her for eons and been riveted. I felt like I was growing right along with her and her patients.
General consensus: If you only read one book this year, make it this one.
Sunday, September 01, 2019
Book Report #220 Machines Like Me
Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan
I borrowed this from the library almost out of a sense of duty. We're supposed to read books by McEwan, aren't we? And even if I didn't particularly enjoy Atonement, that was probably due to my personal shortcomings, especially my most glaring error of not being British. Atonement won all the awards, so case closed, and maybe I should try again with another one of McEwan's books in order to redeem myself. (I have a similar issue going on with Murakami, but that's a story for another day.)
I'm really glad I gave his stuff another go because Machines Like Me is an instant classic, and I'm going to go so far as to call it genius.
I would never have the gall to write technological advances that I reserve for the future into the past, but thankfully McEwan isn't bound in the same way. Machines Like Me takes place in the 20th century when technological advances are one hundred years past where we are in present day, while Margaret Thatcher is Prime Minister, and throws in that Alan Turing never died.
And! It centers around thirty-year old wash-up Charlie Friend's relationship with his very human robot, Adam.
We see Adam arrive in his box, and animate slowly over many hours. His pulse registers, his eyes open, and he begins to master blinking. Eventually his consciousness kicks in and he realizes his nakedness. Sensibly, he asks for some clothes.
The writing is on the wall. Adam will sow the seeds of destruction, just like his Biblical namesake. But how will this happen? Adam's programmers are the first mover. When Adam is released into society, they do not have control over each scenario he will encounter. Adam will respond based on his experiences and what he has learned. This will grow increasingly complicated and difficult to predict.
As the political climate of England is thrown into greater and greater chaos, and Charlie's relationship with his neighbor spins out into a web of love and confusion, Adam is growing up, learning, and living a rich inner life. He loves Shakespeare, and writes endless haikus. He is enthused about current events, history, and literature to a point of annoyance for Charlie.
He experiences love and sex. Yet the other robots like him aren't thriving in the same way. Some experience the world through sadness and despair. So what will happen to them all? And what kind of choices will they make to be autonomous in their own lives?
As Turing eventually asks, at what point can they actually be considered conscious and even sentient?
General consensus: An intellectual read that's smart and tight, and poses many important questions that we cannot yet answer. In short: brilliant.
I borrowed this from the library almost out of a sense of duty. We're supposed to read books by McEwan, aren't we? And even if I didn't particularly enjoy Atonement, that was probably due to my personal shortcomings, especially my most glaring error of not being British. Atonement won all the awards, so case closed, and maybe I should try again with another one of McEwan's books in order to redeem myself. (I have a similar issue going on with Murakami, but that's a story for another day.)
I'm really glad I gave his stuff another go because Machines Like Me is an instant classic, and I'm going to go so far as to call it genius.
I would never have the gall to write technological advances that I reserve for the future into the past, but thankfully McEwan isn't bound in the same way. Machines Like Me takes place in the 20th century when technological advances are one hundred years past where we are in present day, while Margaret Thatcher is Prime Minister, and throws in that Alan Turing never died.
And! It centers around thirty-year old wash-up Charlie Friend's relationship with his very human robot, Adam.
We see Adam arrive in his box, and animate slowly over many hours. His pulse registers, his eyes open, and he begins to master blinking. Eventually his consciousness kicks in and he realizes his nakedness. Sensibly, he asks for some clothes.
The writing is on the wall. Adam will sow the seeds of destruction, just like his Biblical namesake. But how will this happen? Adam's programmers are the first mover. When Adam is released into society, they do not have control over each scenario he will encounter. Adam will respond based on his experiences and what he has learned. This will grow increasingly complicated and difficult to predict.
As the political climate of England is thrown into greater and greater chaos, and Charlie's relationship with his neighbor spins out into a web of love and confusion, Adam is growing up, learning, and living a rich inner life. He loves Shakespeare, and writes endless haikus. He is enthused about current events, history, and literature to a point of annoyance for Charlie.
He experiences love and sex. Yet the other robots like him aren't thriving in the same way. Some experience the world through sadness and despair. So what will happen to them all? And what kind of choices will they make to be autonomous in their own lives?
As Turing eventually asks, at what point can they actually be considered conscious and even sentient?
General consensus: An intellectual read that's smart and tight, and poses many important questions that we cannot yet answer. In short: brilliant.
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Book Report #219 Where'd You Go, Benadette
Where'd You Go, Benadette by Maria Semple
When I started this, I wasn't sure I'd finish it. Bernadette struck me as a bland, pathetic nutcase so I wasn't sure we could go anywhere interesting. The lack of her backstory for the first part of the book made it hard to sympathize with her.
Also, I wasn't sure about the format. It isn't a regular narrative. There are emails, articles, text conversations and all kinds of things thrown in, and initially I wasn't sure why.
But once those hurdles were overcome, we were flying. I love getting a front seat to watching entitled rich people get spectacularly foiled. Since Bernadette was a standoffish mother at an almost top tier school in Seattle, the scene was perfectly set. Throw in some drama at Microsoft and a pending trip to Antarctica, and it's delicious, smart insanity.
Genereal consensus: It has the tempo of a smart heist movie but it's about a family finding their way back to each other. Genius.
I just found out the movie is in theaters right now!!
When I started this, I wasn't sure I'd finish it. Bernadette struck me as a bland, pathetic nutcase so I wasn't sure we could go anywhere interesting. The lack of her backstory for the first part of the book made it hard to sympathize with her.
Also, I wasn't sure about the format. It isn't a regular narrative. There are emails, articles, text conversations and all kinds of things thrown in, and initially I wasn't sure why.
But once those hurdles were overcome, we were flying. I love getting a front seat to watching entitled rich people get spectacularly foiled. Since Bernadette was a standoffish mother at an almost top tier school in Seattle, the scene was perfectly set. Throw in some drama at Microsoft and a pending trip to Antarctica, and it's delicious, smart insanity.
Genereal consensus: It has the tempo of a smart heist movie but it's about a family finding their way back to each other. Genius.
I just found out the movie is in theaters right now!!
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Book Report #218 - Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor Oliphant had a childhood that she doesn't completely remember, but one thing is certain: her mom was a real bitch.
Now Eleanor is thirty years old, single, friendless, and working in an office doing accounts receivable. Her life is unremarkable and she's completely fine with that. Sometimes she aches out of loneliness but it's nothing vodka can't drown out.
She's simultaneously completely lovable and incapable of normal conversation because she can't pick up on nuance. All conversation for her is literal. It makes for constant chuckles for the reader but also tenderness for Eleanor. She tries to communicate but it goes south on her every time so she can't hook into regular life.
As we get to know her, we see her open up to an opportunity here, and one there. Pretty soon, she has an actual friend and people who appreciate her. It's a big change in her adult life. If she keeps opening up, she'll start to undo all the things that make her shut herself away into a box, and rid herself of the demons that plague her.
This is skilled writing with momentum. I read the entire book in two days and feel changed as a person. It had real depth and a power to heal.
General consensus: Beautifully done. Balances humor and depth perfectly.
Eleanor Oliphant had a childhood that she doesn't completely remember, but one thing is certain: her mom was a real bitch.
Now Eleanor is thirty years old, single, friendless, and working in an office doing accounts receivable. Her life is unremarkable and she's completely fine with that. Sometimes she aches out of loneliness but it's nothing vodka can't drown out.
She's simultaneously completely lovable and incapable of normal conversation because she can't pick up on nuance. All conversation for her is literal. It makes for constant chuckles for the reader but also tenderness for Eleanor. She tries to communicate but it goes south on her every time so she can't hook into regular life.
As we get to know her, we see her open up to an opportunity here, and one there. Pretty soon, she has an actual friend and people who appreciate her. It's a big change in her adult life. If she keeps opening up, she'll start to undo all the things that make her shut herself away into a box, and rid herself of the demons that plague her.
This is skilled writing with momentum. I read the entire book in two days and feel changed as a person. It had real depth and a power to heal.
General consensus: Beautifully done. Balances humor and depth perfectly.
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