Book Reviews -- 2001
One of the joys of travel is that there's
actually time to
read. Here are ratings of books read in 2001. This
list includes several novellas and collections of short stories or essays.
This was not a conscious choice; perhaps best seller lists no longer
include epic tales like Gone with the Wind -- which kept me indoors an
entire summer -- or Shogun and The Life of a Geisha -- which
transported me into
whole new worlds.
Talk about great reads! So please, if you've read a wonderful LONG book
recently, let me know.
Ratings are on a 1 to 5 scale, five being "The Best!" The DNF rating below means I did not finish the book. To see Book Reviews 2000, click here.
| Book Title, Author | Subject / Review | Rating |
| Eiger
Dreams -- Ventures Among Men and Moutains
by Jon Krakauer |
Krakauer has been mountain climbing and writing about it for over 20 years. I listened to him read his best-seller Into Thin Air about a deadly ascent of Mt. Everest and was spell-bound. This earlier book, a compilation of 12 essays, comprises articles about climbing written for magazines in the late 1980's. It's absorbing and entertaining. I still can't fathom the mind-set of a mountain climber, but this book provides some clues. (Dicky liked it, too.) | 4.7 |
| Typical
American
by Gish Jen |
This book was devoured over Christmas by my friend Jennifer and thereafter by me. It's the story of a young Chinese family as they lose their way in America, trying to make it in the land of opportunity, while not wanting to become assimilated into a "typical American." The writing is delicious. | 4.6 |
|
Harry
Potter and the by J K Rowling |
This fourth book in the Harry Potter series is my favorite so far. Though somewhat predictable, following the fantasy adventures of Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione, is a treat. We don't actually read the Harry Potter books; instead we listen to audiotapes, letting Jim Dale narrate. He does a great job of creating separate voices for all the characters. Plain and simple fun! |
4.5 |
|
The Dogs Bark: Public People and Private Places
|
This collection of prose pieces spans 30 years of Capote's sharp, subtle observations. His writing makes the people and places he chronicles come alive, be it in Tangiers, New Orleans or Brooklyn. This is the first of his books that I've read, but there will surely be more. | 4.5 |
|
The Woman Warrior
|
I read this ingenious memoir 20 years ago and liked it then as well. It's full of ghosts and manages to entertainingly obscure the line between imagination and reality. The Chinese American author writes of her life growing up in an immigrant family in one of California's Chinatowns. The book is full of humor, fantasy and insights. | 4.5 |
|
The Hours
|
This short, 1999 Pulitzer Prize winning novel chronicles a day in the life of 3 women, one of whom is Virginia Woolf. It's about life and creativity; also it's about death and the pressures of living with mental illness. It's a fascinating study, superbly written. | 4.5 |
| Kowloon Tong
by Paul Theroux |
Last year, it was "My Other Life"; this year my second Paul Theroux. This guy can write! The imminent turnover of Hong Kong to the Chinese sets the stage for this short novel. As the book works its way towards its inevitable ending, your feelings about the characters build as the tensions between them rise. Who will disappear next? (RLB - This book sucks big time. Theroux takes a long time to acquaint you with characters you won't particularly like and then makes a bit of a (admittedly somewhat intriguing) charge toward a fairly obvious ending. Racism abounds.) | 4.4 |
| cafe
europa by Slavenka Drakulic |
Slavenka Drakulic is a journalist and writer, now in her fifties, who grew up under Yugoslavia's Communist rule. Published in 1996 these essays shed light on the chasm in attitudes between Eastern and Western Europeans. Married to a Swede and having a home in Croatia, she discerningly observes the legacy wrought by the past, helping us understand the Eastern Europeans outlook and mind-set today. | 4.3 |
| Evening
by Susan Minot |
As Ann Lord lapses into her final semi-conscious state, her memories of a friend's wedding weekend 40 years ago occupy her thoughts. Back then she fell hopelessly in love with Harris Arden, and the pain and ecstasy of those days have cast a shadow over her life ever since. Though initially slow-moving and a bit confusing, this novel soon turns powerful and fast-paced. Susan Minot's writing is outstanding -- evocative and beautiful. Available in English at the Grünwald Bibliothek. | 4.2 |
| Galileo's
Daughter
by Dava Sobel |
This historical tale about Galileo Galilei is enhanced by loving letters from his daughter, Sister Maria Celeste. The man, his times, his relationships with his family, friends and colleagues, and the scientific spirit he displayed and could not help but espouse -- even when confronted by the Inquisition -- are brought to life. (Perhaps you can tell I'm writing this while in Germany?) A story every scientist should read. | 4.2 |
| Music for
Chameleons
by Truman Capote |
This is a compilation of 14 pieces written in varying styles. The piece, Handcarved Coffins, like the novel In Cold Blood, was based on a real-life murderer. The others stories illustrate why Capote became the well-known author he is. | 4.1 |
| To
the Hermitage
by Malcolm Bradbury |
Though full of humor and playfulness, this book is not a casual read. It's a slow-moving, philosophical, edifying, historical, travelogue, novel. It's two stories in one, and yet many more stories. It's about the Age of Reason, its thinkers and philosophers (especially Diderot, the Encyclopedia man). It's about Catherine the Great of Russia and the court she ruled. It's a little about everything -- truly enlightening. | 4.1 |
| House
of Sand and Fog
by Andre Dubus III |
This National Book Award finalist is promoted as a page turner, and Dick did finish it in a couple of days. It's about an escalating crisis built around the sale of a SF Bay Area house. I liked the book; the writing and character development were good but not great. (RLB: I liked this better than Witta.) | 4.1 |
| Girl
in Hyacinth Blue
by Susan Vreeland |
Eight short stories circle around an imaginary Vermeer painting that illuminates the lives of those who own it. It's a charming, perceptive work and an enjoyable afternoon read. | 4.1 |
| Open
House
by Elizabeth Berg |
Berg's characters are fun and her writing is too. Samantha's husband leaves her and her eleven year old son Travis for a better life. She eventually learns to cope, while King, her handyman friend, helps her find discover who she is. Obviously an Oprah Book. | 4 |
| A
Patchwork Planet
by Anne TylerI |
As Barnaby Gaitlin, the 30-year old misfit son of a wealthy Baltimore philanthropist finds his place in the world, he's got his eye out for his Angel, which family tradition suggests is bound to come along. Tyler makes it easy to see life from her character's perspective, adding humor and warmth to the story. | 4 |
| The
Archivist
by Martha Cooley |
This complex tapestry of several interrelated lives, including that of T. S. Eliot, seems almost like a mix of alternate universes. The characters weave in and out through the themes of love, trust, madness, denial, withdrawal, being Jewish, and conversion. The book presents us with doors, both opened and too hard to open. One example, imagine reading the newspapers in 1945. Each day there are more facts about the death camps, the millions of innocent lives lost . It's like World Trade Center horror, but on a larger scale. | 4 |
| Local
Girls
by Alice Hoffman |
This seems to be my year for short stories and novellas. Here's another -- 15 short stories all told from Gretel's viewpoint as she moves through her teenage years on Long Island to becoming a young woman. These stories reminded me of how it felt to be a teenager. As always, Alice Hoffman's language is wonderful and her insights eye opening. | 4 |
| Gap
Creek
by Robert Morgan |
This book is purposely written in a simple voice. Its stripped down sentences are often intense, even poetic. Julie, 17, marries Hank and moves to South Carolina, where she keeps house. Their life is difficult. Swindlers, a fire, a flood, a premature birth, and a drunkard visit upon the newlyweds. By doing the work that needs doing, Julie manages to keep herself and her marriage together. | 4 |
|
Dog Days, Glenn Miller Nights by Laurie Graham |
Birdie Gibbs, aged 75, finds herself living in an East-End Estate full of young hoodlums. She's a good soul with an irreverent attitude; she helps her neighbors and grudgingly chips in to improve the neighborhood, As her days pass, we get a often-times humorous look at her life and that of those around her. We also get to look back at the good old days (WWII) of her youth. | 3.9 |
| The
Hope by Herman Wouk |
Finally, a long book! This historical novel takes the reader through Israel's first 3 wars, the 1948 War of Independence, the Suez Canal Crisis, and the 6-Day War of 1967. It provides an easy to read account (from a Zionist perspective) of events leading to today's Arab-Israeli conflict. Dick next read the sequel, The Glory, but after 680 pages I was tired of Wouk's writing and, at least for now, have chosen to pass. | 3.8 |
| Ethan
Frome
by Edith Wharton |
Another novella. This classic tale, first read during my schooldays, seems dated and simplistic today. Still, this sad, anti-climactic tale of life in a small, cold New England town held my attention one warm, sunny afternoon in Germany. | 3.8 |
| Quite
a Year for Plums
by Bailey White |
Bailey White, an NPR commentator, writes about people and their lives in a small Georgia town. Her writing is charming and humorous. The stories unfold through the day to day happenings of the peculiar and loveable folk who populate this book. I definitely preferred her earlier NYT best seller, Mama Makes Up Her Mind (rating 4.5 in 2000) so unless you're a devotee, read that instead. | 3.5 |
| The
Red Tent
by Anita Diamant |
The bible barely mentions Dinah, Jacob's daughter, and the sister of Joseph (and his 11 brothers). Ms. Diamant brings her and the world of women during biblical times to life; it's an original and imaginative portrait written in the first person. Unfortunately the book's pace is a bit slow. There is one great scene that saves the novel. | 3.5 |
| Shop
Girl
by Steve Martin |
Yes, this novella is written by the Steve Martin -- the talented comedian. Mirabelle, who sells gloves at Nieman's is finding her way to relationships and love. This psychological romance has perhaps too much explicit insight into the characters. Still, it was short and interesting enough. (RLB rates this a bit higher - Martin's quirky sense of the world can be felt.) | 3.5 |
| Riding
The Iron Rooster
by Paul Theroux |
A year-long train trip through China provides Theroux a chance to revisit a country he'd seen before. This book written in 1988 provides some insights into the country, before and after Mao. Unfortunately, it's hard to make a travelogue interesting for 485 picture-less pages, even though China has lots of variety. I read about half the book, got bored, and let it go. | 3.5/DNF |
| The
Satanic Verses
by Salman Rushdie |
There's no doubt this guy can write. He's got an extraordinary imagination, write humorously and is cleverly inventive. The story however meanders, unfolding too slowly and confusingly for me. There are metaphors, hallucinations, revelations, hauntings, and more. There's also the apparent parody of the Koran, which requires some intimacy with the original, but is the reason for the death sentence. All interesting enough for the half of the book I read. | 3.5/DNF |
| Atlantic
Circle
by Kathryn Lasky Knight |
I enjoyed this funny, entertaining autobiography about sailing across the Atlantic in a small boat (by a wife who's not particularly enamored of sailing) at least until Chapter 28 or so. At that point, the yuks to detail ratio had declined dramatically, and low and behold: a DNF. If you sail, you'll probably like this book. | 3.5/DNF |
| The
Alchemist
by Paulo Coelho |
Coelho is a much-read writer the world over. This national bestseller about a Spanish shepherd is short and sweet. It's a simple fable about listening to your heart and following your dream. A bit too simple for me. | 3.0 |
| Portrait
of a Turkish Family
by Irfan Orga |
Highly recommended by our guide in Istanbul, I found the book slow and too autobiographical. I was expecting to get some insights into the politics and impact the changes Attaturk made in Turkey, but these were skimmed over. | 3.0 |
| The
Lady Who Liked Clean Restrooms
by J. P. Donleavy |
This somewhat humorous novella about lost fortunes in Scarsdale is an easy read, even with Donleavy's unusual word order. Our heroine, Joycelyn Jones was brought up to be a lady, but her divorce forces her to confront life and discover who she really is. Her search for clean restrooms changes her life. Dick gave this a book a 3.5 rating. | 3.0 |
| From
Now On
by Jane Francis |
Katrina, the scientist and company president gets in over her head in the start-up world. Her invention, which cheaply and accurately tests fetuses for genetic disease markers, is controversial, as are some of her personal decisions. Finished, but not recommended. | 2.9 |
| September
by Rosamunde Pilcher |
Rosamunde Pilcher is the author of the Shell Seekers, a well-respected, popular novel (and a movie, I think.) I've never read her, so when I found a used copy of September for just 25 cents I was excited. Now, 150 pages into this 600 page tome set in northern Scotland, she's still introducing characters and setting the scene. Nothing has happened yet, except that I've decided to move on. | DNF |
| A
Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
by David Eggers |
I accidentally left this book on a plane, so I didn't consciously decide not to finish it, though I was getting close. Dave Eggers is an interesting guy with weird thoughts and an unusual life. This biography is at first engrossing, but after 200 pages or so it slips into boring, its unpredictability somehow wearing rather thin. | DNF |