Hi everyone!
Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer Jeffrey Eugenides' newest novel "The Marriage Plot" is one of those books that I want to recommend, yet at the same time I'm hesitant. There is much that is good here--better than good actually. Mr. Eugenides writes beautiful, lyrical prose that is so precisely and perfectly constructed you find yourself continuing to turn pages even as his intellectual tangents (of which there are many) and his all too wise-beyond-their years early twentysomething characters threaten to bore the reader to tears. "The Marriage Plot" is a novel that starts off strong and then proceeds for the next 406 pages to alternately delight and frustrate before finally coming together in the last fifty or so pages in a way that makes the whole thing somewhat worthwhile.
The story isn't particularly original. In the early 1980s Madeleine, a precocious Brown University co-ed with a love for Victorian literature falls in love with an intellectual bad boy named Leonard while Mitchell, another precocious college kid marginally interested in religious studies, pines after her and secretly hopes that one day Madeleine will come to her senses, dump Leonard, and marry him. Of course this is an oversimplification, but what it boils down to is a thematic similarity/parallel to the marriage-based plots of the Victorian novels Madeleine so dearly loves.
Along the way, the reader is treated to discourses on the microscopic mating rituals of yeast cells; semiotics; a deconstruction of the works of Derrida and Nietzsche; Quakers; sex; the charitable works of Mother Theresa; more sex; marriage as portrayed in the works of Austen, Trollope, and Gaskell; Islamic divorce proceedings; and ultimately the symptoms and various treatments of advanced manic depression. This is a lot to pack into an average-length novel centered around characters that aren't particularly interesting and are too clever (or not clever as the case may be) by half. And I couldn't help but wonder as I was reading whether all of these tangents served only to distract the reader from the fact that for much of the novel, there isn't a whole lot going on.
Yet...yet...I continue to admire Mr. Eugenides' writing. By the end, "The Marriage Plot" manages to rise above its characters' pretensions and pseudo-intellectual angst to the point where you actually start to care just a little about what happens to the Madeleine--Leonard--Mitchell love triangle. Will Madeleine overcome her naive and wholly literary belief that love conquers all? Will Leonard overcome the many demons that plague him to allow himself to love and be loved while realizing his full intellectual potential? Will Mitchell find the religious enlightenment that forever seems to be just beyond the grasp of his fingertips? You'll have to read the novel to find out.
I'm a big fan of Mr. Eugenides' two previous novels, the hauntingly beautiful "The Virgin Suicides" and the epic Pulitzer Prize winning "Middlesex." For me, "The Marriage Plot" lacks the emotional impact and heft of these earlier novels, and given the nearly unanimous rapturous reviews "The Marriage Plot" received upon its publication late last year, I couldn't help but be disappointed. Sure, there are moments where this novel soars, particularly when it focuses on Mitchell's spiritual journey across Europe and India. I think this is in no small part due to the fact that of these three characters, Mitchell feels the most fully developed and sympathetic. In my opinion, his is the greatest journey. Madeleine and Leonard remain too steeped in their own intellectual and mental crises to garner much support, though I will concede that I did come to feel a bit sorry for both, particularly in the novel's final fifty or so pages, but not enough to make me actually care about them.
So you can see my dilemma. I want to recommend "The Marriage Plot" because I respect Mr. Eugenides as a writer, yet ultimately its characters and comparatively thin plot undid it for me. I'm glad I stuck with it but I'd probably have been better off re-reading "Middlesex" instead.
Ciao.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Petition: Free Access to Safe and Sanitary Public Toilet Facilities to ALL Indian Citizens
Hi everyone!
A few days ago I wrote about an article I had read in the New York Times that detailed the woefully inadequate and unsanitary conditions of India's public toilet facilities. I also mentioned that I would be starting a petition on Change.org to raise awareness of this issue. The petition is now live. My goal is to raise at least 10,000 signatures before I contact Jairam Ramesh, India's Minister of Sanitation, to demonstrate international demand that all Indians regardless of gender or socioeconomic status have equal access to sanitary public facilities.
Please click on the link, read the petition, watch Shah Rukh Khan's public service announcement, and add your name to the cause.
I will keep you all posted over the next several weeks as signatures come in and we near our 10,000 signature goal.
http://www.change.org/petitions/free-and-sanitary-public-toilets-available-to-all-indian-citizens
Ciao.
A few days ago I wrote about an article I had read in the New York Times that detailed the woefully inadequate and unsanitary conditions of India's public toilet facilities. I also mentioned that I would be starting a petition on Change.org to raise awareness of this issue. The petition is now live. My goal is to raise at least 10,000 signatures before I contact Jairam Ramesh, India's Minister of Sanitation, to demonstrate international demand that all Indians regardless of gender or socioeconomic status have equal access to sanitary public facilities.
Please click on the link, read the petition, watch Shah Rukh Khan's public service announcement, and add your name to the cause.
I will keep you all posted over the next several weeks as signatures come in and we near our 10,000 signature goal.
http://www.change.org/petitions/free-and-sanitary-public-toilets-available-to-all-indian-citizens
Ciao.
Friday, June 15, 2012
A Call to Action--India and the Right to Pee Campaign
Hi everyone!
I'm en route to spend a few weeks with my brother in the beautiful state of Colorado. It's a long road trip when it's just me on my own, but the end result is worth it!
I want to tell you about an article that really struck me in today's New York Times. Apparently--and probably not surprisingly--there are more people in India than there are toilets. According to this article, the link to which I'll include below, in Mumbai alone there are 5,993 public toilets (with an additional 2,468 urinals) for men and only 3,536 for women. In these public toilets--which are filthy beyond belief--a male attendant collects anywhere from 2 to 5 rupees from customers in need of said facilities. The hitch though is that while men need to pay for the privilege of using a proper toilet, they can use the urinals at no charge. The same is obviously not true for women. Every time a woman needs to urinate, she must pay for the dubious privilege.
While it may not seem like a big deal for many of you reading this blog, when you consider the fact that many of the poorest people in India survive on as little as 29 rupees a day, 2 to 5 rupees paid out every time one needs to take care of one's natural functions really adds up. The article goes on to say that although women in Mumbai comprise half the city's workforce, many of these women do not have access to a toilet in their workplace. Thus, they are forced to use these public toilets and are getting ripped off in the process.
According to a recent article from the BBC, 35 non-government NGOs have organized around a campaign called--quite appropriately--the Right to Pee that in Mumbai alone has already collected 50,000 signatures by activists who have gone door-to-door as part of a movement to raise awareness about this ludicrous double standard. But more than this, the Right to Pee organization is charged with bringing attention to the need for improved sanitation, more and cleaner toilets, and the hiring of female attendants to look after the women's bathrooms. Mumbai city officials met with a select group of campaigners last week to discuss plans to build hundreds of new public toilets specifically for women all across the city. Whether this initiative reaches any sort of fruition in India's notoriously corrupt public sector remains to be seen. It is, however, a step (however small) in the right direction.
If nothing else, it further raises the point that despite its miraculous economic growth, the disparity between India's rich and poor remains staggering. The infrastructure--or lack thereof--as it exists now simply cannot hold.
I have looked for a website address for this campaign and was unable to find anything. I recently joined an online organization called Change.org wherein members can write and file petitions for or against any cause that matters to them. The petitions are posted on the Change.org site and anyone can affix their signature to it. Over the course of the next few days, I will be lending my voice to this Right to Pee campaign by drafting a petition on Change.org addressed to the appropriate Indian civic authorities in charge of public sanitation. Any and every human being has the right to clean, safe, sanitary, and FREE toilet facilities regardless of gender.
I will post on here the moment my petition is live and I will encourage you to share this link with everyone you know so we can get at least 100,000 online signatures. The Indian government must be held accountable by its citizens. My petition is only a small step, but it is a step and part of a much larger campaign.
In the meantime, please click below for the New York Times article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/15/world/asia/in-mumbai-a-campaign-against-restroom-injustice.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
Ciao.
I'm en route to spend a few weeks with my brother in the beautiful state of Colorado. It's a long road trip when it's just me on my own, but the end result is worth it!
I want to tell you about an article that really struck me in today's New York Times. Apparently--and probably not surprisingly--there are more people in India than there are toilets. According to this article, the link to which I'll include below, in Mumbai alone there are 5,993 public toilets (with an additional 2,468 urinals) for men and only 3,536 for women. In these public toilets--which are filthy beyond belief--a male attendant collects anywhere from 2 to 5 rupees from customers in need of said facilities. The hitch though is that while men need to pay for the privilege of using a proper toilet, they can use the urinals at no charge. The same is obviously not true for women. Every time a woman needs to urinate, she must pay for the dubious privilege.
While it may not seem like a big deal for many of you reading this blog, when you consider the fact that many of the poorest people in India survive on as little as 29 rupees a day, 2 to 5 rupees paid out every time one needs to take care of one's natural functions really adds up. The article goes on to say that although women in Mumbai comprise half the city's workforce, many of these women do not have access to a toilet in their workplace. Thus, they are forced to use these public toilets and are getting ripped off in the process.
According to a recent article from the BBC, 35 non-government NGOs have organized around a campaign called--quite appropriately--the Right to Pee that in Mumbai alone has already collected 50,000 signatures by activists who have gone door-to-door as part of a movement to raise awareness about this ludicrous double standard. But more than this, the Right to Pee organization is charged with bringing attention to the need for improved sanitation, more and cleaner toilets, and the hiring of female attendants to look after the women's bathrooms. Mumbai city officials met with a select group of campaigners last week to discuss plans to build hundreds of new public toilets specifically for women all across the city. Whether this initiative reaches any sort of fruition in India's notoriously corrupt public sector remains to be seen. It is, however, a step (however small) in the right direction.
If nothing else, it further raises the point that despite its miraculous economic growth, the disparity between India's rich and poor remains staggering. The infrastructure--or lack thereof--as it exists now simply cannot hold.
I have looked for a website address for this campaign and was unable to find anything. I recently joined an online organization called Change.org wherein members can write and file petitions for or against any cause that matters to them. The petitions are posted on the Change.org site and anyone can affix their signature to it. Over the course of the next few days, I will be lending my voice to this Right to Pee campaign by drafting a petition on Change.org addressed to the appropriate Indian civic authorities in charge of public sanitation. Any and every human being has the right to clean, safe, sanitary, and FREE toilet facilities regardless of gender.
I will post on here the moment my petition is live and I will encourage you to share this link with everyone you know so we can get at least 100,000 online signatures. The Indian government must be held accountable by its citizens. My petition is only a small step, but it is a step and part of a much larger campaign.
In the meantime, please click below for the New York Times article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/15/world/asia/in-mumbai-a-campaign-against-restroom-injustice.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
Ciao.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Book Review: American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar
Hi everyone!
"American Dervish" is the debut novel by Pakistani-American writer Ayad Akhtar. It was published earlier this year to strong reviews from critics who praised it for raising provocative questions around the issues of what does it mean to be a Muslim in a traditionally non-Muslim society and how literally is one meant to take the teachings of the Quran. As a debut piece of fiction, I found the novel to be beautifully crafted. Mr. Akhtar's narrative prose is simple and elegant. His characters come to life off the page through dialogue and graceful descriptions. As readers, we come to care about these characters even as the choices they make are often disappointing and often go against what we would hope from them.
Briefly, "American Dervish" is told from the perspective of twelve year-old Hayat Shah who, for the most part, lives a fairly ordinary Midwestern life in Milwaukee circa early-1980s. His father is a renowned doctor with an affinity for Western women (and a predilection for affairs) and his mother is a very traditional Pakistani woman who despises her husband and sees him as the epitome of everything wrong with Muslim men. One day, Hayat's mother's best friend, newly divorced Mina, comes all the way from Pakistan with her young son to escape from her ex-husband's threats of stealing custody of their son. Hayat develops a schoolboy crush on Mina as she introduces him to the Quran and nurtures his fledgling Islamic study, much to the anger and chagrin of his father who finds Islam antiquated and dangerous, wants nothing to do with it, and doesn't want it anywhere near his family.
When Hayat's father introduces Mina to his business partner, a rather bookish Jewish intellectual named Nathan, with an eye toward them becoming a couple, Hayat's jealousy propels a series of actions that lead to somewhat tragic consequences. These actions cause Hayat to question his religious faith including the very basis upon which Islam was founded.
The issues are weighty and particularly timely considering the way in which Islamic fundamentalism has shaped the past twenty or so years of world history. And despite the heaviness of Mr. Akhtar's subject matter, the novel never feels weighed down by didacticism. By basing the narrative on the point of view of a twelve year-old boy, we the reader are able to experience Hayat's religious awakening and confusion through an unadulterated perspective which, from a plot standpoint, serves the novel well.
However, I suspect Mr. Akhtar has an ax to grind with Islam because it soon becomes clear that Hayat's experience with his native religion is not at all what he initially imagines it to be. Despite Mina's good intentions, Hayat becomes brainwashed and the central thrust of the novel has to do with a certain betrayal based upon strong and virulent anti-Semitism. The local neighborhood mosque is presented as a hotbed of fundamentalist extremism that unfortunately sweeps the young and impressionable Hayat along in its wake. The reader is also presented with an undeniably negative view of Muslim men. They are portrayed as sexist, chauvinistic, and violent towards women, more-often-than-not beating them into submission, though Hayat's mother remains a strong counterpoint to this.
I recommend "American Dervish" based on the quality of the writing and the fact that it raises questions worthy of further discussion. It doesn't provide easy answers and I can imagine many readers might be turned off or offended by its portrayal of Muslim family life and the biases/prejudices that, at least from the author's perspective, seem to be inherent of it.
"American Dervish" is a troubling novel for our troubling times.
Ciao.
"American Dervish" is the debut novel by Pakistani-American writer Ayad Akhtar. It was published earlier this year to strong reviews from critics who praised it for raising provocative questions around the issues of what does it mean to be a Muslim in a traditionally non-Muslim society and how literally is one meant to take the teachings of the Quran. As a debut piece of fiction, I found the novel to be beautifully crafted. Mr. Akhtar's narrative prose is simple and elegant. His characters come to life off the page through dialogue and graceful descriptions. As readers, we come to care about these characters even as the choices they make are often disappointing and often go against what we would hope from them.
Briefly, "American Dervish" is told from the perspective of twelve year-old Hayat Shah who, for the most part, lives a fairly ordinary Midwestern life in Milwaukee circa early-1980s. His father is a renowned doctor with an affinity for Western women (and a predilection for affairs) and his mother is a very traditional Pakistani woman who despises her husband and sees him as the epitome of everything wrong with Muslim men. One day, Hayat's mother's best friend, newly divorced Mina, comes all the way from Pakistan with her young son to escape from her ex-husband's threats of stealing custody of their son. Hayat develops a schoolboy crush on Mina as she introduces him to the Quran and nurtures his fledgling Islamic study, much to the anger and chagrin of his father who finds Islam antiquated and dangerous, wants nothing to do with it, and doesn't want it anywhere near his family.
When Hayat's father introduces Mina to his business partner, a rather bookish Jewish intellectual named Nathan, with an eye toward them becoming a couple, Hayat's jealousy propels a series of actions that lead to somewhat tragic consequences. These actions cause Hayat to question his religious faith including the very basis upon which Islam was founded.
The issues are weighty and particularly timely considering the way in which Islamic fundamentalism has shaped the past twenty or so years of world history. And despite the heaviness of Mr. Akhtar's subject matter, the novel never feels weighed down by didacticism. By basing the narrative on the point of view of a twelve year-old boy, we the reader are able to experience Hayat's religious awakening and confusion through an unadulterated perspective which, from a plot standpoint, serves the novel well.
However, I suspect Mr. Akhtar has an ax to grind with Islam because it soon becomes clear that Hayat's experience with his native religion is not at all what he initially imagines it to be. Despite Mina's good intentions, Hayat becomes brainwashed and the central thrust of the novel has to do with a certain betrayal based upon strong and virulent anti-Semitism. The local neighborhood mosque is presented as a hotbed of fundamentalist extremism that unfortunately sweeps the young and impressionable Hayat along in its wake. The reader is also presented with an undeniably negative view of Muslim men. They are portrayed as sexist, chauvinistic, and violent towards women, more-often-than-not beating them into submission, though Hayat's mother remains a strong counterpoint to this.
I recommend "American Dervish" based on the quality of the writing and the fact that it raises questions worthy of further discussion. It doesn't provide easy answers and I can imagine many readers might be turned off or offended by its portrayal of Muslim family life and the biases/prejudices that, at least from the author's perspective, seem to be inherent of it.
"American Dervish" is a troubling novel for our troubling times.
Ciao.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Video Review: "Don 2" (2011)
Hi everyone!
If you're a Shahrukh Khan fan, then you won't want to miss "Don 2" Farhan Ahktar's rousing and rollicking sequel to the hit 2006 Bollywood action-thriller "Don." SRK and the lovely-as-always Priyanka Chopra are back. This time around, the action centers on a very elaborate bank heist in Berlin. I won't give away too much of the plot because 1) I don't want to deprive you of experiencing the many twists, turns, and surprises it holds in store, and 2) the whole thing is put together so slickly and moves so fast that I don't think I even grasped everything that was going on, at least not on a single viewing.
"Don 2" is big old-fashioned popcorn movie fun. The production values are top-of-line and are more than comparable to any Hollywood film of a similar genre. There are car chases, shoot-outs, jaw-dropping action sequences, and cheese galore. SRK clearly is having the time of his life. It's evident why he is India's biggest film star, (he has mass popular appeal), though I have to admit, I've never really found him all that great of an actor. If we're talking Bollywood I've always preferred Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan. I recently saw Saif's latest spy caper "Agent Vinod" (2012) which I admit I actually liked even more than "Don 2." What appealed to me most about "Agent Vinod" was its tongue-in-cheek send-up of 1970s action movies and, most obviously, James Bond. I also think Saif and Aamir are more subtle and understated in their acting approach. While SRK genuinely moved me to tears in "My Name is Khan" and "Kal Ho Na Ho" (Tomorrow May Never Come), typically I find him a little too emotive for my tastes...and he certainly chews the scenery in every scene he's in, although it works for him in "Don 2."
And while Priyanka Chopra is a better actress than what she's given to do here, she is more than adequate as Roma, the Interpol agent betrayed by Don in the first film who is now hell-bent on putting him behind bars. Lara Dutta also appears in a smallish role as Ayesha, Don's moll, and her item number with SRK 'Zara Dil Ko Thaam Lo,' is not only fun to watch but it kind moves the plot along, which is more than you can say for most such numbers.
At its best, "Don 2" recalls such Hollywood franchises as "Mission: Impossible" and especially "Ocean's Eleven." At its worst, it's a fast-paced, gorgeously shot 2-1/2 hour's entertainment. Don't try to figure it all out. Just sit back and enjoy. And yes, the ending leaves room for another sequel.
Ciao.
If you're a Shahrukh Khan fan, then you won't want to miss "Don 2" Farhan Ahktar's rousing and rollicking sequel to the hit 2006 Bollywood action-thriller "Don." SRK and the lovely-as-always Priyanka Chopra are back. This time around, the action centers on a very elaborate bank heist in Berlin. I won't give away too much of the plot because 1) I don't want to deprive you of experiencing the many twists, turns, and surprises it holds in store, and 2) the whole thing is put together so slickly and moves so fast that I don't think I even grasped everything that was going on, at least not on a single viewing.
"Don 2" is big old-fashioned popcorn movie fun. The production values are top-of-line and are more than comparable to any Hollywood film of a similar genre. There are car chases, shoot-outs, jaw-dropping action sequences, and cheese galore. SRK clearly is having the time of his life. It's evident why he is India's biggest film star, (he has mass popular appeal), though I have to admit, I've never really found him all that great of an actor. If we're talking Bollywood I've always preferred Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan. I recently saw Saif's latest spy caper "Agent Vinod" (2012) which I admit I actually liked even more than "Don 2." What appealed to me most about "Agent Vinod" was its tongue-in-cheek send-up of 1970s action movies and, most obviously, James Bond. I also think Saif and Aamir are more subtle and understated in their acting approach. While SRK genuinely moved me to tears in "My Name is Khan" and "Kal Ho Na Ho" (Tomorrow May Never Come), typically I find him a little too emotive for my tastes...and he certainly chews the scenery in every scene he's in, although it works for him in "Don 2."
And while Priyanka Chopra is a better actress than what she's given to do here, she is more than adequate as Roma, the Interpol agent betrayed by Don in the first film who is now hell-bent on putting him behind bars. Lara Dutta also appears in a smallish role as Ayesha, Don's moll, and her item number with SRK 'Zara Dil Ko Thaam Lo,' is not only fun to watch but it kind moves the plot along, which is more than you can say for most such numbers.
At its best, "Don 2" recalls such Hollywood franchises as "Mission: Impossible" and especially "Ocean's Eleven." At its worst, it's a fast-paced, gorgeously shot 2-1/2 hour's entertainment. Don't try to figure it all out. Just sit back and enjoy. And yes, the ending leaves room for another sequel.
Ciao.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Birds of Dreams: Free downloads throughout the summer
Hi everyone!
I haven't done this in a while--a shameless pitch for my novel "Birds of Dreams"--but I just wanted to let you all know that I am uploading the entire novel to Scribd.com, a new chapter/section every day through the summer. You can click on the links below and access it for free.
While it is nowhere near as steamy as "50 Shades of Gray," it is a fun summer beach read and I certainly wouldn't mind replicating the online success of "50 Shades" prior to that book's print publication. A salesclerk at my neighborhood 7-11 just told me that she's not only missed her train stop because she's been so engrossed in "50 Shades," she's walked into things because she can't put it down...much to her grown son's embarrassment. And mine, for that matter...though it does have me curious.
I continue to be delighted by the fact that to date the majority of Facebook likes for "Birds of Dreams" (not to mention downloads) have been from college-aged kids all over India. It probably has to do with the fact that Bollywood plays a fairly significant role in the story.
At any rate, click below and check back daily for the latest installment.
Part One:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/96068324
Part Two:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/96160750
And "Like" the page on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Birds-of-Dreams-A-Novel/265750846787433
I'll be reviewing Ayad Akhtar's beautiful debut novel "American Dervish" and Ridley Scott's latest sci-fi blockbuster "Prometheus" at the weekend. So stay tuned!
Ciao.
I haven't done this in a while--a shameless pitch for my novel "Birds of Dreams"--but I just wanted to let you all know that I am uploading the entire novel to Scribd.com, a new chapter/section every day through the summer. You can click on the links below and access it for free.
While it is nowhere near as steamy as "50 Shades of Gray," it is a fun summer beach read and I certainly wouldn't mind replicating the online success of "50 Shades" prior to that book's print publication. A salesclerk at my neighborhood 7-11 just told me that she's not only missed her train stop because she's been so engrossed in "50 Shades," she's walked into things because she can't put it down...much to her grown son's embarrassment. And mine, for that matter...though it does have me curious.
I continue to be delighted by the fact that to date the majority of Facebook likes for "Birds of Dreams" (not to mention downloads) have been from college-aged kids all over India. It probably has to do with the fact that Bollywood plays a fairly significant role in the story.
At any rate, click below and check back daily for the latest installment.
Part One:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/96068324
Part Two:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/96160750
And "Like" the page on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Birds-of-Dreams-A-Novel/265750846787433
I'll be reviewing Ayad Akhtar's beautiful debut novel "American Dervish" and Ridley Scott's latest sci-fi blockbuster "Prometheus" at the weekend. So stay tuned!
Ciao.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Book Review: "In One Person" by John Irving
Hi everyone!
John Irving is unquestionably one of the greatest American authors alive and writing today. "The World According to Garp," "A Prayer for Owen Meaney," and "The Cider House Rules" are considered classics of contemporary American literature, as well they deserve to be. Mr. Irving is one of those writers whose prose is so effortless, whose characters jump off the page with humor and humanity, and whose dialogue is so witty one cannot help but laugh out loud while being struck time and again by an underlying sadness and the struggles of characters whose misfit status prevents them from being fully accepted in a harsh and rather cruel world.
Mr. Irving's thirteenth and latest novel "In One Person" is no exception. Spanning roughly fifty years and set predominantly in a rural Vermont town told from the perspective of a young man named Billy, "In One Person" touches on many themes familiar to those who have read Irving in the past. What sets this novel apart though is its theme of bisexuality and what it means to be gay in a tradition-bound fish-bowl society. The narrative focuses on a community of townsfolk who live and work on and around the campus of a private all-boys school circa 1960. As it turns out, nothing and no one is at all what he or she at first appears to be especially as Billy digs deeper into his family's past and his relationship with a Miss Frost, the town's mysterious librarian.
The novel is populated with a cast of superbly eccentric personalities--from the prudish Aunt Muriel to the cross-dressing Grandpa Harry to Kittredge, the menacing and slightly ambiguous school bully and wrestling champ--all of whom and more play significant roles in shaping the man Billy becomes through the ensuing 50 years as well as adding to the central mystery of the identity of Billy's biological father and his seeming disappearance.
"In One Person" is and was a joy to read...at least until the final third when the narrative takes a grim though wholly necessary turn, punctuated by a scene where a mother, grieving over the death of her son from AIDS, injects herself with a syringe of her son's infected blood, thus assuring her own slow and painful death five years later. I found this final section of the novel almost too painful to read at times, and without taking anything away from the power of the story Mr. Irving is telling, I found the almost endless graphic descriptions of HIV-related symptoms and illnesses a bit heavy-handed and repetitive, almost as though the author is beating us over the head by emphasizing the devastation of the AIDS epidemic, particularly at its inception through the 80s and 90s. The novel becomes almost elegiac at its end and I couldn't help but feel that in this case less could really have been more.
Added to my dissatisfaction is the fact that these last 150 pages or so seem to move at a breakneck speed that doesn't quite gel with the folksy pacing of the previous 300 pages. It is almost as if Mr. Irving had written a much longer novel (though at 425 pages, "In One Person" is already quite hefty) that he was forced to trim at his editor's request. Because of this, scenes that should have more power pass the reader without their deserved impact. The fates of certain important characters, whom we've grown to know and even love, collide into each other and then pass by without pause for reflection. While much of the narrative is a mystery of sorts that succeeds in keeping us turning the pages, the resolutions are more often than not underwhelming and not overly surprising.
Still, I give "In One Person" a good recommendation if for no other reason than overall Mr. Irving's writing is impeccable and the themes he touches upon here are nothing if not timely and poignant. Is it one of his best? Probably not though I would say it is his best since "Cider House Rules." Billy and company are wonderful characters and all the more wonderful for being deeply flawed and not always particularly likable, much like ourselves.
Ciao.
John Irving is unquestionably one of the greatest American authors alive and writing today. "The World According to Garp," "A Prayer for Owen Meaney," and "The Cider House Rules" are considered classics of contemporary American literature, as well they deserve to be. Mr. Irving is one of those writers whose prose is so effortless, whose characters jump off the page with humor and humanity, and whose dialogue is so witty one cannot help but laugh out loud while being struck time and again by an underlying sadness and the struggles of characters whose misfit status prevents them from being fully accepted in a harsh and rather cruel world.
Mr. Irving's thirteenth and latest novel "In One Person" is no exception. Spanning roughly fifty years and set predominantly in a rural Vermont town told from the perspective of a young man named Billy, "In One Person" touches on many themes familiar to those who have read Irving in the past. What sets this novel apart though is its theme of bisexuality and what it means to be gay in a tradition-bound fish-bowl society. The narrative focuses on a community of townsfolk who live and work on and around the campus of a private all-boys school circa 1960. As it turns out, nothing and no one is at all what he or she at first appears to be especially as Billy digs deeper into his family's past and his relationship with a Miss Frost, the town's mysterious librarian.
The novel is populated with a cast of superbly eccentric personalities--from the prudish Aunt Muriel to the cross-dressing Grandpa Harry to Kittredge, the menacing and slightly ambiguous school bully and wrestling champ--all of whom and more play significant roles in shaping the man Billy becomes through the ensuing 50 years as well as adding to the central mystery of the identity of Billy's biological father and his seeming disappearance.
"In One Person" is and was a joy to read...at least until the final third when the narrative takes a grim though wholly necessary turn, punctuated by a scene where a mother, grieving over the death of her son from AIDS, injects herself with a syringe of her son's infected blood, thus assuring her own slow and painful death five years later. I found this final section of the novel almost too painful to read at times, and without taking anything away from the power of the story Mr. Irving is telling, I found the almost endless graphic descriptions of HIV-related symptoms and illnesses a bit heavy-handed and repetitive, almost as though the author is beating us over the head by emphasizing the devastation of the AIDS epidemic, particularly at its inception through the 80s and 90s. The novel becomes almost elegiac at its end and I couldn't help but feel that in this case less could really have been more.
Added to my dissatisfaction is the fact that these last 150 pages or so seem to move at a breakneck speed that doesn't quite gel with the folksy pacing of the previous 300 pages. It is almost as if Mr. Irving had written a much longer novel (though at 425 pages, "In One Person" is already quite hefty) that he was forced to trim at his editor's request. Because of this, scenes that should have more power pass the reader without their deserved impact. The fates of certain important characters, whom we've grown to know and even love, collide into each other and then pass by without pause for reflection. While much of the narrative is a mystery of sorts that succeeds in keeping us turning the pages, the resolutions are more often than not underwhelming and not overly surprising.
Still, I give "In One Person" a good recommendation if for no other reason than overall Mr. Irving's writing is impeccable and the themes he touches upon here are nothing if not timely and poignant. Is it one of his best? Probably not though I would say it is his best since "Cider House Rules." Billy and company are wonderful characters and all the more wonderful for being deeply flawed and not always particularly likable, much like ourselves.
Ciao.
Film Review: Snow White and the Huntsman
Hi everyone!
Hope you've all had a good weekend. I certainly did as I gear up for my 'move' out to Colorado in just over a week. I'm giving myself the summer to get situated out there. My brother lives in Dillon which is about 70 miles outside of Denver, smack dab in the middle of the mountains and ski country. It's beautiful up there but as I am more of an urban person, I'm looking at staying in Denver/Boulder area though I will be living with my bro for the time being. I can't wait. I've lived in and around Chicago most of my life. It's time to get out of the Midwest!
"Snow White and the Huntsman" is the surprisingly rather excellent adaptation of the classic Grimm Brothers fairy tale. The movie has more in common with "Game of Thrones" than Disney's animated classic and it's so much the better for that. First of all, kudos must be given to the director Rupert Sanders in his feature film debut. The film's two-hour running time skips along at a breathless pace, idling only briefly for a visually rapturous sequence in an enchanted garden replete with fairies, bizarre flora and fauna, and a multi-antlered white hart, not to mention Bob Hoskins and Ian McShane leading the charge as Snow White's seven dwarfs.
From start to finish, "Snow White" is a stunner. From the dark and Gothic confines of Queen Ravenna's (Charlize Theron) throne room to the terrifying blackness of the haunted forest, everything about this production is meant to keep your eyes glued to the screen and gasping at the magnificent wonder of it all.
The visual effects rival anything James Cameron came up with in "Avatar" -- albeit without the 3D element, which frankly is rather refreshing. The battle scenes are epic and brutal (without being particularly bloody, hence its audience-friendly PG-13 rating) and the performances by-and-large are more than adequate. Special commendation must go to Charlize Theron, whose evil Queen is the nastiest piece of work I've seen on-screen in quite some time. She almost (but not quite) dethrones "Game of Thrones" Queen Cercei (a fabulously icy and somewhat vulnerable Lena Headey). I'd love to see the two of them in a battle to the death! Chris Hemsworth ("Thor" and "The Avengers") as the titular Huntsman is terrific as well and manages to bring an understated bit of levity to the rather gloomy proceedings.
And Kristen Stewart? As one critic said in his review, her acting ability doesn't live up to her box office appeal. I have to agree with him, though Ms. Stewart delivers what's required of her here as Snow White. Fortunately, the surrounding ensemble and production values distract from what is a rather one-dimensional leaden performance. As in the "Twilight" franchise, it seems Ms. Stewart possesses only one facial expression and her line deliveries are equally bland especially when compared to Ms. Theron's evident passion for the material. Still, the overall film is so good that I can give Ms. Stewart a passing grade though in future I'd recommend more acting lessons.
A cautionary note: this is NOT a film for children. I can imagine it being terrifying for any child under the age of twelve and the hint of incest that creeps into the second half of the film, while being more suggestive than overt, is definitely not appropriate for kids.
"Snow White" proved itself to be a hit at the domestic and international box offices this weekend, assuring it a place in movie theaters around the world for some time to come. For a quality summer blockbuster, "Snow White and the Huntsman" will be hard to beat...
...at least until Ridley Scott's eagerly anticipated "Prometheus" opens on Friday...
Ciao.
Hope you've all had a good weekend. I certainly did as I gear up for my 'move' out to Colorado in just over a week. I'm giving myself the summer to get situated out there. My brother lives in Dillon which is about 70 miles outside of Denver, smack dab in the middle of the mountains and ski country. It's beautiful up there but as I am more of an urban person, I'm looking at staying in Denver/Boulder area though I will be living with my bro for the time being. I can't wait. I've lived in and around Chicago most of my life. It's time to get out of the Midwest!
"Snow White and the Huntsman" is the surprisingly rather excellent adaptation of the classic Grimm Brothers fairy tale. The movie has more in common with "Game of Thrones" than Disney's animated classic and it's so much the better for that. First of all, kudos must be given to the director Rupert Sanders in his feature film debut. The film's two-hour running time skips along at a breathless pace, idling only briefly for a visually rapturous sequence in an enchanted garden replete with fairies, bizarre flora and fauna, and a multi-antlered white hart, not to mention Bob Hoskins and Ian McShane leading the charge as Snow White's seven dwarfs.
From start to finish, "Snow White" is a stunner. From the dark and Gothic confines of Queen Ravenna's (Charlize Theron) throne room to the terrifying blackness of the haunted forest, everything about this production is meant to keep your eyes glued to the screen and gasping at the magnificent wonder of it all.
The visual effects rival anything James Cameron came up with in "Avatar" -- albeit without the 3D element, which frankly is rather refreshing. The battle scenes are epic and brutal (without being particularly bloody, hence its audience-friendly PG-13 rating) and the performances by-and-large are more than adequate. Special commendation must go to Charlize Theron, whose evil Queen is the nastiest piece of work I've seen on-screen in quite some time. She almost (but not quite) dethrones "Game of Thrones" Queen Cercei (a fabulously icy and somewhat vulnerable Lena Headey). I'd love to see the two of them in a battle to the death! Chris Hemsworth ("Thor" and "The Avengers") as the titular Huntsman is terrific as well and manages to bring an understated bit of levity to the rather gloomy proceedings.
And Kristen Stewart? As one critic said in his review, her acting ability doesn't live up to her box office appeal. I have to agree with him, though Ms. Stewart delivers what's required of her here as Snow White. Fortunately, the surrounding ensemble and production values distract from what is a rather one-dimensional leaden performance. As in the "Twilight" franchise, it seems Ms. Stewart possesses only one facial expression and her line deliveries are equally bland especially when compared to Ms. Theron's evident passion for the material. Still, the overall film is so good that I can give Ms. Stewart a passing grade though in future I'd recommend more acting lessons.
A cautionary note: this is NOT a film for children. I can imagine it being terrifying for any child under the age of twelve and the hint of incest that creeps into the second half of the film, while being more suggestive than overt, is definitely not appropriate for kids.
"Snow White" proved itself to be a hit at the domestic and international box offices this weekend, assuring it a place in movie theaters around the world for some time to come. For a quality summer blockbuster, "Snow White and the Huntsman" will be hard to beat...
...at least until Ridley Scott's eagerly anticipated "Prometheus" opens on Friday...
Ciao.
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