Hi everyone!
With tomorrow's unofficial start to the 4th of July "weekend" I thought I'd use this column today to highlight some of the books I've been reading -- or are on my summer beach reading list -- in case any of you are looking for a great read while working on that tan at the beach. These aren't in any particular order. Some I've read, while others are waiting to be read on my ever-growing stack of must-read books.
1) "The Son" by Philipp Meyer. I raved about this epic American western a couple weeks ago before I had even finished it, and now that I have, I'm still raving. A sweeping yet compellingly intimate novel spanning close to 200 years that's as vast as the Texas landscape it describes. For fans of Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian", Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove", and Edna Ferber's "Giant", it chronicles four generations of a Texas ranch family. The characters are uncompromising, violent, and utterly unsympathetic in their thoughts and actions, yet somehow Mr. Meyer makes you care about these people and long to cut loose on the harsh but beautiful Texas range. I'm recommending this book to anyone and everyone I know -- a truly Great American Novel.
2) "The Fortunes of the Rougons" by Emile Zola. This is the first novel in Zola's classic 20-book series about the rise and fall of the Rougon-Macquart family, set against the backdrop of Bonapartism and Empire in late 19th century France. I'm about two-thirds of the way through Brian Nelson's excellent new translation and as an entree into mid-to-late 19th century French literature, this is a grand read. With the exception of the star-crossed (and yes, doomed) young lovers Silvere and Miette, this is another novel filled with characters who aren't naturally sympathetic--in fact, what they do to each other is downright rather despicable--but Zola is a master of social realism and revolution. European history buffs will enjoy reading about Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte's coup d'etat of 1851 through the lens of fictional characters caught up in the ebb and flow of history. Fans of "Les Miserables" will enjoy some of the parallels between this novel and Victor Hugo's epic classic (and appreciate, I don't doubt, Zola's relative brevity). Not traditional beach reading to be sure, but once you get into it, the story is unputdownable.
3) "Diaghilev: a Life" by Sjeng Scheijen. After having enjoyed the Diaghilev exhibition currently on display through the summer at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., I was curious to learn more about the great Russian theatrical impresario and his famous and influential Ballet Russes. Scheijen's recent biography presents Diaghilev's larger-than-life persona with a panache worthy of its star and its supporting cast is equally as fascinating -- Stravinsky, Nijinsky, and Coco Chanel are just a few of the cultural icons who figure into the story. For lovers of ballet, art, theatre, and 20th century Russian history, "Diaghilev: A Life" is a feast.
4) "Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls" by David Sedaris. For those of you looking for something on the lighter side, you surely can't go wrong with Mr. Sedaris's latest collection of essays. The title alone let's you know you're in for another treat. I haven't read it yet, but Sedaris is one of the few humor writers today who invariably makes me laugh out loud. A perfect salve to restore your faith in humanity and a celebration of all life's foibles.
5) "Defending Jacob" by William Landay. This is legal fiction at its finest. Landay elevates the somewhat tired genre by infusing his novel with a pathos and sensitivity not usually found in legal thrillers, while still keeping you impulsively turning the pages. I'm not going to give away any of the plot other than to say that the story is eerily topical, covering some of the same territory as Lionel Shriver's brilliant novel "We Need to Talk about Kevin", with an ending that for me ranks right up there with the devastating final paragraphs of Ian McEwan's "Atonement". Like Shriver's and McEwan's novels, this is another that will haunt you long after you've read (and reread) the final page.
Happy summer reading!
Showing posts with label Philipp Meyer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philipp Meyer. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Sunday, June 16, 2013
6.16.13: My Top 5 for the Week
Hi everyone!
Here's my Top 5 list for this week. Enjoy!
1) Emad Burnat's incredibly moving documentary "Five Broken Cameras". This film was nominated for a 2013 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It is extraordinary. Over the span of five years -- 2005-2010 -- Mr. Burnat used 5 videocameras to document his West Bank village Bil'in's weekly protests against Israeli settlement expansion. Each camera was destroyed by an Israeli soldier (bullet, tear gas canister, fist) but Mr. Burnat found another camera and continued to film. Unlike anything I've ever seen or read about the Palestinian protest movement, this film humanizes the conflict and distills it into everyday experience that anyone can appreciate if not relate to. What results is an incredible narrative of one man's/one village's fight for freedom, dignity, and survival. "Five Broken Cameras" is a tragic and visceral film but what emerges most is Mr. Burnat's inspiring resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. For anyone who follows and/or cares about what's going on in the Middle East, this film should be required viewing. For more information please click onto Mr. Burnat's website www.emadburnet.com.
2) And while we're on the subject of documentaries, Jeremy Scahill's just released in theaters and On Demand film "Dirty Wars" is another of my top picks for the week. I wrote about it at length the other day so I'll keep my commentary brief. "Dirty Wars" follows Mr. Scahill's journey to Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia to understand and document the covert underbelly of the US War on Terror. The film is riveting for the questions it asks and the footage it shows and Mr. Scahill, a journalist for The Nation, is an expert and compelling tour guide.
3) From the sublime to the slightly ridiculous, I just finished the last two of episodes of "Game of Thrones" Season Three. As a big (but rather critical) fan of George RR Martin's novels upon which the series remains impressively faithful, I found this season suffered from the same fundamental defect of its source material. We're getting to a point where there are simply too many characters and too much plot that the storytelling is getting too spread out and the pacing somewhat cumbersome. However...the infamous Blood Wedding sequence that closed out Episode Nine was as shocking and defining as it was in the book. And the final scene of Season Three with Daenarys Targarian (Khaleesi) being lifted into the collective arms of the liberated slaves of Junkai is one of the all-time great Game of Thrones moments, right up there with the Season One finale when Daenarys emerges naked from the ashes with the baby dragons. It is so ridiculous you have to laugh but at the same time so deliciously audacious. Other Season Three highlights: any and all of Arya (Maisie Williams) Stark's scenes. This little girl is a fantastic actress who seems to be really growing into the role; Peter Dinklage's Tyrion Lannister. We didn't get much of him this season but Mr. Dinklage's ironic line readings especially in response to his nephew, mad king Joffrey, are priceless. Best line of the season, also from the final episode: "Killed a few puppies today?"; Lena Headey's ice queen Cersei continues to steal every scene she's in as does her on-screen brother, Jamie (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) Lannister. As despicable as Jamie is, Mr. Coster-Waldau manages to bring out a strange kind of humanity in the guy that has you kind of cheering for him despite all his rather egregious nastiness. Since I know what's coming, having read the novels, Season 4 should be epic.
4) Philipp Meyers' novel "The Son". If you're a fan of Cormac McCarthy or "Lonesome Dove", you gotta read this novel. I'm about halfway through so I can't give a complete review, but I will say this will most assuredly be one of my top fiction picks for 2013. Three generations of one great Texas ranch family set in 1850, 1917, 1945, and 2012. Meyers's prose is understated, assured, and driven, a hybrid of "Little Big Man" and "Giant" but wholly original. It just hit the New York Times Hardcover Bestseller List at Number 10 and I can guarantee it'll be one of the most talked-about books of the summer if not of 2013.
5) The roofdeck bar of Trump's Sixteen in Chicago's Trump Tower: some of the best views in Chicago (if not some of the most expensive drinks!) I know it's summer in Chicago when the roof deck is open. Sure, the place is a bit overpriced but it's so perfect that you almost forgive the trumped-up price. And the Wagyu beef sliders ain't bad either. Enjoy!
Here's my Top 5 list for this week. Enjoy!
1) Emad Burnat's incredibly moving documentary "Five Broken Cameras". This film was nominated for a 2013 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It is extraordinary. Over the span of five years -- 2005-2010 -- Mr. Burnat used 5 videocameras to document his West Bank village Bil'in's weekly protests against Israeli settlement expansion. Each camera was destroyed by an Israeli soldier (bullet, tear gas canister, fist) but Mr. Burnat found another camera and continued to film. Unlike anything I've ever seen or read about the Palestinian protest movement, this film humanizes the conflict and distills it into everyday experience that anyone can appreciate if not relate to. What results is an incredible narrative of one man's/one village's fight for freedom, dignity, and survival. "Five Broken Cameras" is a tragic and visceral film but what emerges most is Mr. Burnat's inspiring resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. For anyone who follows and/or cares about what's going on in the Middle East, this film should be required viewing. For more information please click onto Mr. Burnat's website www.emadburnet.com.
2) And while we're on the subject of documentaries, Jeremy Scahill's just released in theaters and On Demand film "Dirty Wars" is another of my top picks for the week. I wrote about it at length the other day so I'll keep my commentary brief. "Dirty Wars" follows Mr. Scahill's journey to Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia to understand and document the covert underbelly of the US War on Terror. The film is riveting for the questions it asks and the footage it shows and Mr. Scahill, a journalist for The Nation, is an expert and compelling tour guide.
3) From the sublime to the slightly ridiculous, I just finished the last two of episodes of "Game of Thrones" Season Three. As a big (but rather critical) fan of George RR Martin's novels upon which the series remains impressively faithful, I found this season suffered from the same fundamental defect of its source material. We're getting to a point where there are simply too many characters and too much plot that the storytelling is getting too spread out and the pacing somewhat cumbersome. However...the infamous Blood Wedding sequence that closed out Episode Nine was as shocking and defining as it was in the book. And the final scene of Season Three with Daenarys Targarian (Khaleesi) being lifted into the collective arms of the liberated slaves of Junkai is one of the all-time great Game of Thrones moments, right up there with the Season One finale when Daenarys emerges naked from the ashes with the baby dragons. It is so ridiculous you have to laugh but at the same time so deliciously audacious. Other Season Three highlights: any and all of Arya (Maisie Williams) Stark's scenes. This little girl is a fantastic actress who seems to be really growing into the role; Peter Dinklage's Tyrion Lannister. We didn't get much of him this season but Mr. Dinklage's ironic line readings especially in response to his nephew, mad king Joffrey, are priceless. Best line of the season, also from the final episode: "Killed a few puppies today?"; Lena Headey's ice queen Cersei continues to steal every scene she's in as does her on-screen brother, Jamie (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) Lannister. As despicable as Jamie is, Mr. Coster-Waldau manages to bring out a strange kind of humanity in the guy that has you kind of cheering for him despite all his rather egregious nastiness. Since I know what's coming, having read the novels, Season 4 should be epic.
4) Philipp Meyers' novel "The Son". If you're a fan of Cormac McCarthy or "Lonesome Dove", you gotta read this novel. I'm about halfway through so I can't give a complete review, but I will say this will most assuredly be one of my top fiction picks for 2013. Three generations of one great Texas ranch family set in 1850, 1917, 1945, and 2012. Meyers's prose is understated, assured, and driven, a hybrid of "Little Big Man" and "Giant" but wholly original. It just hit the New York Times Hardcover Bestseller List at Number 10 and I can guarantee it'll be one of the most talked-about books of the summer if not of 2013.
5) The roofdeck bar of Trump's Sixteen in Chicago's Trump Tower: some of the best views in Chicago (if not some of the most expensive drinks!) I know it's summer in Chicago when the roof deck is open. Sure, the place is a bit overpriced but it's so perfect that you almost forgive the trumped-up price. And the Wagyu beef sliders ain't bad either. Enjoy!
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