A small book, loaded with insights. I also thought the movie was really excellent, portraying well the reality of a young girl dating a con artist, while everyone looked on in tacit approval or silence. Having been there a few times myself (I am a slow learner), I found the book and movie rang true.
Barber is a lovely writer, but a bit of a BS'er. She has the style of Jilly Cooper, witty and breezy.
Really interesting little book, well written.
Very funny book. It's more too. Janzen offers insight into the psyche of a woman raised as a Mennonite but not living as one. For instance, why she stayed in an abusive marriage for 15 years. The heroine is her mother, a very wise woman. A lot like Loris' mother maybe.
My fascination with German is really a fascination with Low German or Plattdeutsch and its history. The book made me even more determined to really learn German to be able to understand the passages in German and all the variations thereof
What I didn't like:
- cover, font, and layout are old fashioned and offputting.
- I needed a primer on linguistics to understand a lot of the book.
What I liked:
- Waterman is very informative and there were numerous fascinating facts and discussions.
German has the ability to express the inexpressible, to deal with abstractions, which marks the genious of the language.
The development of compound complex sentences in the 15th century is fascinating, with comparisons of texts.
Lubeck was the centre of development of legal codes and statutes and copied by many other cities.
Yiddish dialect spoken in the US is from Central and Eastern Europe.
German syntax regarding verbs was imitated from Latin.
Financial and banking words were adopted from Italian.
Luther used a dialect that was more like Low German. His writing and translations are unsurpassed, as shown by comparisons of Bible versions.
In the 15th C. there was a custom of name calling among factions of opposing religionists, e.g. Hurenjaeger.
It was common from 1600 on, for North Germans to speak Plattdeutsch, but read High German (like the Mennonites) and thus they often spoke High German very well and Northern Germany has the reputation for purer pronunciation.
Another lovely read by McCall Smith -- 5th the Bertie (44 Scotland) series. So clever. Not enough Bertie though. But all characters interesting, and lots happens. Very heartwarming even if all the players have flaws.
The thing with McCall Smith is that he makes you want to move to Edinburgh, which is pretty amazing.
My body was pounded by this book. Read in a morning, it's astounding in all aspects.
Nothing to do with religion, but rather the disillusionment of a highly successful Pakistani immigrant to the US just before 9/11, and the changes in his life in the aftermath. Fundamentalism refers to the financial fundamentals under which Changez works in a US valuation company.
He falls in love with a beautiful rich American woman. The book is horribly allegorical, quite painful in it's impact.
Hamid's writing is a masterpiece, every word perfect.
One of those books that wasn't what I expected. Wish I'd read it earlier.
Levitt is a renegade economist who looks at all kinds of social questions and analyzes the economics of them. The result is fascinating. In this book, he examines the economics of US crime rates, the US drug trade, the real estate trade, parenting, the naming of black and white (American) children, and sumo wrestling. He looks hard at the effect of incentives and the risk assessment abilities of the masses. The books is soaked in American issues, but still relevant to all of us. Levitt reviews the numbers behind all the conventional explanations, refutes them, and provides his own answers. I had of course either read about or realized myself many of these but he added a lot of detail and clarity to my thoughts.
A slim book, finished in a morning, but highly entertaining, certainly unique.
This is the beginning of September and I am reading more than I have for a few years. My brain can focus nicely on what I am reading. The desired affect of the blog and a goal in providing a strong momentum for reading has been accomplished. The pile of unread books still looms over me, not stressing me but rather motivating me to read more and faster. I am going to read a minimum of two books a week from now on. I have been averaging more, but not imposing a minimum per week.
I am finding so many books that I want to read. I seemed to have had trouble finding books that I liked in the past few years.
I've bought many more books this year, knowing I would read them. I've found many new authors (to me) and learned so much of course. Working in the bookstore is so helpful for that.
I've enjoyed analyzing and comparing books. I've enjoyed enlarging the categories of books I read, and making sure I am reading a great variety of books. Some about each country, more fiction, more history, more memoir, more business and economics. I need to eventually read more science, social, and political writing.
I am finishing each book I start, before starting another, so I don't end up with 10 half read books on my bedside table.
The order in which to read books is still in an experimental mode. I try to alternate of course, and have the next 3 to 5 books lined up. Reading two novels back to back is a problem because I tend to compare them, one unfavourably. A major historical work can take more than a week so I tend to postpone those. I will have to read more hours for those, as they delay me too much.
I find myself frustrated with not being able to read many new books and feel like I am playing catch up on the last ten years of writing. Eventually, I will change to one new book and one old book per week.
I have not been listing all the books or materials I read:
- if I don't read the entire book, e.g. cookbooks
- rereading parts of old books
- books I browse through or read sections of at work
And of course, the reading list does not include newspapers and magazines.
I found this book quite interesting and I enjoyed it, but I don't view it in the prize winning league, although Strout is a winner of the Pullitzer Prize. I am still wondering why. Is it too American? Was I comparing to just finished Reading by Lightning, which is far superior? Was it derivative? I kept thinking of Mr and Mrs Bridge or Henry James.
The structure is 13 short stories, in which Olive Kittridge, a school teacher, plays some role. Structure wise, the book is original and it works well, but in other respects was not new. Strout actually states her theme as showing human endurance, which isn't exactly a new idea.
Olive Kittridge is an abrasive character and it is quite interesting how she sees herself and how others see her. That is best thing about the book. Unfortunately, most of the book is about other periferal people and Olive is not explored quite enough to be satisfying.
I don't really believe the characters --- there weren't many pings of recognition of myself or other people. The location details are familiar (small local businesses replaced by chains, everybody driving every where, everybody eating junk food), but there is no local identity for Crosby Maine, except the ocean, which plays a very minor role. The same small town could be located any where. The fact that most of the residents never leave the area is common, but there are usually more people with more sophistication in every town. The book provides an reason why so many young people leave small towns and rarely return to visit.
Strout's writing style is plain and straightforward, not contrived, and not noticeable. Use of the language is not a feature.
Light entertainment on the plane ride home.
Manitoba Reads Book of the Year.
Thomas's first novel put her in the realm of Annie Proulx. She describes the life of Lily growing up in 1940's on a Manitoba farm --- an austere life consisting of slave labour and religion. It is authentic --- I know relatives whose lives were similar. Thomas writing is stunning, and she flavours her prose with wonderful use of the language and astute insights. Making the tale even more interesting is that in 1939 Lily is sent as a teenager to live with relatives. This is not a story that has the feel of being made up. You will read it fascinated with the players.
Thomas works in the Barr settlers, lured to Alberta for free land by a con artist preacher. This is a true story, so I must read more on that subject.
