After reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt I was very excited to read another book by her. The Little Friend was just as dark as The Secret History and just as great! Some parts moved rather slow as it is a dense book to read, but that is expected. However, once you reach the last chapter, you cannot put it down. The Little Friend is about a family that breaks after their brother/son Robin gets killed in their own back yard when the two daughters are young. Harriet being a baby at the time does not remember her brother at all, she simply misses the past when she knew times were happier. Allison the older sister simply stopped trying when Robin died, just as her mother did. Harriet in search of Robin's killer ends up being hunted by the very same terribly, dangerous family she in search of.
While Harriet is chasing down Danny Ratliff and plotting to kill him, you are still watching her everyday struggles. Her lack of family weighs down on her and yet she cannot seem to get anyone to listen to her. Her frustrations with her family are palpable. The more you see things through Harriet's eyes the more you feel for her. When Harriet and Danny Ratliff are finally cornered they end up trying to kill each other at a water tower. As Harriet narrowly escapes she leave Danny stuck in a water tower constantly jumping up from the bottom in order to get air since he cannot swim. After she escapes, Harriet falls extremely ill and is taken to the hospital where she heres how Danny was actually Robin's friend. Thinking she left Danny in the tower to die, she feels an immense wave of guilt run through, a wave that she has felt many times. As a reader, you are so sided with Harriet that you are as sure as she is that Danny killed her brother. However, when you see how it turns out you realize that you put all your trust and perspective into a twelve year old child. Harriet comes off so much older than she is, so you don't see her flawed logic until it comes crashing down on her. The end of the novel stops with Harriet's best friend Hely telling his best friend the lie Harriet told him covering up what really happened at the water tower. You never find out who killed Robin and you never see the end between Danny and Harriet. For some reason, even though the book was about Harriet hunting down Robin's killer it isn't important that you never find out.
This book is about Harriet and what happens to her, or any kid, when they are unsupervised, headstrong, and unloved. Although, her great aunts and mother claim to love her they did not in the way that she needed. Harriet was too strong-minded and that upset the older women in her life. Her mother was truly Ida, the maid, and Harriet never got to say goodbye or tell her how much she loved her. It was a painful moment to read when Ida left even though Harriet wasn't even there. I think Harriet took on this dangerous task of finding her brother's killer not only to please her family that never cared for her, but because she couldn't let herself turn in to her mother and sister. They never cared about anything and slept almost all day. Harriet would stay up late by herself because there was no one who cared if she had a curfew or what she ate for dinner. She needed to feel important and she felt she had to prove her worth. Her search to find and kill Danny was a distraction from the everyday sadness she faced.
For me, racism was a huge part of this book. It was the reason why there was so much tension in the town as a whole and in turn every family. Since this was rural Mississippi in the time where African Americans had there own part of town and worked as house maids for the white folk's rich or poor, the relations between the two races stood out. Ida was loved by the two girls, Harriet and Allison for she took on the role of a mother for them, but Charlotte (their biological mother) did not like her and paid Ida very little. After Harriet complained to her mother (more out of frustration with worthless Charlotte than Ida), Ida was so upset she decided that the pay was not worth working at their house. There relationship with Ida had always been strained and Harriet's uncontrollable emotions were the tipping point. Then there was Odean, who was the house maid for Harriet's Great Aunt Libby. Ocean had been working for Libby for almost 40 years and when Libby passed away no one thought to tell Odean. The day of the funeral Odean showed up at Harriet's grandmother's house upset that no one thought to tell her that Libby was dead. No one understood that Libby and Odean were more than just an employer and employee, they were long time friends. Only Harriet and Allison could understand their relationship because it was similar to their's with Ida.
After I finished reading The Little Friend, all I could think about was how Harriet would turn out. Her childhood was wrecked with actions and struggles most adults don't even face and she stood tall through all of it. What would a child who was trying to kill a grown man turn out to be like? If anyone has read this book, I would love to hear thoughts!
My Grandfather's Library
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Revolutionary Road - Richard Yates (Spoiled)
This book runs on the slow, but beautifully metaphorical words written by Richard Yates. It is almost as if every sentence he wrote has a deeper, underlying meaning than the one that pertains to the story. Through one couple, the Wheelers, Yates captured the mindset of an American era and the struggles/battles of many relationships to this day. I want to start by talking about April and Frank Wheeler separately.
April Wheeler was a hard character to crack open. Yates did not allude much to her early years, but what was said revealed a sad story of a neglected child. Which, as you would assume, is the type of parent she ended up turning into through the paralyzing roots of narcissism. April Wheeler was an actress and without trying to put down any actresses, it lead her to be rather self consumed in a dramatic way. She had a way of provoking Frank into these fights where she always claimed the victim, even though she was quite the opposite. I have seen people do this in my own life, and have even caught myself doing this type of argument to my own loved ones. April would assume the fault of Frank's actions or words by claiming she pushed him to that point. However, by doing this she knows deep down that it is only cementing the blame onto Frank himself. When you look at it from Frank's point of view though, he does indeed play a fraction of the victim since his own wife is playing these uncalled for mind games with him. April is constantly fighting with not only Frank, but herself as well. When the play goes poorly in the very beginning, you see an immature April take all the blame on her shoulders and push away everyone else in what she calls, 'shame'. But it is not shame that made her wanted to hide from her friends. She is simply taking the blame out of embarrassment of the failed play and the behavior she displayed. As an actress, April is a perfectionist, which only comes naturally when you engage in an art form that uses your body as the instrument. She never wanted to be the housewife she ended up becoming, but as a perfectionist she then decided that she would be the best housewife ever. You see moments when she is running the household so smoothly and has everything prepared for Frank and other times when she is just simply instigating Frank into one of his rages. Whenever she does mess up though or make Frank made she internalizes it and blames herself and beats herself up for the problem. April after consistently blaming herself and taking her anger out on Frank only ended up pushing him away. But that is only some of there problems.
Frank as a boy was told by everyone who knew him how great he would become. These expectations did not lead anywhere, but instead imbedded themselves into his brain where there would continue to eat at him. When you first meet Frank he struggles with controlling his anger as well. Sometimes it wasn't quite clear what made him angry, but he would blow up in a rage and start yelling. Throughout the book, he contained his anger better and better as he found ways to relax (an affair). Frank struggled with finding ways to display his masculinity. April was a very strong-minded person, so he had a trying time to figure out someway to show the world he was the man in the household. He had a strong moral compass when it came to life or death and April, but after failing to reach all his life's expectations he had to lower himself to cheating. The woman he cheated on April with was in essence just a naive girl in a big city. When he was with her he was the man he wanted to be, meaning she would listen to him and she looked up to him. April was too far past looking up to Frank, she had seen a dark side to him and lost respect in some ways. However, when I read this book I felt more connected with Frank's character than Aprils because he was clearly much more grounded than she'd ever be.
Frank and April had three children, none of which either of them wanted. Frank did a better job at parenting, since he did not come from a broken household and was able to show his children affection. The both of them saw children as something that would tie them down and Frank and April were always looking for a way out. They wanted so much more for themselves than the life that everyone else lived, known as the 'American Dream' and the 'Nuclear Family'. Typical was not how they saw themselves ending up. In the beginning of the book, you learn how after finding out for the first time that she was pregnant, April had planed to give herself an abortion. Frank however, stopped her from this as it is not the right thing to do. After they decided to move to Europe and live off of April's wages as a secretary while Frank was 'finding himself', April found out she was pregnant for the third time. This time without telling Frank she got what she needed to perform the abortion. April reasons that the abortion is the right thing to do, so that they can get the life they alway wanted in Europe. Frank sees this as April chipping away at his masculinity. How can he go home everyday and face the fact that is wife does not and did not want to bear his child? How can he let his own wife illegally mutilate herself knowingly? In the end, April performs the abortion but it is too late in the pregnancy and she ends up killing herself, which I believe she knew would happen. The night before this April told Frank she never loved him and the morning of, she sent him to work with a kiss and love. April never grew during the book, she sank lower and lower into her own fallacies and eventually it was too late to help her. I believe Frank grew for the better. He managed himself much better than April, he even confessed to having an affair and stood up and took care of his children after April died.
April and Frank were constantly waiting for their big break. They never realized that you cannot wait for it, you have to make it for yourself. After April died in the book, Frank slumped into a depression, which most would do. It caused a thought to cross my mind. Reading this book is like going through life and never realizing when you saw or did something for the last time. They never (for lack of a better word), seized life. They merely let it go on without them noticing.
April Wheeler was a hard character to crack open. Yates did not allude much to her early years, but what was said revealed a sad story of a neglected child. Which, as you would assume, is the type of parent she ended up turning into through the paralyzing roots of narcissism. April Wheeler was an actress and without trying to put down any actresses, it lead her to be rather self consumed in a dramatic way. She had a way of provoking Frank into these fights where she always claimed the victim, even though she was quite the opposite. I have seen people do this in my own life, and have even caught myself doing this type of argument to my own loved ones. April would assume the fault of Frank's actions or words by claiming she pushed him to that point. However, by doing this she knows deep down that it is only cementing the blame onto Frank himself. When you look at it from Frank's point of view though, he does indeed play a fraction of the victim since his own wife is playing these uncalled for mind games with him. April is constantly fighting with not only Frank, but herself as well. When the play goes poorly in the very beginning, you see an immature April take all the blame on her shoulders and push away everyone else in what she calls, 'shame'. But it is not shame that made her wanted to hide from her friends. She is simply taking the blame out of embarrassment of the failed play and the behavior she displayed. As an actress, April is a perfectionist, which only comes naturally when you engage in an art form that uses your body as the instrument. She never wanted to be the housewife she ended up becoming, but as a perfectionist she then decided that she would be the best housewife ever. You see moments when she is running the household so smoothly and has everything prepared for Frank and other times when she is just simply instigating Frank into one of his rages. Whenever she does mess up though or make Frank made she internalizes it and blames herself and beats herself up for the problem. April after consistently blaming herself and taking her anger out on Frank only ended up pushing him away. But that is only some of there problems.
Frank as a boy was told by everyone who knew him how great he would become. These expectations did not lead anywhere, but instead imbedded themselves into his brain where there would continue to eat at him. When you first meet Frank he struggles with controlling his anger as well. Sometimes it wasn't quite clear what made him angry, but he would blow up in a rage and start yelling. Throughout the book, he contained his anger better and better as he found ways to relax (an affair). Frank struggled with finding ways to display his masculinity. April was a very strong-minded person, so he had a trying time to figure out someway to show the world he was the man in the household. He had a strong moral compass when it came to life or death and April, but after failing to reach all his life's expectations he had to lower himself to cheating. The woman he cheated on April with was in essence just a naive girl in a big city. When he was with her he was the man he wanted to be, meaning she would listen to him and she looked up to him. April was too far past looking up to Frank, she had seen a dark side to him and lost respect in some ways. However, when I read this book I felt more connected with Frank's character than Aprils because he was clearly much more grounded than she'd ever be.
Frank and April had three children, none of which either of them wanted. Frank did a better job at parenting, since he did not come from a broken household and was able to show his children affection. The both of them saw children as something that would tie them down and Frank and April were always looking for a way out. They wanted so much more for themselves than the life that everyone else lived, known as the 'American Dream' and the 'Nuclear Family'. Typical was not how they saw themselves ending up. In the beginning of the book, you learn how after finding out for the first time that she was pregnant, April had planed to give herself an abortion. Frank however, stopped her from this as it is not the right thing to do. After they decided to move to Europe and live off of April's wages as a secretary while Frank was 'finding himself', April found out she was pregnant for the third time. This time without telling Frank she got what she needed to perform the abortion. April reasons that the abortion is the right thing to do, so that they can get the life they alway wanted in Europe. Frank sees this as April chipping away at his masculinity. How can he go home everyday and face the fact that is wife does not and did not want to bear his child? How can he let his own wife illegally mutilate herself knowingly? In the end, April performs the abortion but it is too late in the pregnancy and she ends up killing herself, which I believe she knew would happen. The night before this April told Frank she never loved him and the morning of, she sent him to work with a kiss and love. April never grew during the book, she sank lower and lower into her own fallacies and eventually it was too late to help her. I believe Frank grew for the better. He managed himself much better than April, he even confessed to having an affair and stood up and took care of his children after April died.
April and Frank were constantly waiting for their big break. They never realized that you cannot wait for it, you have to make it for yourself. After April died in the book, Frank slumped into a depression, which most would do. It caused a thought to cross my mind. Reading this book is like going through life and never realizing when you saw or did something for the last time. They never (for lack of a better word), seized life. They merely let it go on without them noticing.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Coming Up Next
To write about: Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
To finish reading: Slave by Mende Nazar and Damien Lewis
To read next: Blindness by Jose Saramago & The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
The Secret History - Donna Tartt (Spoiler Alert)
Even after I finished this book, the binding caught my eye and stared through me every time I pass it on the shelf. It is such a vaguely powerful book. I felt such a sense of contradiction throughout the novel, one that I will most certainly have trouble explaining. Normally I write all my thoughts about a book down first and then put them together semi-gracefully when typing, but this book requires something different. I finished this book last week and still I have an urge that if I pick it up where I left off (at the end) it will just start all over again right in my hands. This book features six students studying for a degree in the classics or more specifically Greek in a school in Vermont. The emphasis in the summary on the back of the book likes to say that the teacher of their Greek major lead them into an existence of ancient moral concepts, which in turn they adapted and corrupted until they were evil. However, that is not how I saw any of this happening.
Their professor, Julian is an eccentric man. I will give the author that. He only accepts a small number of students of his choice and they take all their classes with Julian. For many of them, Julian turned into a father figure, more than just a professor and I got the feeling that Julian felt the same way about his students. Whenever you would be reading a scene in Julian's classroom it would be tricky to follow. Between the classical references either literary or philosophical, they would fly over my head. But I understood that they were learning more than just the Greek language, but an ancient way of seeing the world and people in the world. The students left the classroom with a higher sense of being and thinking then anyone else in that party college. As Julian's group they also tended to keep within their own circle of friends.
Without going into the whole plot line, four of them performed an ancient ritual and ended up hallucinating, losing their minds temporarily and committing man-slaughter. I write it that way because what Henry, Francis, Charles and Camilla did was not just killing a man, but so much worse. After this Richard (the newer one to the group) figured it out and in turn so did Bunny. Bunny was loved by all of them, but his lack of discretion and temper with them not including him forced him outside the circle. Henry as the leader decided they would murder him as well, so he would not leak that it was they who killed the farmer. After Bunny's death, the guilt ate through all of them quickly. It lead them individually down dark paths in which almost no one could be saved. When Julian found out what they had all did, he was so beside himself he took off and never spoke to them. This was seen as cowardice, as I think it certainly did stem from being scared of what he could create in people. If I knew that I was the main influence in the lives of people who would kill their own friend and justify it so easily I would be worried as well.
The plot was not the only intriguing part of this book. It was the relationship they all had between each other. Each relationship even more unique than the last. Henry was the leader, he was also the biggest out of all of them and the smartest. He kept to himself and only let people in when he felt they had proven themselves and he was in love with Camilla. Richard was from California and had a poor family that did not love him. He too was quiet, but he spoke up when necessary. Richard became very close to all of them in a way that was still amiable (which was not usually the case in this book). Francis was a spoiled adult with bright red hair. He was also bisexual, but if he had his choice he would have just been homosexual. He tried several times to be with Charles and even Richard, neither of which worked out. Charles and Camilla are twins and had an oddly sensual relationship. Charles was very protective and guarded of Camilla, but hid it very well. The last is Bunny. Bunny was the most outgoing out of all 6. He would talk to anyone, but only what he wanted to talk about. He was very much a spoiled boy who didn't have a clue as to take care of himself. Bunny parents taught him to always be rich, but never work and threw him into society without a penny to his name. As you can imagine the dynamic between each character was something I could write ten different papers on.
The was the first book by Donna Tartt that I have read and after finishing The Secret History, I went out and bought another of her books. I suggest you do the same.
Their professor, Julian is an eccentric man. I will give the author that. He only accepts a small number of students of his choice and they take all their classes with Julian. For many of them, Julian turned into a father figure, more than just a professor and I got the feeling that Julian felt the same way about his students. Whenever you would be reading a scene in Julian's classroom it would be tricky to follow. Between the classical references either literary or philosophical, they would fly over my head. But I understood that they were learning more than just the Greek language, but an ancient way of seeing the world and people in the world. The students left the classroom with a higher sense of being and thinking then anyone else in that party college. As Julian's group they also tended to keep within their own circle of friends.
Without going into the whole plot line, four of them performed an ancient ritual and ended up hallucinating, losing their minds temporarily and committing man-slaughter. I write it that way because what Henry, Francis, Charles and Camilla did was not just killing a man, but so much worse. After this Richard (the newer one to the group) figured it out and in turn so did Bunny. Bunny was loved by all of them, but his lack of discretion and temper with them not including him forced him outside the circle. Henry as the leader decided they would murder him as well, so he would not leak that it was they who killed the farmer. After Bunny's death, the guilt ate through all of them quickly. It lead them individually down dark paths in which almost no one could be saved. When Julian found out what they had all did, he was so beside himself he took off and never spoke to them. This was seen as cowardice, as I think it certainly did stem from being scared of what he could create in people. If I knew that I was the main influence in the lives of people who would kill their own friend and justify it so easily I would be worried as well.
The plot was not the only intriguing part of this book. It was the relationship they all had between each other. Each relationship even more unique than the last. Henry was the leader, he was also the biggest out of all of them and the smartest. He kept to himself and only let people in when he felt they had proven themselves and he was in love with Camilla. Richard was from California and had a poor family that did not love him. He too was quiet, but he spoke up when necessary. Richard became very close to all of them in a way that was still amiable (which was not usually the case in this book). Francis was a spoiled adult with bright red hair. He was also bisexual, but if he had his choice he would have just been homosexual. He tried several times to be with Charles and even Richard, neither of which worked out. Charles and Camilla are twins and had an oddly sensual relationship. Charles was very protective and guarded of Camilla, but hid it very well. The last is Bunny. Bunny was the most outgoing out of all 6. He would talk to anyone, but only what he wanted to talk about. He was very much a spoiled boy who didn't have a clue as to take care of himself. Bunny parents taught him to always be rich, but never work and threw him into society without a penny to his name. As you can imagine the dynamic between each character was something I could write ten different papers on.
The was the first book by Donna Tartt that I have read and after finishing The Secret History, I went out and bought another of her books. I suggest you do the same.
All The Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr (Spoiler Alert)
This book I am sure is on many people's reading lists currently. It is such a beautiful and spell binding novel. It think what separates this book from any other current hotpicks is the way it is written. You see from two perspectives who for the most part are very similar, but also very different. Marie-Laure goes blind when she is very young and from that point on whenever you are reading from her perspective, you see from her eyes literally. The way the rooms or her travels are described are exactly how she 'sees' it from her other senses. Doerr describes what she feels in her hands and what she may already know from being at that spot before. When a noise or motion happens she will describe seeing lights flashing by or illuminating the direction it is going with all different colors. When you read form Werner's point of view you are seeing things from the eyes of a naive boy at first. As Werner learns more about radio waves and starts asking questions common people cannot answer his life starts to change. Werner is very mentally advanced for his age and he sees how things are connected even if its not visible to the human eye. That is the beauty of Marie-Laure's and Werner's relationship. They do not have to see each other to know and sense one another. From the moment they meet there is trust and understanding far beyond their years. Certain people are just old souls and understand what they do not know for certain.
I think the reason this book is so captivating is because from the start you see chapters about Marie-Laure and chapters about Werner. You know they will meet. However, you have no clue when or how. Finally at the very end of the book, it is Werner who finds Marie-Laure and saves her from a Nazi trying to get a precious gem from her. They only interact for two to three chapters and then must separate again, which as a reader is as hard to read as I'm sure it would have been for them (had this not been fiction). From then on you are still dreaming about the day the find each other after the war is over. I kept telling myself that Werner could not have died, he can't have died, he didn't die. It wasn't until I finished the book the I finally believed Werner died right after saving Marie-Laure's life. It is a bittersweet ending, but a poetic one at that.
There are so many amazing characters in this novel, but they are not as amazing as the two constructed lovers that Doerr leads with. The one last thing I have to talk about is yet again based on Doerr's amazing writing. When Werner starts his training at a Nazi camp, Doerr does an amazing job at describing the overall feel of the Nazi group. They had a sense of unity that exceeds any other country, school, team, etc. To quote from the book: "...You will strip away your weakness, your cowardice, your hesitation. You will become like a waterfall, a volley of bullets-you will all surge in the same direction at the same pace toward the same cause. You will forgo comforts; you will live by duty alone. You will eat country and breathe nation" (pg. 137). To have been there would have been terrifying, but the unity they create is astonishing.
Please leave any positive thoughts or questions :)
I think the reason this book is so captivating is because from the start you see chapters about Marie-Laure and chapters about Werner. You know they will meet. However, you have no clue when or how. Finally at the very end of the book, it is Werner who finds Marie-Laure and saves her from a Nazi trying to get a precious gem from her. They only interact for two to three chapters and then must separate again, which as a reader is as hard to read as I'm sure it would have been for them (had this not been fiction). From then on you are still dreaming about the day the find each other after the war is over. I kept telling myself that Werner could not have died, he can't have died, he didn't die. It wasn't until I finished the book the I finally believed Werner died right after saving Marie-Laure's life. It is a bittersweet ending, but a poetic one at that.
There are so many amazing characters in this novel, but they are not as amazing as the two constructed lovers that Doerr leads with. The one last thing I have to talk about is yet again based on Doerr's amazing writing. When Werner starts his training at a Nazi camp, Doerr does an amazing job at describing the overall feel of the Nazi group. They had a sense of unity that exceeds any other country, school, team, etc. To quote from the book: "...You will strip away your weakness, your cowardice, your hesitation. You will become like a waterfall, a volley of bullets-you will all surge in the same direction at the same pace toward the same cause. You will forgo comforts; you will live by duty alone. You will eat country and breathe nation" (pg. 137). To have been there would have been terrifying, but the unity they create is astonishing.
Please leave any positive thoughts or questions :)
Monday, May 18, 2015
The Martian - Andy Weir
The Martian is Andy Weir's first novel and I think everyone should read this. Whether or not you are into science fiction books, this novel is so realistic and uplifting that you will read it in a day or two. *Also they are making it into a movie*
In the book a team lands on Mars to do research into eventually creating a colony on the planet. When a huge storm goes through their camp astronaut Mark Watney is blown away from the group. The group thinking he is dead makes the difficult decision to leave Mars and return home. What you find out about Mark Watney is that he is still alive, that he is one clever man, and that his sense of humor will never fail him. After being deserted on the planet Mars with a lack of communication from Earth, Mark finds ways of surviving. As a reader, you are seeing everything from Mark's eyes or basically from his journal entries. I think as a reader you could look at this novel in two different ways. The first way is your truly just looking at Mark's fight for survival with his witty commentary lighting things up along the way. The second way of looking at this book is from the view of how small we really are in the grand scheme of things, but as people we must stick together. On Earth, we see ourselves as individual unique persons, but remove yourself from this planet and you see an entire species of people. No matter how different we are from the person next to us, in the end we are all the same. With help from China and a self-sacrificing team that turned around for him, NASA finds a solution to get Mark off Mars. You see people bonding together to help one stranded guy because no one wants to see him die. But really, no one wants to think that if they were in Mark's position that the entire human race would abandon him to die out there. This book definitely has a sort of existential overlaying tones to it, but I guess any book that takes place in space would have the same. Looking at the greater universe only ever emphasizes just how small we really are.
In the book a team lands on Mars to do research into eventually creating a colony on the planet. When a huge storm goes through their camp astronaut Mark Watney is blown away from the group. The group thinking he is dead makes the difficult decision to leave Mars and return home. What you find out about Mark Watney is that he is still alive, that he is one clever man, and that his sense of humor will never fail him. After being deserted on the planet Mars with a lack of communication from Earth, Mark finds ways of surviving. As a reader, you are seeing everything from Mark's eyes or basically from his journal entries. I think as a reader you could look at this novel in two different ways. The first way is your truly just looking at Mark's fight for survival with his witty commentary lighting things up along the way. The second way of looking at this book is from the view of how small we really are in the grand scheme of things, but as people we must stick together. On Earth, we see ourselves as individual unique persons, but remove yourself from this planet and you see an entire species of people. No matter how different we are from the person next to us, in the end we are all the same. With help from China and a self-sacrificing team that turned around for him, NASA finds a solution to get Mark off Mars. You see people bonding together to help one stranded guy because no one wants to see him die. But really, no one wants to think that if they were in Mark's position that the entire human race would abandon him to die out there. This book definitely has a sort of existential overlaying tones to it, but I guess any book that takes place in space would have the same. Looking at the greater universe only ever emphasizes just how small we really are.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett (Spoiler Alert)
This was the first book that I read with my newly started book club and I had never even heard of Ken Follett. Well, I must say he is an incredible writer and story-teller. Follett created a cast of unique characters that keeps you engaged in their every move. When you first meet Edward and Hugh Pilaster, and Mickey Miranda they are young and in boarding school together. You see Mickey and Edward as great friends with Edward being this innocent boy that does whatever Mickey does. Mickey comes off as a troublemaker or more of a dare devil. Hugh on the other hand you learn is always getting in trouble, but is also very quiet. Most of this changes by the end of the first couple chapters. Where you read about Edward and Mickey teaming up (but Edward doing most of the work) in killing this innocent school boy and Hugh is merely being picked on by them.
Throughout the novel Mickey Miranda's character comes off as dark, desperate, and so alluring. While Edward grows into this chubby, ignorant, dependent person on his mother, Augusta, and Mickey. Hugh after losing his father is propelled into the family banking industry where he and Edward battle for the top position. With Hugh being smarter and more capable than Edward, but Edward's manipulative mother on his side, the battle ensues throughout the whole novel. As I cannot begin to describe all the trouble the characters get into throughout the course of the novel. I can say that at the end of every chapter you had to immediately start the next to know what happens next.
The most interesting relationship, for me, in this novel was between Mickey and Augusta. They had a palpable sexual chemistry; that was completely forbidden to be acted upon with Augusta being married and Mickey so much younger than her. However, things still managed to happen... Neither Mikey or Augusta should ever be trusted, but that only leaves you wanting them to be together so much more. What intrigued me most about Mickey was how in all his attempts to not become like his barbaric, treacherous father he reasoned himself into doing just that. He would rationalize killing people by telling himself that it was the only choice he could make in order to please his father. In actuality, he never knew better. Augusta influenced Mickey in her ways of thinking that the only way to get to the top is to manipulate and trample people blocking your path. In the end, Mickey betrayed Augusta after her fall of power and desperate attempts to be with him. Mickey's death was almost ironic in the way she killed him.
Hugh Pilaster has, in my opinion, the saddest life of them all. He learned fight battles with honesty, but the end not much turned out in his favor. He did not get the love of his life due too poor timing, family interference, and in the end his strong-minded ethical standards of not breaking his duty to his broken family. In some cases I do understand that he had an obligation to the children in his marriage. His wife only was with him for his money and made that point perfectly clear to him. Hugh could have chosen to be happy with Maisie, but he chose to stay in an unhappy marriage which as a reader is so painful.
This book is so engrossing in a way that you will be thinking about it even when your not reading it. Your attachment to the characters grows in a way that it hurts to see them make all their terrible choices. What I have wrote about is only a little bit of all what happens, so much more could be said! My book club had a great discussion about everything, so if anyone else has feedback on A Dangerous Fortune I would love to read them!
Throughout the novel Mickey Miranda's character comes off as dark, desperate, and so alluring. While Edward grows into this chubby, ignorant, dependent person on his mother, Augusta, and Mickey. Hugh after losing his father is propelled into the family banking industry where he and Edward battle for the top position. With Hugh being smarter and more capable than Edward, but Edward's manipulative mother on his side, the battle ensues throughout the whole novel. As I cannot begin to describe all the trouble the characters get into throughout the course of the novel. I can say that at the end of every chapter you had to immediately start the next to know what happens next.
The most interesting relationship, for me, in this novel was between Mickey and Augusta. They had a palpable sexual chemistry; that was completely forbidden to be acted upon with Augusta being married and Mickey so much younger than her. However, things still managed to happen... Neither Mikey or Augusta should ever be trusted, but that only leaves you wanting them to be together so much more. What intrigued me most about Mickey was how in all his attempts to not become like his barbaric, treacherous father he reasoned himself into doing just that. He would rationalize killing people by telling himself that it was the only choice he could make in order to please his father. In actuality, he never knew better. Augusta influenced Mickey in her ways of thinking that the only way to get to the top is to manipulate and trample people blocking your path. In the end, Mickey betrayed Augusta after her fall of power and desperate attempts to be with him. Mickey's death was almost ironic in the way she killed him.
Hugh Pilaster has, in my opinion, the saddest life of them all. He learned fight battles with honesty, but the end not much turned out in his favor. He did not get the love of his life due too poor timing, family interference, and in the end his strong-minded ethical standards of not breaking his duty to his broken family. In some cases I do understand that he had an obligation to the children in his marriage. His wife only was with him for his money and made that point perfectly clear to him. Hugh could have chosen to be happy with Maisie, but he chose to stay in an unhappy marriage which as a reader is so painful.
This book is so engrossing in a way that you will be thinking about it even when your not reading it. Your attachment to the characters grows in a way that it hurts to see them make all their terrible choices. What I have wrote about is only a little bit of all what happens, so much more could be said! My book club had a great discussion about everything, so if anyone else has feedback on A Dangerous Fortune I would love to read them!
Perry Mason collection thus far:
I have about 40 total Perry Mason novels. They are numbered by what order they come in, in the series as a whole, not the order of just my own personal collection.
1. The Case of the Velvet Claws - 1933
4. The Case of the Howling Dog - 1934
5. The Case of the Curious Bride - 1934
9. The Case of the Stuttering Bishop - 1936
13. The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe - 1938
14. The Case of the Perjured Parrot - 1939
15. The Case of the Rolling Bones - 1939
17. The Case of the Silent Partner - 1940
19. The Case of the Empty Tin - 1941
22. The Case of the Buried Clock - 1943
23. The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito - 1943
24. The Case of the Crooked Candle - 1944
29. The Case of the Fan-Dancer's Horse - 1947
31. The Case of the Lonely Heiress - 1948
32. The Case of the Vagabond Virgin - 1948
33. The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom - 1949
34. The Case of the Cautious Coquette - 1949
35. The Case of the Negligent Nymph - 1950
37. The Case of the Fiery Fingers - 1951
39. The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink - 1952
40. The Case of the Grinning Gorilla - 1952
41. The Case of the Hesitant Hostess - 1953
42. The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister - 1953
43. The Case of the Restless Redhead - 1954
47. The Case of the Glamorous Ghost - 1955
48. The Case of the Sunbather's Diary - 1955
51. The Case of the Demure Defendant - 1956
52. The Case of the Gilded Lily - 1956
53. The Case of the Lucky Loser - 1957
55. The Case of the Daring Decoy - 1957
57. The Case of the Calendar Girl - 1958
58. The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll - 1958
60. The Case of the Mythical Monkeys - 1959
61. The Case of the Singing Skirt - 1959
63. The Case of the Waylaid Wolf - 1960
66. The Case of the Bigamous Spouse - 1961
67. The Case of the Reluctant Model - 1961
69. The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands - 1962
70. The Case of the Mischievous Doll - 1963
77. The Case of the Beautiful Beggar - 1965
1. The Case of the Velvet Claws - 1933
4. The Case of the Howling Dog - 1934
5. The Case of the Curious Bride - 1934
9. The Case of the Stuttering Bishop - 1936
13. The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe - 1938
14. The Case of the Perjured Parrot - 1939
15. The Case of the Rolling Bones - 1939
17. The Case of the Silent Partner - 1940
19. The Case of the Empty Tin - 1941
22. The Case of the Buried Clock - 1943
23. The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito - 1943
24. The Case of the Crooked Candle - 1944
29. The Case of the Fan-Dancer's Horse - 1947
31. The Case of the Lonely Heiress - 1948
32. The Case of the Vagabond Virgin - 1948
33. The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom - 1949
34. The Case of the Cautious Coquette - 1949
35. The Case of the Negligent Nymph - 1950
37. The Case of the Fiery Fingers - 1951
39. The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink - 1952
40. The Case of the Grinning Gorilla - 1952
41. The Case of the Hesitant Hostess - 1953
42. The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister - 1953
43. The Case of the Restless Redhead - 1954
47. The Case of the Glamorous Ghost - 1955
48. The Case of the Sunbather's Diary - 1955
51. The Case of the Demure Defendant - 1956
52. The Case of the Gilded Lily - 1956
53. The Case of the Lucky Loser - 1957
55. The Case of the Daring Decoy - 1957
57. The Case of the Calendar Girl - 1958
58. The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll - 1958
60. The Case of the Mythical Monkeys - 1959
61. The Case of the Singing Skirt - 1959
63. The Case of the Waylaid Wolf - 1960
66. The Case of the Bigamous Spouse - 1961
67. The Case of the Reluctant Model - 1961
69. The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands - 1962
70. The Case of the Mischievous Doll - 1963
77. The Case of the Beautiful Beggar - 1965
To Explain:
My grandfather owned a used bookstore when I was growing up and I spent many days there searching through his books. After he had retired from the store he took home with him thousands of books. He turned his garage into a library and had floor to ceiling book shelves completely filled in his study and Florida room. We would play a game where he would be facing away from the book shelves and I would read a title and he would tell me the author. Without fail he was always correct. I have so many memories sitting in his lap with a bowl of cantaloupe and a book he would be reading to me. My grandfather instilled in me a love for reading. It was a way to transport myself from reality to a whole other land in different times with different characters.
One series he and I both share a love for is the Perry Mason series by Erle Stanley Gardner. There are about 87 or so Perry Mason novels, in which I have been attempting to collect in a tribute to my grandfather. Most of my collection has come from my grandfather and all the others I have picked up from used bookstores all over. I will always continue to complete my collection. But I also read many other books mostly fiction and mystery with some nonfiction on the side.
I have started this blog to write about the books I read and to track my progress on my Perry Mason collection. I hope you enjoy.
One series he and I both share a love for is the Perry Mason series by Erle Stanley Gardner. There are about 87 or so Perry Mason novels, in which I have been attempting to collect in a tribute to my grandfather. Most of my collection has come from my grandfather and all the others I have picked up from used bookstores all over. I will always continue to complete my collection. But I also read many other books mostly fiction and mystery with some nonfiction on the side.
I have started this blog to write about the books I read and to track my progress on my Perry Mason collection. I hope you enjoy.
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