1morechapter.com » ‘r’ authors

Jacob Two Two’s First Spy Case

3m — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:07:29 +0000

Poor Mr. Dinglebat was in a state. He had, he told Jacob Two-Two, recently invested a good deal of money in buying Canadian military secrets, and now he was stuck with them. “No customers,” he said.

This clever children’s book by Mordecai Richler was written for his children and modeled after the same, and it was just simply a delight to read. Featuring not only Jacob Two-Two, but also I.M. Greedyguts, Miss Sour Pickle, and Perfectly Loathsome Leo Louse, this third installment of the Jacob Two-Two series made me laugh out loud at several points. I really, really enjoyed it. (It’s also a good short book for the Canadian Challenge — or if you need a ‘J’ title!)

1995, 144 pp.
Rating:

Review: The Road Past Altamont

3m — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:07:10 +0000

I have always thought that the human heart is a little like the ocean, subject to tides, that joy rises in it in a steady flow, singing of waves, good fortune, and bliss; but afterward, when the high sea withdraws, it leaves an utter desolation in our sight. So it was with me that day.

Written in French by Gabrielle Roy and translated by Joyce Marshall, The Road Past Altamont captures a sweet young girl’s thoughts and feelings perfectly. I also enjoyed Roy’s descriptions of the vastness of the Manitoba prairie.

The book is really four interconnected stories more than a novel. The first story, “My Almighty Grandmother,” tells of Christine’s love and awe of her matriarch. The second story, “The Old Man and the Child,” is about Christine’s relationship with an elderly neighbor and their visit to Lake Winnipeg. This one was my favorite as I found so much sweetness in the pair’s friendship. In “The Move,” Christine discovers that not everyone lives as she does, and in “The Road Past Altamont,” an adult Christine deals with her mother’s increasing age and unrealized dreams.

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy Willa Cather or L.M. Montgomery. I would definitely read another book by Gabrielle Roy.

1966, 146 pp.
Rating:

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

3m — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:18:22 +0000

I was shocked at the ending and thought it was another senseless death until I read Deathly Hallows. I never believed, though, that the ‘murderer’ was a death eater. I kept my hopes up that the person in question wasn’t really dead — just like I did with the murdered one in Order of the Phoenix. Alas, it was not to be…

2005, 652 pp.
Rating: 4

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

3m — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 05:16:54 +0000

I listened to part of this on an 11 hour road trip, and it was a great way to spend the time. I actually didn’t mind the length of the book, but I did mind the death in the end. It just didn’t seem right to me. I wasn’t ready for that character to leave the scene just yet. Another thing I didn’t care for was Sirius’ whinyness. It really started getting on my nerves. I envisioned him as a noble character, not an overly whiny one.

I’m writing this review after completing all seven books, and I think this is where the series started to break down for me. I didn’t mind that the story was getting darker, but the death at the end just seemed senseless.

2003, 896 pp.
Rating: 4

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

3m — Wed, 21 May 2008 06:40:26 +0000

Which cover do you prefer? I strongly prefer the UK version (the one on the left) as the US version doesn’t seem to fit the outcome of the story now, does it?

I really liked this one, especially Dobby. He’s such a great character — it’s a shame he had to be left out of the movie. I loved those parts!

Snuffles?

Next up is Order of the Phoenix. That one was my favorite movie, so I’m really looking forward to finding out all the details in the book.

Hugo Award, 2001
2000, 734 pp.
Rating:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

3m — Sat, 17 May 2008 15:26:48 +0000

Another Harry Potter crossed off the list! I enjoyed this on CD as I took a couple of trips last week. I had already listened to about 1/3 of it earlier in the year, but the trip was a perfect time to complete it.

As I’ve read/listened to all the Harry Potters so far, I’m really struck by J.K. Rowling’s naming ability. Quality Quidditch Supplies. The Marauder’s Map. The Shrieking Shack. Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall. I love the names she gives things and people. I was really interested in the detail not in the movie about the Marauder’s Map and the Shrieking Shack. Of course, they can’t include everything, so it’s great to know the background of these aspects of the story.

I really love Jim Dale’s narration in the CD’s, but if I have one criticism, it’s this: He makes Hermione way too whiny. I don’t like how he portrays her at all. “Harreeeeeeeeeeeee” Ugh. Otherwise, he’s perfect.

I’m looking forward to the other books.

1999, 435 pp.
Rating: 4/5

Review: The Mayor’s Tongue

3m — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 04:30:23 +0000

Eugene is a mover in New York City whose favorite author is Constance Eakins. While doing a job one day, he runs into a biographer of Eakins who also happens to have a beautiful daughter, Sonia. Everyone else in the world believes Eakins is dead — that he just disappeared in Italy quite a few years back and never showed up again. He’s legally declared dead by the Italian authorities. Sonia’s father, the biographer, demands that it isn’t so — that his daughter speaks to Eakins regularly. But, no one has heard from her after her latest trip to Italy. Eugene decides to look for Sonia.

Meanwhile in a parallel story, an elderly Mr. Schmitz, also a New Yorker, is grieving the loss of his friend Rutherford who has just moved to Italy. He receives lucid letters from Rutherford at first, but then they become more and more incomprehensible. Schmitz also decides to take off for Italy to look for his friend.

This was a bizarre story that was unique enough to keep me reading and wanting to find out more. The book has quite a few fantasy elements too, and that was unexpected, but it certainly added to the story. It’s definitely a different book.

This is Nathaniel Rich’s first novel. It was released on April 17.

2008, 310 pp.
Rating: 3.5/5

Anthem by Ayn Rand

3m — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:27:50 +0000

Anthem is a great introduction to the philosophy of Ayn Rand. A dystopian novella, it is much less intimidating than The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged. I guess it’s considered science fiction as well, so I also counted it for Carl’s Sci-Fi Experience.

It was extremely fascinating reading this book after having read We by Yevgeny Zamyatin and The Giver by Lois Lowry last year, both of which were in my 2007 Top 10. Anthem definitely borrows from We, and The Giver most definitely borrows from Anthem. In Rand’s book, the main character even refers to himself as ‘We’ because in his society individuality is highly suppressed, and the goal is for it to be eliminated. Everything must be done for the brothers in the collective and nothing for the individual.

While I agree with Rand’s philosophy to a point, I believe she takes it just a bit too far. I very much enjoyed this book, but at the end it just felt too preachy to be rated the same as We and The Giver, which both received 4.5 stars.

1938, 105 pp
Rating:

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

3m — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 06:26:53 +0000

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was just as good as the first book, and once again, I didn’t guess the ending, which made me very happy. Moaning Myrtle and Gilderoy Lockhart were great and funny additions to the storyline. As in The Sorcerer’s Stone, I watched the movie right after reading the book. I did enjoy the film, but it was a little anti-climactic after just finishing the book so soon before.

For books 3-5, I decided I’m going to watch the movies first and then read the books. Then with 6 and 7 I’ll read the books first again. My husband and kids are listening to the audio CD’s and enjoying the series as well.

1998, 341 pp.
Rating:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

3m — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:59:22 +0000

I’m wondering if I am the last one on earth to start this series?! At least I won’t have to worry about spoilers!

This first Harry Potter was delightful, and though I won’t be fanatical about it like most people are, I did enjoy it quite a bit. It was a much better book than I was expecting, and I really liked the fact that I didn’t expect Professor Quirrell at all. I saw the movie a few days after reading it and I thought they got the casting of Harry, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape just right. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

1997, 320 pp
Rating:

Dreamers of the Day

3m — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:47:34 +0000

Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell is a fictional story about Agnes, a middle-aged woman from Cleveland, who finally gets the courage and means to travel on her own. Her choice is Cairo, and while there she meets up with Winston Churchill, Gertrude Bell, and T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) while they are drawing the new map for the Middle East after World War I. Russell’s descriptions of Egypt are spectacular. I have been to Cairo myself, and some of the points made were still true from when I traveled there. I enjoyed the setting of the book and the historical accounts from this period tremendously. From this conference in Cairo, the boundaries for present day Iraq and other countries in the Middle East were set. The book has encouraged me to explore more about this era of history and re-view the movie Lawrence of Arabia.

However, there were several things I did not like about Russell’s writing style. Normally I don’t care if a book is written in first or third person. This book was written in first person with Agnes as the narrator. It just didn’t work for me, especially when she speaks directly to the reader. I felt it would have been better had the book been written in third person. In addition, I did not care for the ending at all and actually thought it was quite silly. I can’t describe more, though, without giving spoilers. I’ve read Russell’s books The Sparrow and the sequel The Children of God, and together they were my most thought-provoking books of 2006. I have not read A Thread of Grace, but I have heard good things about it and still plan on reading it. I’m sad to say, however, that I was disappointed in Dreamers of the Day. It could have been an excellent book if it had taken a different path. I’m still rating it a 3.5, though, because the descriptions of Cairo made me miss it tremendously, and because it did make me interested in the history of how the present Middle East was formed.

2008, 251 pp.
Rating:

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

3m — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:48:32 +0000

The God of Small Things
by Arundhati Roy

1997, 321 pp.

Booker Prize

Rating: 3.5

I finished this book two days ago, and I still don’t know how I feel about it. Loved some of it, hated some of it, and was confused by the ending (particularly the second to last chapter; did they ?). I am reading this with my Book Awards group in September, and I have many things I’d like to talk about and discuss with them first before I write any kind of formal review.

I guess I will write one later. Lay Ter. (If you’ve read this book, you know what this means!)

The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

3m — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:12:00 +0000

Wide Sargasso Sea
by Jean Rhys

1966, 192 pp.

Rating: 4 3.5

The Wide Sargasso Sea is listed in the top 100 novels by the Modern Library. I wouldn’t go that far, but I did enjoy it. A warning though–some fans of Jane Eyre may hate it. Most members of my face to face book group felt like it ruined their idea of Mr. Rochester’s character. I felt the same way when I read March by Geraldine Brooks earlier this year. Little Women is a favorite book of mine, and I didn’t like how Mr. and Mrs. March were portrayed in Brooks’ story at all.

However, in this book, we learn how Mr. Rochester became the dark, brooding figure in Jane Eyre. We not only feel sorry for him, though, we also feel sorry for Bertha as well. At least I did. We learn how and why she had a mental breakdown. We learn that both she and Mr. Rochester are victims. While I won’t go so far as to integrate this story into my feelings about and fondness for Jane Eyre, I am able to take this as a separate story altogether and appreciate it.

1. Nyssaneala – June 20, 2007: I’m glad you enjoyed it. I quite liked the story, as well.
2. Bookfool – June 21, 2007: I’m glad you enjoyed this one; it’s been on my TBRs for a while, but I don’t want to read it without rereading Jane Eyre, first.March was on my wish list till I read a few reviews and then I removed it. I didn’t like the idea of how Mr. March was portrayed; I thought it would have completely spoiled my image of him from Little Women.
3. Rhinoa – June 23, 2007: I keep meaning to get a copy of this as it looks really interesting. Like Bookfool I think I will re-read Jane Eyre before getting into it though.

Everyman by Philip Roth

3m — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 22:58:00 +0000

Everyman

by
Philip Roth

2006
182 pp.

Rating: 1

Everyman could have been a good book. If only. . . Had he not. . . I will get to those details later.

The book traces a 70-something man’s history of his health problems, his three marriages, and his affairs. After doing some research on Roth, I wondered if it is a bit autobiographical. At the end of the novel, he regrets his life. His sons and his ex-wives hate him, and he doesn’t get to spend time with the one person he does love, his daughter Nancy. He is even jealous of his brother’s good health and stops calling him–a brother who has always been there for him. There are lessons to be learned from the novel, sure, but here is my objection to it.

He could have written this novel without the graphic s * x scenes. It really does border on p * r n. How such a le wd book could be awarded the PEN/Faulkner is beyond me. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

An NPR interview with Philip Roth about the book Everyman is here.

booklogged – March 21, 2007: Thanks for the warning. I’ll skip this one.
Wendy – March 21, 2007: I’ve never read Roth…and I’m reluctant to because he doesn’t sound like the type of writer I’d like to read. This to me sounds a bit self-absorbed. I’ll skip it! Thanks for the review!
raidergirl3 – March 25, 2007: I read Roth’s The Human Stain last year, and it made my most hated books. I finished it, barely, but found it boring, I hated the characters, couldn’t find anythng likeable about the plot,characters or writing. There was a movie with Anthony Hopkins, so I knew the gist of the story, and that didn’t help at all. Now that I’ve read your review of another of his books: Blech on Roth!

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

3m — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 00:07:00 +0000

Read in October 2006

2004, 247 pp.
Pulitzer Prize – 2005

Rating: 5

The Sparrow and Children of God by Mary Doria Russell

3m — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 13:31:00 +0000

Wow, are these books thought provoking! Missionaries in space! Hard questions for God! Can I use enough exclamation points?! I read these in September and October of 2006. Some parts were VERY difficult for me to read because they were more graphic than what I am used to. Highly recommended, but not for the squeamish.
The Sparrow 1996, 408 pp.
Children of God 1998, 438 pp.

Rating: 4 for both

Children of God 1998, 438 pp. See review above. Du…

3m — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 13:30:00 +0000

Children of God 1998, 438 pp.
See review above.
Duplicate post to account for having 2 books in one review post.