And so the summer begins…
The best thing about summer vacation? Time to read tons of books! Here’s the first of many summer reading posts.
CONFESSIONS OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER BY GREGORY MAGUIRE
I read this book for the first time four or five years ago, but I just reread it a couple weeks ago. Maguire is known much better for Wicked, which I have also read, and this is a similar idea. He took the classic tale of Cinderella and rewrote it from the point of view of one of the ugly stepsisters. The result? A deep and complex tale full of rich settings and even richer characters. It will make you rethink the portrayal of Cinderella that you’ve grown up with. Thought Cinderella was a victim? Think again. Thought her stepsisters were evil and conniving? Think again. Iris, a plain but intelligent girl, and Ruth, her slow older sister, are forced to escape their native England with their mother, and take up residence in Holland. This novel mainly focuses on Iris’s point of view, although it is written in third person. When the family takes up residence with a well-to-do merchant, his overbearing wife, and their angelically beautiful daughter Clara, trouble begins brewing. Think you know the rest? Read this and find out how much you are wrong. A masterfully crafted read that may look formidably thick, but is worth the plunge.
THE CLUB DUMAS BY ARTURO PEREZ-REVERTE
I picked this up on a lark at Borders. It seemed intriguing enough. This novel is, like every other novel that intrigues me, about books. More specifically, a book collector, and a man who does the book collector’s dirty work. Lucas Corso is a guy with sometimes questionable morals who will stop at nothing to obtain a book that he is being paid to find. He’s sort of like a bounty hunter. When one of his friends comes to him with a portion of the original manuscript of The Three Musketeers, the owner of which is a well-known bibliophile who is found hanging in his bedroom, Corso must navigate the murky book underworld to authenticate it. To complicate things, Corso is also sent to obtain a book rumored to have been written by Satan himself. Corso begins to find it hard to keep reality and fiction separate. Who can he trust? Where must he go? And will he make it out alive? An entertaining book, but the ending is extremely far fetched and did not satisfactorily tie up the story. I’m divided on whether to recommend it. You decide: will you read it or not?
A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS BY KHALED HOSSEINI
I received this as a Christmas present, but just read it about a week ago. This is by the author of The Kite Runner which I have not read but of which I have heard glowing reviews. I might just have to run out and buy that, because if it’s even half as good as this book, it’s a masterpiece. This is the story of two women in Afghanistan, who begin their lives separately but whose stories become inextricably tangled with each other. Mariam is the illegitimate daughter of a very influential man. She grows up with her bitter mother, and is married off at a young age and shipped off to Kabul. Laila is the daughter of Mariam’s neighbors. She is extraordinarily beautiful, but she is the third child; both of her brothers have left to fight against the Soviets, yet her mother adores her brothers and ignores Laila. When the revolution comes to Kabul, Laila and Mariam meet and become hopelessly connected, whether they want to or not. Hosseini builds a different picture of Afghanistan than the one we hear about in America. His characters are layered, complex, and totally human. The story comes together in ways that are unexpected and amazing. READ THIS BOOK.
THE MYSTERIES OF PITTSBURGH BY MICHAEL CHABON
My copy of this novel, Chabon’s first, used to belong to my English teacher from sophomore year, who handed to me, looked me straight in the eyes, and commanded me to read it. Well, Mrs. Christiansen, I finally read it. I must apologize for all the Chabon on this website. In case you couldn’t tell, I am a fan of his writing. And you should be too. This was Chabon’s first novel, which he submitted as his Masters thesis and was eventually published. Here’s the deal: Art Bechstein is confused. At the end of his undergraduate college experience, summer looms before him, empty and full of possibilities. That is, until he meets the stylish and gay Arthur Lecomte. And the stylish and straight Phlox Lombardi. Art is torn between these two very different and very fascinating people, who hate each other because of their mutual love for Art. As he walks the line between what is accepted and what he wants, he meets people who will change his life forever, like Arthur’s friend Cleveland, an alcoholic with a motorcycle, an unconventional intellect, and money coming from the Mafia. As with Chabon’s other books, the characters are approachable and interesting, and he finds ways to highlight the important things without being obvious. At the same time, Chabon is a chameleon. This is different from the other three books I have read, which are all different from each other. I think this is what makes him a good writer — he changes, his writing is never the same. This book is a wonderful book that will leave you stunned. Please read it.
Confessions and Pittsburgh look good…I love Michael Chabon
However, I could not disagree with you more about A Thousand Splendid Suns (or as Sullivan would have us say, I politely disagree.) I think Hosseini’s premise was somewhat silly but it had the potential to be really interesting; instead, it turned into a very cliché soap opera rather quickly and the characters had about as much depth as a kiddie pool :/