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November 2008
Into
the Wild by Jon Krakauer
This is the second Krakhauer book we've
read (Into Thin Air is the first). Krachauer tells the real-life
story of Chris McCandless, a young man who seeks Adventure and
Oneness with Nature and dies alone in the Alaskan wilderness in
his early twenties. Chris' life was lived in capital letters.
He read fiction by Jack London, Tolstoy and other romantic authors.
He read Thoreau and took it to heart. He believed that life
among raw nature was the only pure and true existence. His passion
was mixed with great naiveté and an unwillingness to take
advice.
What the Armchair Critics Thought:
Some of us were deeply moved by a young man's search for meaning
in the wilderness. Others felt disdain for his hubris and narcissism.
Most of us believed his estrangement from his father and mother
(an extreme reaction to discovering his father's early infidelity
to his first family) fuelled his desire for purity and his childlike
expectation that everything could be handled if faced right now,
head on, full force. Subtlety and considered action were not
among his strategies.
The author's style was similar to his
earlier book. It was very much in the first person, in the present
and thus resembled magazine interviews, which was how the book
began. "I watch the old man. He goes to the window. He
looks out and says....." It was grating after a while.
Also, the author interjected his own story about his contentions
with this father into the book. Perhaps it was meant to show
how other young men wrestle with their fathers, go into the wild
and live to tell the tale. The conclusion would be that Chris
was just unlucky.
Many of us felt that Chris was more
than unlucky, he was wilfully short sighted and naive. We definitely
understood the author's remarks on the mother's grief: "Such
bereavement witnessed at close range make even the most eloquent
apologist for high-risk activities ring fatuous and hollow."
We understood, too, the mother's anguish, "I just don't
understand why he had to take those chances."
October 2008
Origin
of Haloes by Kirsten den Hertog
The Armchair Critics were excited to have
Kristen den Hertog attend our meeting to discuss her book "Origin
of Haloes". Ms. den Hertog was a gracious and interesting
guest. Here are the highlights of our discussion.
A common theme in den Hertog's books is how the members of a family
betray but still love one other. She is very interested in the
dynamics of such family interactions. Den Hertog likes to make
her characters complicated and human.
Origin of Haloes is about the repercussions
of a central lie. Kay is selfish and she makes bad choices, but
she is still sympathetic. She shows hints of deeper insight such
as her flashback in the gym. Eddie was the most tragic figure
in the book. Den Hertog wanted to convey how much he and his mother
loved one another but how ruined everything was despite this.
Mythology is another common theme in this
author's work. She likes to contrast the ordinary with the extraordinary
events in life. This novel has the threads of the Olympic games
and of the life of the Trudeau family running through it. It draws
the connection between the little town of Deep River and what
is going on in the larger world. And it shows that even mythological
families have their squabbles. While working on this book , den
Hertog saw news of Pierre Trudeau's death in the paper at the
same time as coverage of the Sydney Olympics. The sections of
the novel dealing with the Olympics also provide the reader with
a break from the heavy emotions of the central plotline.
Den Hertog says that as she writes, her
subconscious links events back to other parts of the story. She
doesn't know the ending of a book when she begins, but instead
starts with a character or a bit of dialogue. In the case of this
book, the actual origin of haloes goes back to pagan times and
she recalled this discussion from mythology. The similarity between
Olympic rings and haloes only became obvious to her later on.
Den Hertog struggled with the final scenes
of the book and whether to reveal what happened to Joe. In real
life you are always astonished by what people do, and you think
"how could they behave like that?" Life is surprising
and people are both good and bad. Not knowing what happens to
some of the characters is what keeps the reader thinking about
the book and wondering about the relationships in it after the
book is finished.
Den Hertog has used a different writing
technique for each of her four books to date. Her first book was
started after attending a writers workshop and having the other
participants observe that her short stories were interconnected.
This collection of stories was rewritten to become "Water
Wings". Her second novel was written while completing a creative
writing course at the University of Toronto. She was required
to submit a detailed outline, write chapters on a fixed deadline
and write the book in a very structured way. It was uncomfortable
but successful. While writing "Origin of Haloes", she
combined both of these approaches.
Her current book, (a non-fiction description
of the life of her grandparents in the Netherlands during WWII),
was written in collaboration with her sister. They e-mailed installments
back and forth and found this was a good technique for providing
a cool down period after seeing how the editing had been done
by the other writer!
If she had to pick one of her books as
a favourite, den Hertog would choose "Perpetual Ending"
She enjoys magic realism (her favourite novel is the One Hundred
Years of Solitude) and likes the way this book has fables successfully
interwoven through it.
We thank Ms. den Hertog for attending our
meeting. It was a highlight of our 20th anniversary year.
September 2008
The
Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
The true story of a huge storm at sea and
the crew of the fishing boat Andrea Gail, based out of Gloucester,
Massachusetts. The book opens on the lives of the swordfishing
crew and their family members before the storm. It then attempts
to reconstruct events on the Andrea Gail during the 1991 storm,
and outlines rescue efforts directed at several other ships and
a para-rescue helicopter. The book contains a host of technical
details about swordfishing, boats, drowning, wave generation and
meterology, and tends to read like a series of magazine articles.
What the Armchair Critics Thought:
We felt that the technical details were a bit distracting from
the overall story of the storm; at the same time they were necessary
to give context to the event. The ldepiction of the lives and
work habits of the fishermen were an interesting glimpse into
another world and we were surprised at how dangerous it still
is to make a living at fishing. We found the technical description
of drowning to be fascinating and very hard to read about. The
book reminds us that in spite of our technological advances, and
weather forecasting skills, mother nature still has the last word!
June 2008
The Last
Time they Met by Anita Shreve
Linda and Thomas are former lovers who
meet for the last time at a writers convention in a distant city.
Thomas has a reputation as one of the best poets in his generation,
although his poems are blunt and twisted. His marriage has fallen
apart after the death of his daughter in a boating accident. Linda
writes dreamlike, contemplative poems which are also popular.
She has two grown children and is now a widow. The two characters
hold their somewhat self-conscious reunion at the opening of the
novel, which then proceeds to flashback over their previous encounters
during the 35 years since they first met. There is quite a bit
of shared history, including some adultery, a reference to a car
accident, and time spent in Kenya. Slow paced at the start, the
book picks up speed and crams most of the action into the last
few pages.
What the Armchair Critics Thought:
There were mixed opinions about this book. Some felt that the
characters and romance were real and gripping. The part set in
Africa was especially heart-wrenching. Others felt that the ending
of this novel was a calculated gimmick which cheapened the entire
book. Why rush the ending? And why was the book written from Linda's
perspective in the first place?
May 2008
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Jacob Jankowski is living out his final
days in a nursing home where the food is soft and tasteless, the
nurses are bossy and paternalistic and the other residents are
too senile to talk to. When a circus sets up on the vacant lot
next to the home, he starts to recall the story of his earlier
life.
On the week following his parents' death,
the grief-stricken Jacob blindly ran from his college exams and
jumped a circus train heading out of town. When the circus manager
discovered that Jacob has veterinary training, he was put in charge
of the ill-used circus menagerie and tried to care for them as
best he could. Life in the circus proves nasty and brutish for
both man and beast, and yet Jacob finds camaraderie, friendship
and love in the year that follows.
What the Armchair Critics Thought:
A good, fun read. The overview of 'circus' life in that era was
very interesting, especially the level of competition between
the 'great' circuses and how they were constantly in fear of being
taken over. Some of the searches for the weirdest folks to 'display'
were quite comical. Of course, the maltreatment of the circus
animals is fairly common knowledge, but to read it was disturbing.
The circus was a family....a family of misfits, malcontents, n'er
do wells, crazies, etc., but a family nonetheless. Jacob's youthful
tragedy sends him on a wild and wonderful journey to find a place
to belong. And even as an old and feeble man in a nursing home,
he is somewhat disenfranchised from his own children and he's
lost the love of his life, so where does he go...with all the
dignity he can muster and what little energy he's got to push
himself and that walker forward? Back to the circus of course...any
circus will do, it's home, it's family, and they take each other
in and care for each other - they understand each other.
April 2008
Watership Down by Richard Adams
This well-known children's story
follows a small group of rabbits who are warned of impending disaster,
and set out to form a new warren. The rabbits share a strong and
believable culture which includes language, customs, storytelling
and religion. On their journey they fend off "the Thousand"
(predators) and are forced to use their cunning, endurance and
ingenuity to successfully create a new home. The rabbit heroes
- Hazel, Fiver and Bigwig learn to rely on their unique strengths
in order to overcome the odds: Hazel as the thoughtful, clear-headed
leader, Bigwig as the brawn, and Fiver the seer. A surprising
number of adventures befall the rabbits during their first year
away from the old warren, and the book ends with the subsequent
generations being entertained with stories of the brave pioneers.
What the Armchair Critics Thought:
This book was selected in order to revisit a childhood favourite
as an adult. We found the story to be a well-told adventure story
which kept us turning the pages. Those bunnies sure were busy
- as the entire saga takes place over one spring and summer .
The themes of leadership, fortitude and teamwork are strongly
threaded throughout the book. It is interesting to see the three
distinct types of societies that the rabbits develop...the vile,
cruel, and controlled dictatorship, the naive, inexperienced yet
vulnerable utopians, and the more practical, democratic and liberated
community that Hazel-rah's group pursued and hoped for. We enjoyed
the banter between animals and the clever way Adam's had of inventing
pseudo languages/accents for the different critters. Some of us
felt the book did not hold up well and were concerned by its purely
male viewpoint. The novel does have a strong British point of
view and explores male friendship in a similar manner to "The
Wind in the Willows.
March 2008
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
by Marina Lewycka
Nadia and her sister Vera have not spoken since
their mother's funeral -however the news that their 84 year old
father intends to marry a 36 year old Ukrainian refugee forces
them into partnership. They must protect their father (and their
mother's life savings) from the clutches of this busty, blonde
interloper. Once the marriage takes place, Valentia, her teenage
son and her new British Visa, move in with Nicholai and mayhem
ensues. At first Nicholai can refuse her nothing, even paying
for breast implants to enhance her already considerable charms.
But as Valentia begins to realize that Nicholai does not have
the disposable income to support the wealthy western lifestyle
she expects, she quickly turns on her new husband and begins to
physically and mentally abuse him. Nadia and her sister are alternately
told to mind their own business, and then phoned in the night
and begged for help. As the sisters work together, they come to
terms with their estrangement along with some unspoken family
history.
What the Armchair Critics Thought:
While largely described as a comedy,
this is a book that raises interesting issues about the care of
elderly parents, the immigrant experience and conflict between
personal ideals and difficult realities. We did find the book
comical at times, especially the vitriolic dialogue between Nicholai
and Valentia and the saga of the "crap car". Nicholai's
'Toshiba apples' and the excerpt from his book about the history
of tractors also provide some comic relief. The book is well written
and captures the Ukranian pigeon English nicely. Recommended.
February 2008
The Time
Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Henry DeTamble has an unusual genetic disorder
which causes him to time travel at random intervals. Suddenly
he will find himself sprawled naked on the ground in another place
and time. He must steal clothes and food and find shelter until
his body returns him to the present. Claire Abshire, is six years
old when she first meets Henry in the meadow behind her home.
He tells her to write down a series of dates -which are the times
he will come to the meadow in the future. She hides a cache of
her father's old clothes for him and leaves him snacks when he
is due to 'visit'. What Claire does not know is that she and Henry
are married in his future life. Henry will meet her for the first
time when she is in her twenties, but she will have known him
almost all of her life.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
This is a wonderful story about how the power of Claire's love
anchors Henry in time. The couple attempt to lead normal lives,
but are frequently drawn apart - longing for one another. The
characters are not perfect -they are flawed and realistically
portrayed. While the book alternates back and forth between Claire
and Henry's point of view and moves through the various stages
of their lives, Henry and Claire's respective ages are stated
at the beginning of each. We enjoyed the way in which multiple
Henry's could be present in a single time period, so that the
older Henry could coach his younger self survival skills such
as how to pick locks. At several moments of crisis in his life,
another Henry manages to fill in for himself -sometimes with amusing
consequences. A very good exploration of the nature of love and
the "great big ball of wibbly- wobbly timey-wimey stuff"
- as Dr. Who would put it.
January 2008
Gentlemen
and Players by Joanne Harris
Synopsis:
A novel of betrayal, murder and false identity, set in the imposing
halls of St. Oswald's Grammar School for Boys. The book's point
of view alternates between Roy Straitley -starting his 100th term
teaching Latin at the school, and the "pawn" -a newly
hired teacher with a vendetta against St. Oswald's. We learn about
the pawn's past, as a child of the school porter, borrowing the
master keys and masquerading as a rich student. In the present,
we watch as the pawn sets about bringing scandal to the school
and Roy Straitley struggles to discover the identity of the interloper.
What the Armchair Critics Thought:
Very entertaining and suspenseful book with a great ending full
of twists and turns. We enjoyed the use of the chess metaphor
in the chapter headings and the names of the characters (Knight,
King, Pawn). We found the character of stubborn Roy Straitley
quite endearing, with his favourite chair, refusal to use e-mail,
and one-man war to keep the Classics Department alive. We were
interested to learn that the observations of the teaching profession
and some descriptions of St. Oswald's were based on the author's
experiences. Oh, and "podex" means "ass"!
November 2007
Memory
Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards
Synopsis:
It's 1964 and snowing heavily. A small town doctor is unable to
transport his pregnant wife to the delivery room and she gives
birth in his clinic with the assistance of his nurse. Unexpectedly,
the wife gives birth to twins and the second child, a girl, is
clearly suffering from Down's Syndrome. The doctor makes a hasty
decision to hide this potential tragedy from his wife and gives
the child to his nurse to transport to an institution. The nurse
rejects this option and secretly decides to raise the girl as
her own. She moves to another city, but continues to send updates
and photographs to the doctor as the girl grows up. The book traces
the consequences of the doctor's decision and its impact on the
two families over the next twenty years.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
We all felt that this was a fantastic
premise for a novel and that the author started the book out with
a bang. Unfortunately things got a bit bogged down in the centre.
So much time was devoted to Norma's depression and her dark state
of mind that the book became heavy and depressing to read. (The
reader also wonders why David told his semi-conscious wife about
the second baby in the first place.) The study of David's guilt
and the way his snap decision destroys his family is well done
and believable, but the reader naturally wants to follow Caroline
and Phoebe's progress and see how their lives turn out. The story
is an interesting snapshot of the past treatment of Down Syndrome
children and their struggle for acceptance and education.
October 2007
Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures by Vincent
Lamb
Synopsis:
A loosely connected series of short stories which follows a group
of four aspiring students through snapshots in time -their acceptance
at medical school, their studies, and their subsequent careers
as doctors. The characters are shown as flawed yet sympathetic
human beings, who take risks, make mistakes and learn to bear
the label and ethical complications of a 'doctor of medicine'.
The stories are skillfully written and varied -in one chapter
the group of students dissects its first cadaver, in another an
exhausted emergency room physician drives home in a semi-conscious
stupor after the night-shift. Winner of the 2006 Giller Award,
Vincent Lam drew upon his own experiences as a medical doctor
to write the book.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
We very much enjoyed this book and were
excited to see Vincent Lam read from it at the Toronto's 'Word
on the Street' Festival. Lam showed a great sense of humour during
the event and we thought he looked surprisingly young. He is still
a practicing emergency room doctor, and it's hard to imagine when
he finds the time to write. While none of the book's characters
were particularly likeable, they were believable. Unlike television
shows such as ER, the book provides a sense of the internal struggles
and choices faced by the human beings who are called practice
medicine. The book was especially gripping during its depiction
of the SARS epidemic, and we were shocked to hear about the treatment
of nursing staff during this crisis.
September 2007
Eat Pray
Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Synopsis:
After her miserable divorce, Elizabeth Gilbert sets out to find
health, peace and happiness through a one year journey to Italy,
India and Indonesia. She spends four months in each location:
eating her way through the Italian language and cuisine and gaining
weight and strength; praying and meditating in an ashram in India
and gaining inner calm and self-awareness; and befriending native
and expatriate people in Bali until she gains true love. This
is not a travelogue, but rather the story of a woman's progress
toward a healthy balance.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
Gilbert is a good writer and brings
you along for the trip. Unfortunately you are also there for the
inner wailing and gnashing of teeth and you may find this woman
remarkably self-absorbed at times. It is difficult to care about
her because she provides so few clues as to her real life - friends,
family, hobbies etc. Nonetheless, Gilbert brings a wry humour
and wealth of observation to her journals.
June 2007
The
Last King of Scotland by Giles Foden
Synopsis:
This novel profiles Idi Amin, the former dictator of Uganda, from
the viewpoint of the fictional Nicholas Garrigan, Amin's personal
doctor and occasional confident in the 1970s. Insulated by the
sudden wealth and privilege of his new position, the naive young
Garrigan does not recognize the horrors inflicted on the rest
of the country by his charismatic employer. When his own moral
choices are called into question, Garrigan is treated to a trip
through one of Amin's torture chambers. As he contrives to escape
back to Scotland, Garrigan continues to justify his actions and
ignorance and is completely surprised when he is labelled a traitor
by his countrymen.
What the Armchair Critics Thought:
The characters are deftly drawn and you can easily understand
(but perhaps not forgive) the irresolute behaviour of Garrigan.
The charisma of Amin is also clearly apparent and his actions
are often comical, yet frightening. One of our meeting participants
brought a newspaper clipping of an interview by a Toronto Star
reporter during Amin's heyday. The mixture of childlike glee and
psychopathic action was real. Note that readers may be disturbed
by some violent scenes.
May 2007
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
Synopsis
Rather
than a memoir, this work is best classified as a series of essays
about the parallels between life and in literature. Azar Nafisi
provides brief description of her years in modern Iran, but spends
the majority of her book recounting the lectures and discussions
held with her hand-picked English literature students during their
secret gatherings to discuss Western classics. Nafisi divides
the book into chapters about the authors who reflect the various
stages of her life in Tehran; for instance, "The Great Gatsby"
is discussed during the chapter about the Iranian revolution,
and "Lolita" is discussed during the chapter about the
deterioration of women's freedoms.
What the Armchair Critics
Thought
This was not an easy read, and many
thought Nafisi spent too much time evaluating the literature being
discussed and not enough time providing details about the lives
and experiences of her students and herself. Nafisi's husband,
mother and children are all mentioned in passing, but never take
shape as human beings. Nafisi does not include much historical
or political background to help the reader understand the events
she touches on in her essays. We wondered how Nafisi's Iran would
contrast with the Iran of today. We also felt that the connections
Nafisi drew between life in Iran and the books her class discussed
would have been better appreciated if we had read more of them.
April 2007
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
Synopsis
The novel is set in Florence - city of art and beauty, and follows
the family of a wealthy cloth merchant. Alessandra Cecchi a fifteenth
century tomboy, longs to draw and is attracted toward the fervent
young artist hired to paint the family chapel. Although she inwardly
rebels, Alessandra is soon married to a much older man who needs
a wife to disguise his sexual proclivities. Betrayed and disappointed,
she turns to her artist. Complicating their dangerous tryst is
the invasion by France, an outbreak of smallpox and the rise of
religious totalitarianism in Florence under the crazed monk Savonarola.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
The book was quite well received although
it was noted that after the shocking prologue, the book fell a
little flat until Alessandra was married. We had a discussion
of convents as the refuge of educated, single women at the time.
It was noted that this book fits within the new genre of 'art
lit' . These are books like "Girl with a Pearl Earring"
and "the Tree Lover" which are extremely visual, and
include descriptions of technique, glowing colours and painterly
images. It was very interesting to identify historical figures
while reading the novel and the book was obviously well researched.
Recommended.
March 2007
Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden
Synopsis
An intricate story blending the history of Niska Bird the Cree
medicine woman, and her nephews Xavier Bird and Elijah Wiskeyjack
who have left their home in the bush of Northern Ontario to join
the great war in Europe. As skilled hunters, Xavier and Elijah
are valued and accurate snipers in the trenches of France and
Belgium; however the hardship and horror of the war destroys the
mental and physical health of both men. When Xavier returns to
Canada, badly wounded and addicted to morphine, his aunt paddles
him back home to James Bay. On this three day journey, Niska tries
to keep Xavier's spirit alive by telling him stories of her life
and her own battle against the loss of native culture and language.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
Although this was a difficult read with many graphic descriptions
of battle, corpses and horrific conditions, it was also a rewarding
book providing an remarkable description of first nations soliders
in WWI as well as the important role of Canadian troops and the
sacrifices they made. We enjoyed the depictions of native life
and customs. We found the book quite well written and paced. One
scene we especially enjoyed was the three-way humorous exchange
between Elijah, Xavier and their commanding officer after Xavier
returns from an absence without leave. We had a great discussion
about residential schools and their devastating effect on native
reserves in northern Ontario and the praries. One member brought
photographs and postcards from her great grandfather who served
in WWI. Recommended
February 2007
Fortunes Rocks by Anita Shreve
Synopsis
The novel takes its name from a fictional
New Hampshire beach resort at the turn of the century. The strong-willed,
fourteen year-old daughter of an upstanding New England couple
brings disgrace on two families when she throws herself into an
affair with an older married man. Once her secret is discovered,
Olympia Biddeford must cope with the loss and grief of her predicament
while withstanding public shame and recrimination. After several
years of exile at boarding school, she returns to Fortunes' Rocks
and tries to refashion her life as an independent woman and reclaim
her son.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
We had a lively discussion about this book. While several readers
were captivated by the romance and drama of the story, others
could not get past the image of the 14 year old with the 41 year
old (ewwww). We wondered at the man's total lack of self control
and the author's assumption that these two deserved ultimate happiness.
However, we all admired Olympia's sheer force of will as she battled
to reshape her life. The book was extremely well written with
sumptuous passages of descriptive prose. Recommended light reading
if you can get past the pedophilia.
January 2007
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Synopsis
"To the extent that fetal hormones
affect brain chemistry and histology; I've got a male brain. But
I was raised as a girl." So begins the story of Cal Stephanides
who also states that "when this story goes out into the world;
I may become the most famous hermaphrodite in history." But
before Cal's coming of age can be revealed, the author takes us
back, epic fashion, to the courtship of his grandparents in a
tiny Greek village, their immigration to the USA on the heels
of a bloody Turkish invasion, and their turbulent new life in
downtown Detroit. We then follow the romance of Cal's parents
- Milton and Tessie who know they are cousins but don't realize
that Milton's parents are brother and sister. Finally, as Cal
grows up awkward and lonely in an all girl school, we have a heart-wrenching
depiction of unrequited love and loss of identity.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
There was general agreement that Eugenes is a terrific story-teller
and that the book contains rich nuggets of history, human nature
and humour. Some readers were frustrated by the lack of focus
on Cal's story and wanted more details about the years between
his adolescence and adulthood. The depictions of 1960s Detroit,
the Nation of Islam, the Zebra Room and Cal's school were detailed
and fascinating. While there is enough symbolism, character development
and sylistic prose here to keep a professor lecturing for weeks,
it rarely gets in the way of the story. Recommended.
November 2006
Mutant Message from Down Under By Marlo
Morgan
Synopsis
Mutant Message is a first person story
about a American woman who travels through the Australian outback
for three months with a group of Aboriginals. During her ordeal,
Morgan is given no choice but to follow the tribe as they attempt
to enlighten her about their way of life and beliefs. She learns
to cope with heat, thirst, flies, strange food and a host of other
unpleasant experiences. She learns that the tribe communicates
through telepathy and that their knowledge of weather, topography,
plant and animal life is astounding.
Eventually Morgan comes to accept the aboriginal
ways as superior to the wasteful and superficial western lifestyle.
She is sent back to her civilized world with a message for the
mutants (ie: the rest of us) which is essentially to stop squandering
the planet's resources and learn to live again in harmony with
the natural world. Originally published as non-fiction, this book
was later re-released as a work of fiction. Morgan maintains that
the events depicted in the book are, nonetheless, factual and
actually occurred. She states that the book was re-released as
fiction in order to protect the identity of the tribe that sheltered
her.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
This story was a load of hogwash. Whether
it was fiction or non-fiction, magic-realism or fable, the actions
and thoughts of the protagonist were completely out of character
for a sheltered, middle-aged woman. In Chapter one for example,
Morgan apparently takes off all her clothes in front of a group
of complete strangers and then makes no protest when they burn
all her belongings (including some jewellery with sentimental
value). While the actual message of the book is certainly meaningful
-it becomes lost in the controversy surrounding the book and its
tissue- thin plot.
October 2006
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little
No Horse By Louise Erdrich
Synopsis
Set in
the frontiers of North Dakota, this novel describes the life of
Father Damien Modeste who ministers to the Chippewa people over
a period of 60 years. The comic and tragic stories of the town
of Little No Horse are related from the viewpoint of this compassionate
priest, who has a sad secret past of his own. The reader soon
learns that Father Damien is in fact, Sister Cecilia from a convent
in Wisconsin.
Through a sequence of peculiar events,
Sister Cecilia has been married to a farmer, widowed in a bank
robbery, and nearly drowned in a flood. When she finds the body
of the original Father Damien, drowned on his way to Little No
Horse she decides to masquerade as a man and replace the dead
priest. Now nearing the end of his life, Father Damien dreads
the discovery of his physical identity, and imagines the undoing
of all that he has accomplished.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
The very first book read by the Armchair
Critics was "The Beet Queen" by Louise Erdrich. It is
interesting to return to North Dakota and some of the same characters.
Opinions about this book were mixed. Several readers felt that
it did not hold their attention and that the stories interspersed
throughout interrupted the flow of the novel. There were so many
characters to keep track of that it is easy to become confused.
Some parts of the novel were extremely funny and enjoyable - others
portrayed the characters in situations which made them very difficult
to like. Generally we found that it paid off to keep ploughing
through the first half of the book in order to enjoy the way Agnes'
life is resolved.
September 2006
A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
Synopsis
Naomi Nickel, the narrator of this sharp-witted,
but tragic story, lives in a small Mennonite village in Manitoba.
Nomi, as she is known to her father, is struggling to come to
terms with the loss of her older sister and her mother -both of
whom have left the restrictive life of her small community.
Nomi's Uncle Hans, the leader of their
church, continues to introduce more oppressive rules and strictures
-to the extent of shunning his own sister. Meanwhile, over at
the quarry, the town's teenagers drink, smoke, fornicate and take
drugs -all of which is ignored providing they show up for church
the next morning. Nomi brings a wry and insightful voice to the
paradox of growing up Mennonite in the 1970s.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
We had mixed reactions to this novel.
We liked Nomi's humour and sharp insights; however we were saddened
by the portrayal of a family destroyed by religious beliefs. What
a waste. Nomi's father was a lonely yet stoic figure who makes
a great sacrifice at the novel's end to save his daughter from
further deterioration. We had a good discussion of what the complicated
kindness was, and found that Toews had used examples throughout
the book of the small-town friendliness coupled with religious
intolerance that must have marked her childhood. Recommended.
May 2006
The Tale of Murasaki by Liza Dalby
Synopsis
Murasaki was a novelist, poet, and servant
of the imperial court during the Heian period of Japan. She was
the author of The Tale of Genji, written in Japanese in 1010,
one of the earliest and most famous novels in human history. The
Tale of Murasaki is a fictional biography, based in part on her
surviving diaries and poems. The book chronicles her adult life,
with emphasis on the period before her marriage and the time she
spent in court serving the empress of Japan.
The book contains Murasaki's careful descriptions
of the highly refined manners, clothing and attitudes of Heian
Japanese society. It give the reader a glimpse of the exotic culture
of a thousand years ago in which upper class ladies hid behind
screens and fans with only their long elaborate sleeves or trains
showing. A world in which lovers conversed in poetry and ritual
was valued above all.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
This was a beautiful and fascinating
book -replete with actual quotations from Murasaki's diary by
people who lived in the 11th century. We were astonished by the
differences in mannerisms and morals shown by everything from
the multi-layered robes, incense preparation and tooth blackening
to the casual attitude toward sexual relations. The poetry and
the descriptions of natural settings were lovely. We were interested
in the lack of contact with or consideration of persons in the
lower orders -such as the multitude of seamstresses, cooks, servants
and litter carriers that must have been required to keep such
a rarefied society functioning. Recommended reading.
April 2006
The Eyre Affair By Jasper Fforde
Synopsis
This
is the first novel in Jasper Fforde's science-fiction/detective
series featuring a smart, gun-toting heroine named Thursday Next.
In Thursday's world, an alternate version of 1985, popular culture
is ruled by literature. Coin operated "Will-Speak" machines
quote Hamlet in bus stations, visitors make pilgrimages to view
original manuscripts, and school children collect Johnathan Swift
trading cards.
Thursday leads a quiet life as a detective
in the literary division of the Special Operations Network, investigating
forgeries and thefts. When Thursday's Uncle and Aunt are kidnapped,
SpecOps uncovers a plot to kidnap and murder characters from everyone's
favorite novels. And when the perpetrators dare to steal the original
Jane Eyre, Thursday must race to save one of the most beloved
characters in English Literature from eradication.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
Although Fforde employs time travel
and alternate reality, his books are not easily classified as
science fiction. Several Armchair Critics who usually dislike
sci-fi were drawn into the world of Thursday Next and enjoyed
the word-play and adventure. We liked all the literary inside
jokes and found the book highly entertaining. We had a good discussion
about which literary characters we would like to meet, and heard
a bit about the continuing adventures of Thursday in the next
three Fforde books.
March 2006
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Synopsis
As the
title suggests, this is a novel about lies, remorse and redemption.
The central character is Briony Talis, a thirteen year old with
a gift for writing, and the overactive imagination it requires.
When her young cousins run away after a late summer dinner party,
the family scatters to search the grounds of their upper middle
class estate. A crime is committed and Briony is at the centre
of the accusations and trial that follow.
The central portion of the book deals with
the lives of the accuser and the accused during World War II.
Intense descriptions of the fatigue and horror felt by the characters
make the war live in a series of moving chapters. The book wraps
up with a tribute to the elderly Briony, now a renowned writer,
by her extended family and Briony's reflections on the nature
of her atonement.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
This is not a quick read for the beach.
McEwan favours long, long descriptions of the surroundings and
thoughts of his characters, and sometime the same events are presented
from different points of view. Much of the first part of the book
is given over to character sketches and the perceptions of various
family members about one another. For example, Briony's quiet
reflections on what drives the movement of her fingers, and whether
others have the same control of their bodies and emotions, are
given an entire page. With careful attention however; the reader
is rewarded with stunning language and fresh insights.
February 2006
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
by Dai Sijie
Synopsis
This slim novel, set during the Chinese Cultural
Revolution, describes the reeducation of two teenage boys, sent
to toil among peasants in the countryside. Since their parents
have been branded enemies of the state, the boys have almost no
chance of ever returning to their former comfortable lives in
the city. Instead they have nothing to look forward to unrelenting
work and hardship, carrying baskets of excrement up the hillsides
to fertilize the fields, or working in the small village coal
mine. Two things happen to relieve the monotony -first they discover
and steal a suitcase full of forbidden novels, and second they
befriend the beautiful daughter of the local tailor. They begin
to educate the little Chinese Seamstress, with unexpected consequences.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
We found interesting parallels in this
story to the novel Bel Canto in it's description of how "art"
can transform ordinary, even unbearable situations. Opinions were
mixed about the overall impact of this book. Some enjoyed the
simple story, others felt an overall sense of foreboding that
the boys were going to be caught and punished, which spoiled the
flow of the novel. We enjoyed the humour in the book (such as
the scene in which the headman has his tooth filled). We were
all impressed with Sijie's ability to write such a lovely book
in his second language.
January 2006
The Five People you Meet in Heaven by Mitch
Albom
Synopsis
An elderly maintenance man for a theme park dies
in a sudden accident while trying to save a little girl from a
malfunctioning ride. The book describes the man's trip through
the first stage of heaven. During this experience, five people
from Eddie's past meet with him to explain their connection and
to answer his questions about that period of his life. Outwardly,
Eddie seems to be a simple man, but as the story of his past unfolds,
we understand that Eddie has experienced child abuse, war, frustrated
ambition, and the premature death of his wife. His burdens are
eased by the five conversations and he is ready to move toward
the next stage of heaven.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
We were a little mystified by the huge
success of this book. Although the story deals with difficult
issues, it has little depth or detail. We compared the book to
one of the e-mail stories about guardian angels that make the
rounds -heavy on the pathos, but no substance. We all agreed that
this version of heaven (or purgatory) did not meet our ideas about
the afterlife. Several of the people Eddie meets are only remotely
connected to him and his conversations with those he has wronged
are not the messy, raw confrontations of real life -only soothing
pablum, yeilding a false sense of well-being.
November 2005
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Synopsis
Set in
Afghanistan, this book follows the story of Amir -the son of an
affluent businessman, and Hassan -the son of his father's servant.
The two boys are motherless and nearly the same age. Behind the
walls of Amir's house, they play and laugh together -but always
with the understanding that Amir is top dog. This relationship
eventually leads to a betrayal that takes Amir a lifetime to recover
from.
The title of the book comes from the annual kite tournament in
Kabul, where the strings of kites are coated with ground glass
and used to cut through the strings of competing kites. The kiterunners
are the boys who dash to retrieve the loosened kites and display
them in their homes until the following year's tournament.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
Horrible things happen in this book
-events made more ghastly because you know that they are based
in reality. The character of Amir is difficult to like and yet
so human and moving. The revelations in the latter part of the
book make you want to go back and revisit the earlier scenes.
How could Amir's father and Hassan's father have reacted in the
ways they do? The book was also a fascinating glimpse into the
pre-Taliban Afghan culture. The descriptions of orange peels on
the fire, playing cards outdoors in the snow with legs tucked
under a heated blanket, and Iranian dubbed westerns are evocative
of a cosy yet unfamiliar childhood. This book is highly recommended,
but not for the squeamish.
October 2005
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Synopsis
When
intelligent life on another planet is discovered, the Society
of Jesus quickly and quietly organizes a team of Jesuit missionaries
to explore this new world. The leader of this team is Father Emilio
Sandoz, a gifted linguist who believes that God has been guiding
him his entire life toward this mission. The novel uses flashbacks
to the planet Roquat, as it deals with the Vatican inquest following
the mission. Father Sandoz has returned as the sole survivor -
dreadfully mutilated, a prostitute and a child killer. How did
his vocation and his mission go so terribly wrong?
What the Armchair Critics Thought
The author deftly deals with a complex
plot and multiplicity of characters. While we found it highly
unlikely that all of Sandoz's closest friends would end up on
the mission, we liked the people involved, so were willing to
accept it. The symbiotic relationship between the two cultures
on Roquat was nicely done. We had a terrific discussion about
the nature of faith and the motivations of Father Sandoz . While
some of us were upset by the outcome of the mission, we were encouraged
to read the sequel (Children of God) where humans return to Roquat
and discover that changes have continued to occur.
September 2005
The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland
Synopsis
A lovely portrayal of the life and struggle of Canada's
famous West Coast painter, Emily Carr. The book describes Carr's
unconventional tastes and lifestyle, which shocked the her colonial
Victoria sisters and neighbours. It tells of how she dismissed
the traditional parlour portraits painted by other women of her
class and upbringing and found her authentic subjects -towering
totem poles and cedars.
The book is also a disturbing record of
the discrimination and intolerance of white society for the traditions
and customs of the coastal Indians. The poverty, misery and shame
brought to these proud people through the bigotry of the time
is a black mark on Canada's history.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
We very much enjoyed this book and looked
at coffee table books of Carr's paintings during our meeting.
Vreeland has brought the character and her struggles very much
to life and it is interesting to trace the connections in Vreeland's
story to the various Carr paintings she weaves into the narrative.
Her discussion of Carr's sense of the underlying colours in nature
and her development of bold brush strokes and techniques was fascinating.
You can read more about the author's thought process on her web site.
June 2005
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
by Philip K. Dick
Synopsis
A novel set in a post-nuclear future where most
animals and humans have succumbed to radiation poisoning. Earth's
remaining population continues to decline as the people with low
enough radiation levels immigrate off-planet. Those left behind
try to ease their loneliness with shared religious experiences,
dialled up drugs and the acquisition of artificial animals.
Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter who destroys
rogue androids from the off-world colonies who come to earth masquerading
a humans. While his wife slips further into depression, Rick dreams
of purchasing a real sheep to replace the electric one on this
apartment roof. During the typical day portrayed in the book,
Deckard works to "retire" a fresh crop of androids and
finds the line between human and machine is blurring.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
This book received mixed reviews from
the Armchair Critics. Since the book was used at the basis for
the movie "Bladerunner" starring Harrison Ford, much
of the discussion was focussed on the contrast between book and
film. Ridley Scott, the director of the film intimates that Deckard
is an android (especially through the re-introduction of the deleted
unicorn dream sequence in the recent director's cut). P.K. Dick
clearly portrays him as human -though the androids in the book
are more sympathetically drawn. It was agreed that the film is
better viewed after reading the book and that it would have been
improved with the inclusion of several key scenes such as the
false police station, the experience of Mercerism, and the electric
sheep itself.
May 2005
The Devil in the White City by Erik
Larson
Synopsis
A work of non-fiction which contrasts the Chicago
World's Fair of 1893 with the true story of a serial killer who
used the frantic and often chaotic activity of the time to hide
his movements. Dr. H.H. Holmes was able to finance the construction
and staffing of a vast commercial building and lodging house with
secret passageways and vaults in which he tortured and killed
his victims.
Young women entering Chicago to find work
at the Fair, often away from their country villages for the first
time, were easily duped by the charismatic Holmes. His victims
seemed to vanish into the bustling metropolis, while Holmes pleaded
ignorance to their concerned families. At the same time, the book
chronicles the fascinating trials and triumphs of the "white
city" which was created for the World's Fair on inhospitable
swampland in less than two years, and describes the marvellous
sights and sounds of the Fair itself.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
This is an incredibly detailed and well
researched book. At times the reader feels overwhelmed by the
sheer quantity of facts and figures it contains. The contrast
between the story of Holmes and the Fair is quite interesting
although the device of switching between the two topics after
each chapter could be frustrating for those looking for a coherent
narrative. The amazing little tidbits of information about the
Fair and its organization made for fascinating reading. We all
wished there had been more photographs of the Fair and the White
City included in the book.
April 2005
Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Synopsis
Another coming-of-age story set during the 1960s
civil rights movement in the southern US. Fourteen year old Lily
leaves her abusive father and travels with the family's black
housekeeper Roseleen, to the town she thinks her dead mother came
from. A drawing of a black madonna left by Lily's mother leads
them to a trio of beekeeping sisters who take Lily and Roseleen
in. Lily learns about beekeeping and her family past while enjoying
her first case of puppy love with the young black employee of
the apiary.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
There was a slight split in opinion
over this book. Most thought it wonderful, uplifting and well
written. They loved how the continual references to bees, honey
and the black madonna cult tied the plot together and found the
theme of sisterhood was powerfully rendered by the major characters.
A small minority found the book cloying, cliché, and simplistic
and were disturbed by the many inconsistencies in the plot (such
as how Lily and the black teen are able to openly carry on their
relationship just a year after Roseleen had to leave town due
to the endemic racism). The hat wearing, honey smearing cult was
also a little much for these readers to accept.
March 2005
Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
Synopsis
Kate Morrison's father was the first of his farming
clan to finish secondary school and his job in a bank justified
the sacrifices made by his family to get him there. Kate now has
a good education, and a busy life in urban Toronto as a professional
zoologist, yet she cannot escape from the memories of her upbringing
in rural Ontario.
When a collision with a logging truck left
Kate and her siblings orphaned, her brother Luke fought to keep
the family together. Luke and Matt, the older boys, worked at
a neighbouring farm to earn extra money so Matt, a gifted student,
could attend university. But when the farmer's teenage daughter
formed a desperate bond with Matt, Kate could not forgive and
forget the consequences.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
A beautifully written book which was
the choice for the "Hamilton Reads" event held by the
local public library. We found the book moving and the characters
sympathetic -with the exception of Kate -whose motives were not
clear until late in the book. Our discussion lead to a debate
about the priorities shown by Aunt Annie in her choice to leave
the four children to fend for themselves while she returned to
her work at the family farm in the Gaspe. Some of us also questioned
the need for the huge mystery surrounding Matt, which seemed anti-climatic
when revealed.
February 2005
How to Cook a Tart by Nina Killham
Synopsis
What would literature be like if stories were written
by cookbook authors? Nina Killham answers this question in her
first novel, narrated by the blissfully food-obsessed Jasmine
March. Every simile is edible, every page makes your stomach rumble.
Jasmine's life revolves around her family
and her next meal or snack. Meanwhile, her teenage daughter struggles
with an eating disorder, while her husband gets involved with
a new-age health nut who advocates deep bowel cleansing. Events
start to spiral out of control as Jasmine's righteous defense
of butter and cream on live television make her an instant celebrity
and her husband's girlfriend approaches her for cooking lessons.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
This was a light, fun read. Some of
us found the constant food references tiresome, but others quite
enjoyed them. The ending of the novel is a bit disappointing as
her family reacts to an emergency in surprising and unlikely ways.
Killham's descriptions of food obsessions are spot-on and her
heroine is likable and funny. Recommended.
January 2005
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Synopsis
Fourteen-year-old Suzie Salmon is murdered by a
neighbour on her way home from middle school. From heaven, Suzie
watches as her family first copes with her disappearance and then
comes to realize she has been killed. As time passes, her parents,
brother and sister cope with her loss in very different ways.
Her sister forms a tough shell to keep sympathizers at bay. Her
father attempts vigilante justice and ends up feeling he has failed
his family. Her mother runs away from her children and her painful
memories. Her baby brother tries to understand why his family
has fallen apart.
Suzie tells the story of her family in
a strangely dispassionate voice. In her perpetually childish state
she simply cannot comprehend the emotions and challenges which
face those left on earth.
What the Armchair Critics Thought
We liked Sebold's description of heaven,
in which every resident has a different experience. (For instance,
Suzie fulfills her ambition to attend high school, but only has
to read Vogue magazine, not textbooks.) The descriptions of the
family's grief and bewilderment were heart wrenching. Some of
us were disappointed that the novel did not move toward a conventional
conclusion with the killer brought to justice. On the whole, an
interesting, if emotionally draining read.
