Book Review: The Song Before it is Sung, by Justin Cartwright

The Song Before it is Sung is a historical fiction, based in the early part of this century, London. The story revolves around Conrad Senior, an Oxford alumnus who has not done much with his life post-graduation. While at Oxford he became quite close with his philosophy professor, whose death leaves Conrad with his life's ultimate task. His professor, Elya Mendel left Conrad boxes and boxes of papers and letters between a group of his friends in the time before the second World War, one of them being Count Axel Von Gottberg, a anti-Hitler German who was hanged in association with the failed Valkyrie mission. The papers and letters transport Conrad into another time, another life. The reasons are unclear as to why his professor left him in charge of reconstructing this friendship gone wrong, but as Conrad does put the pieces together true tragedy, friendship, and heroism takes shape. As Conrad plunges into this other world, his own world begins to crumble as his wife leaves him, his health begins to plummet, and he gets wrapped up with an alcoholic drug user named Emily.

As I am wont to do, I didn't want this book to end. I've found my favorite book genre. Historical Fiction. I will say it's hard to separate what was made up and what was real history. Cartwright is a highly readable author with a gift of storytelling. I plan on reading more of his stuff soon.

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Book Review: Duplicate Keys by Jane Smiley.

I just finished Jane Smiley's Duplicate Keys, a mysterious story of murder, betrayal, and life in 1980 New York City. The story follows a group of friends, a few of them in a band, from the Midwest who come to NYC seeking their piece of the rock n' roll pie. The group has moderate success and receives lukewarm reviews, but the members trudge on obsessing over their next great song, lyric, review, connection. Two of the band members are found in their apartment dead by Alice, a friend outside the band. The story follows Alice, a 30-year old librarian, as she deals with the fact that she alone stumbled into the crime scene, with the loss of close friends, and tries relentlessly to solve the murders all while clinging to the remaining members of the group of friends. A group of friends populated by at times questionable characters that Alice begins to suspect; she begins to feel unsafe in her own apartment.

This book was captivating and I couldn't put it down. I walked down the street reading it and bumping into people. I recommend it to anyone, especially New Yorkers because it's interesting to imagine the city at that time (especially with no cell phones or internet!).

Bookclub Bean Dip.

Ladies, thanks for coming over and making me not be such an Edward and for not making me hate Miss Flo so much, and for providing lots of awesome conversation about a mediocre (at best) book! Since there were compliments on the dip, I thought I'd share the recipe.

White Bean Dip a la Hearn:

Ingredients
2 cans of white beans
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley leaves
1 tablespoon of chopped thyme leaves
kosher salt
ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil (to taste)
1 tablespoon of chopped chives

Directions
Rinse the white beans, chop the chop-ables, add olive oil (~ 4 tablespoons) to mixture and blend in your Cuisinart (or blender), add more olive oil if things seem a little dry. Add chives to the top of the dip after it's been blended and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Book Review: The Glass Castle

A painful, chilling tale of childhood as told by MSNBC contributor Jeanette Walls is a story about kids braving the world almost alone. The parents in this memoir are almost out of a story book or movie. Mom, the artist, the free-spirit, wanted her children to tough-it and learn lessons the hard way even letting her family starve all while focusing on her non-profitable artist career. Dad, the brilliant, scientist, alcoholic nomad of a dude was in and out of the house, drunk, abusive, and manipulative to a fault. Memoirs told by children of troubled households are equally troubling to read because you find yourself constantly wanting to shake the shit out of the kids and say, "run!", "leave!", "move away!" but then you ask yourself whether it's an easy thing to do - moving away from one's parents.

Often throughout my reading experience, I was annoyed and frustrated by both the story and the characters in The Glass Castle and I often mistook the feeling as disgust for the book itself. Upon reflection, the book is depressing and amazing, an unbelievable account of growing up with a screwed up family in the most horrifying and at the same time loving of situations. From molestation to starvation, running from bill collectors to fighting neighborhood bullies, The Glass Castle is a harrowing tale of suffering and success, love and disappointment and I personally love to hate it.

Book Review: On Chesil Beach

This book was really well written but ultimately I was disappointed with the story. Basically, the entire book is based on the tragic fact that a couple (Edward and Florence) have married each other when there are majorly damaging issues they have yet to tackle. Physical intimacy is not Florence's forte and Edward would rather put off his disappointment than broach the subject with good ole Flo. Ian McEwan, of Atonement notoriety, knows how to weave a tale of anxiety, love, tenderness, and heartbreak well and I do not have a problem with his writing style, in fact, I say "bravo" to him. However, I say "poo-poo" to the plot line as I was disappointed that after Florence suggests that they can be BFF instead of luvahs, Edward says "Hellz No" but then years later agonizes over his decision to fly the coop. While I understand you may only have one true love of a lifetime, the fact that Edwards came with such a hefty price tag was unfair and a little unrealistic. Also, if I'm not mistaken, this book took place just before the sexual revolution and Florence's character seemed a little out of place in this wakening world of exploration. Fuddy-duddy is what I'd say she was. A fuddy-duddy who loved, loved classical music and leading on her boyfriend, turned fiance, turned husband of a short few hours. C'mon Edward, get back in the game in a serious way!

Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye

I know it's not just me, but this book left me scratching my head and wondering why I was told that this book was a classic literary work. I also wondered why I had to read it in high school. I hadn't picked up a copy of The Catcher in the Rye since it was assigned in my sophomore year English class, roughly 13 years ago. I could barely remember anything about the book and it was selling for $0.25 so I figured, "what the heck?!" Boy I sure was disappointed.

Ok, ok. So the book is a great character study. Frankly, Holden Caufield is a neurotic, narcissistic, ridiculous attempt at a hero and not someone I would want to encourage teenagers to emulate. He hates everyone. He hates everything. He repeats himself constantly. He "gets sore" about everything. He has a drinking problem at the age of 16. He fails out of every school he attends because there are "fake people" everywhere - he likes the word "phony". In my opinion, this story shouldn't have been revolutionary when it was told the first time and it's certainly far from revolutionary now. What a big, fat disappointment.