By James Joyce
The famous collection of stories about random people's lives in Dublin. Not all of them were easy for me to read and/or understand. Sometimes it seems difficult to relate to one character, because a story is told from multiple perspectives. [304 pp.]
Link to book
Friday, November 21, 2014
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Woodcutters
By Thomas Bernhard
A 181-page paragraph describing the thoughts of the narrator as he sits in his chair at an "artistic party" in Vienna of the 1980s. It is actually more interesting than it might sound, because there is a lot of tension between the narrator and the rest of the party, especially the host and some of the guests. They were all friends back in the '50s, and perhaps more than friends, and now they were partying and awaiting the guest of honor, a famous theater actor, after they buried another friend. Though I liked the story, and it seemed like it would be interesting to read more of this author's stories, I felt like I didn't want to handle another single-paragraph narratives right now, which seem to be the typical style of this author.
Book link
A 181-page paragraph describing the thoughts of the narrator as he sits in his chair at an "artistic party" in Vienna of the 1980s. It is actually more interesting than it might sound, because there is a lot of tension between the narrator and the rest of the party, especially the host and some of the guests. They were all friends back in the '50s, and perhaps more than friends, and now they were partying and awaiting the guest of honor, a famous theater actor, after they buried another friend. Though I liked the story, and it seemed like it would be interesting to read more of this author's stories, I felt like I didn't want to handle another single-paragraph narratives right now, which seem to be the typical style of this author.
Book link
Saturday, September 13, 2014
The Gap Year
By Sarah Bird
A story told from the points of view of mother and daughter, chronicling their lives about one year apart, during the most difficult period in their relationship. The mother is excited for her daughter to go to college, but the daughter doesn't really want to go, she'd rather stay in the suburb her mother so despises. Both think the other will not understand, and spend the year with a huge gap in communication. [320 pp.].
Booklink
A story told from the points of view of mother and daughter, chronicling their lives about one year apart, during the most difficult period in their relationship. The mother is excited for her daughter to go to college, but the daughter doesn't really want to go, she'd rather stay in the suburb her mother so despises. Both think the other will not understand, and spend the year with a huge gap in communication. [320 pp.].
Booklink
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Echo Detained
By Joshua Daniel Cochran
At first, the story seemed a bit intense for me, but I am very faint of heart, so it doesn't mean it is actually intense. But indeed, horrible things happen to this guy Caleb (aka Echo), and none of it makes sense. It was interesting, though, and fairly well written. Sometimes it was even entertaining (especially the Delasco parts), though I have a feeling it was supposed to be more so than it seemed to me. [216 pp.]
Book link
At first, the story seemed a bit intense for me, but I am very faint of heart, so it doesn't mean it is actually intense. But indeed, horrible things happen to this guy Caleb (aka Echo), and none of it makes sense. It was interesting, though, and fairly well written. Sometimes it was even entertaining (especially the Delasco parts), though I have a feeling it was supposed to be more so than it seemed to me. [216 pp.]
Book link
Sunday, July 27, 2014
The Widow's War
By Sally Gunning
A beatifully-written story about a woman in 18th century Cape Code who loses her husband, and with it, almost, all of her rights. But she fights back to keep her independence as much as she can, while committing punishable sins left and right, without actually harming anybody. Did she win? [320 pp.]
Book link
A beatifully-written story about a woman in 18th century Cape Code who loses her husband, and with it, almost, all of her rights. But she fights back to keep her independence as much as she can, while committing punishable sins left and right, without actually harming anybody. Did she win? [320 pp.]
Book link
Sunday, July 6, 2014
The Wedding Bees
By Sarah-Kate Lynch
A light chick lit that's pretty funny and quite good. Definitely a good read after something heavier. Makes you want to have some honey and grow bees. [368 pp.]
Book link
A light chick lit that's pretty funny and quite good. Definitely a good read after something heavier. Makes you want to have some honey and grow bees. [368 pp.]
Book link
The Pickup
By Nadine Gordimer
It took me a while to get used to the writing - it was hard at first to tell where someone is saying something versus general narration, but with time I managed to be quite engaged in it. It was interesting to see the characters develop, and the ending was not disappointing, which it could have been in so many different ways, considering the topic (the love between an illegal immigrant and a rebelious daughter of the upper middle class). I guess I quite enjoyed it all in all. Still, when I saw another book of the same author on the library shelf, I did not pick it up. Maybe I needed some rest... [288 pp.]
Book link
It took me a while to get used to the writing - it was hard at first to tell where someone is saying something versus general narration, but with time I managed to be quite engaged in it. It was interesting to see the characters develop, and the ending was not disappointing, which it could have been in so many different ways, considering the topic (the love between an illegal immigrant and a rebelious daughter of the upper middle class). I guess I quite enjoyed it all in all. Still, when I saw another book of the same author on the library shelf, I did not pick it up. Maybe I needed some rest... [288 pp.]
Book link
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