Book Review

The ABC Murders, Agatha Christie

*Kind of a big spoiler warning. I try to avoid them but I couldn't this time. *
I really loved this little mystery. The classics are still the best for mystery. I haven't read a lot of Poirot yet. In fact the only other one I have read was Orient Express in which he was traveling alone. So I didn't realize the similarities it shared with the Sherlock Holmes formula. He had his own "Watson" in the form of Captain Hastings and a relationship with local law enforcement like the the great Holmes. But these Poirot novels are unique and and different enough that they aren't really a rip off of Doyle. This one even takes a friendly jab at the Holmesian style of crime solving. It smirks at the standard clue hunting and takes a more psychological approach.
The perpetrator in this book, as indicated in the title, commits his murders alphabetically, not just by name but by town as well. Obviously. And a really creepy guy with a name to match the crimes is likely responsible. So obvious. Too obvious. And I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. I'm usually better at solving the mystery than that.  In fact, a remark made by Hastings at a pivotal part of the story that touched off Poirot's final deduction was my first thought as well, so my instincts were correct. But then it took a twist I never suspected. I think now that I should have expected it considering the unconventional ending of Orient Express. Being longer than most Holmes mysteries the pace can be slower and the misdirection can come from every character. Not everything Poirot notes is necessarily significant. It's a good trick.
And I'll keep it in mind because I do believe I'm hooked on the Poirot specific novels. I'll be checking more out and if anyone who has read more of them has any suggestions, I can't wait to hear them. 

Book Review

 

The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams

This one was a reading assignment in high school that I naturally ditched and completely ignored. But I've been on a mission since leaving high school to give some of these books a second chance. Books? Yeah, I thought this was a book. I was genuinely surprised to learn that this was a play and that Williams wasn't even a novelist but a playwright. Man, I really didn't pay attention in school...

But no worries. Like Eden, I was happily surprised that I liked this, making my adventures with American authors this year two for two. It's an extremely short, one-act play, which is why I've finished it within a few days of the last book so I decided to give my opinion of both today.

Another tragedy, I'm starting to notice a pattern among American classics. They're given to much metaphor. I noticed it when reading Bradbury a few years ago too. This seems like the simple story of an overbearing mother who is somewhat detached from reality and her two grown, miserable children as she tries to steer their lives in ideal directions and fails. But, again, the characters are caricatures of broader personalities, in this case because there is no time for development. The overarching themes are what a reader is meant to take in and process. Tom's frustration over an incomplete and unsatisfying lifestyle. Laura's fragility from crippling insecurities. Amanda's general fear of a lack of security. All appear to speak towards a fear of living life. Of course, because I'm me, I usually notice different aspects than most people do and I wonder if anyone else notices that the advice given by Jim, the gentleman caller, is actually sound in spite of the fact that he's kind of a cad in his behavior towards delicate Laura. All of them could've benefited from what he was saying if they'd tried it instead of being slaves to their emotions. But I suspect that this has become as popular as it has because of the feels and the bemoaning of Laura's broken heart. It's actually a lot deeper and more interesting than that. There's a lot of discussion material in there. I sincerely enjoyed the way it motivates a person to think, if it does. Another five stars for sure.

Book Review

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

I'd been feeling a little guilty because my classic literary interests usually lean towards European authors, so I decided to give the American authors another chance this last Christmas. I put this at the top of my to-read pile because I expected to like it the least. But I was happily wrong. It reminds me of why I decided to start reading classics to begin with.

It has a great hook - two families in California play out the stories of the Fall of Man and Cain and Abel. I'm still not sure how the fall of man works into this unless you're of the belief that it had something to do with sex. But the drama and dynamic of Cain and Abel was picked apart twice over the course of a couple of generations of characters. I really enjoyed watching the soap opera unfold throughout the lives of Charles and Adam, and Adam's sons, Caleb and Aron. Steinbeck's writing style is very absorbing. His descriptions of Salinas Valley at the turn of the 20th century are fascinating and he chose to make it partially autobiographical so he could speak to the reader as if telling them the story from personal acquaintance with the events. He is a close descendant of the Hamilton family whose patriarch is the grounding element of the story. Sam Hamilton and Adam's servant Lee provide the analysis and wisdom concerning the events of Adam's life.

I'm a little surprised that it was okay to publish it in 1952 since it tends toward the vulgar when discussing sexuality so openly and coarsely. And it appears to be a little uneven at times. I'm not certain why the devilish element of Cathy Ames Trask was followed so closely throughout the narrative. But I also don't really care because the psychology of the characters what really interested me the most. Most of them I would say are spot on. They're also extreme to the point of caricature since each character seems to be representative of a larger group of people altogether. They provide a setting for reflection and contemplation of your own personality and those of the people you know. So watching Cathy's growth, or lack thereof, was just as captivating as the close examination of the lives of the men. And it was ultimately necessary to keep her in the background as Caleb and Aron's mother and as the catalyst of so much tragedy.

It is a tragedy, seeming to build up from one sad event to another; one death to another. But it's a well written tragedy with touching moments of light and joy and humor thrown in to help balance it out. At first I thought that two suicides of characters was a little bit of an overkill but after having a week to ponder it, I've noticed that each death was a different vehicle for probing the psychological makeup of the characters and a commentary on how the death of certain types of people affect us.

Anyway I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those seeking classic fiction to read.

Book Review

Letters From Father Christmas, J.R.R. Tolkien

This is a wonderful coffee table book that every Tolkien fan must own! It's just another display of his creativity and storytelling skills.

Beginning in 1926 and continuing through the childhood years of his four children, Tolkien would write letters to his children from Father Christmas . It's a unique little idea and I'm honestly surprised that more parents in general don't do the same sort of thing. You don't have to be a professional author to turn a letter to Santa into a back-and-forth, personal correspondence to extend the joy and excitement of the fairy tale. This book is a compilation of the letters he sent to his kids. Santa (Father Christmas in Britain obviously) would tell the children all about his adventures at the North Pole with his friends, most notably the North Polar Bear who assisted him in his workshop. There were elves too of course and he eventually worked in a named secretary elf that he relied on as much as the North Polar Bear.
Naturally, being Tolkien, Father Christmas and company were subject to goblin attacks and he gives comical accounts of how they had to bravely fight them off. Sometimes he was serious when explaining why Father Christmas couldn't get them exactly what they wanted during the years of WWII. It's a light hearted and heart warming tale spun over about 20 years that, I'm sure, made his children feel very special during the years they believed.
Included in the book is a photocopy of each letter next to the text. He had different handwriting for each character... Santa's being squiggly, Polar Bear's being blocky and the elf's being spidery. He also drew many pictures depicting the adventures being related and, again because it's Tolkien, a sample or two of elvish script. We'd expect nothing less.

This is one of the coolest things to have around to make you feel good any time of the year. You must buy it. 

Book Review

A Case For Christianity, C.S. Lewis
I've been slack in book reviews lately. I've been rereading old favorites over the holiday season but just before that I was given a Lewis book that I didn't have. This is a very short "book" and what it is actually is the transcript of a radio interview he'd once given laying out the case for choosing Christianity to the atheist or agnostic.
Lewis had the gift for keeping the subject matter plain and simple without dismissing any of the complicated material. Just like I've described Mere Christianity as "Christianity 101" for new believers, under the guidance of a knowledgeable pastor, A Case For Christianity is one of the very best pro-conversion arguments put to paper. Direct and non combative, his dissertation challenges the reader to think, the mark of any great debate technique. Not for people who have no interest on an intellectual level.
It's not only a persuasive discussion for the non believers, but to those who have become disillusioned and backslidden over the years.
Yet another brilliant piece of writing from my favorite author! 

Book Review

Double Indemnity, James M. Cain

A crime noir book, short and quite old. Published as a book in 1943. My first impression was: well, that escalated quickly! Then I found out that it originally ran as a serial in a magazine in 1936, so the pacing was naturally hard and fast without much effort put into serious character development. The love affairs between the characters are largely implied as well to keep the action moving and, I assume, because anything more obvious in the 1930's would've been inappropriate. It's written in first person with a lot of the jargon of the time period laced in, which threw me a little at first. But, surprisingly, it all works. 

An insurance salesman plots with a woman to murder her husband and collect the money from his accident policy. They almost get away with it but,of course, they don't and the lesser used love quadrangle (as opposed to triangle) is employed to complicate the situation. 

I'd heard of this title for years and have seen some of the story parodied, so it was fun to see the source material in its original form. The fast movement of events made it a compelling read. I think it would've done well as a long form novel that went into greater detail.

Book Review

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clark
It took me longer than usual to get through this book because I've been on a mini reading burn-out. But I'm glad I saved it for last out of the stack of books I got last time because it was the best. I became interested when I saw previews for the miniseries it was adapted to for BBCA. I never saw any of that, but I knew this was exactly the sort of thing I'd like. I really loved it and I plan to reread it when I'm feeling more enthusiastic.

It's set at the turn of the 19th century in England and the premise is that English magic and magical influence has run dry since its golden years of the middle ages. All current magicians are theoretical magicians and they behave as academics of all ages, publishing papers on the subject without practical experience or knowhow. Two practicing magicians are foretold to restore English magic, the titular characters, but it doesn't happen like any of them expect of course. The build up is slow and detailed. Norrell and Strange are introduced one at a time and the complexity of their relationship as well as the other characters' dynamics eat up the biggest portion of this lengthy book. The world building is subtle and blends the fictional elements with the actual historical events of the time period, utilizing Lord Wellington and King George along side the invented players and events. It's unique compared to other magical fantasy pieces in that it makes use of the Faerie world, which is something I've not seen much of in modern offerings. I don't know how this depiction of the Faerie compares with its common lore, but I know the impish, faerie antagonist is Satan incarnate and made the book a compelling page-turner. Another thing I loved was the footnotes. Normally footnotes are a headache but because these notes referenced fictitious people, places and books they became characters in the book themselves and a great way to fill in ancillary details without the characters having to give long-winded explanations or disrupting the narrative. I'm also pleased to report that my favorite character doesn't die and actually gets a better ending than the main protagonists who get an unexpectedly bittersweet ending.

I love it and recommend it! It's a grown up, well rounded tale that doesn't have to rely on too many action sequences to hold the reader's interest.