Erin Reads

Thoughts on “The Magician’s Assistant” by Ann Patchett (Audiobook)

Erin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

After disliking both Bel Canto and State of Wonder, I’d all but given up on Ann Patchett’s novels. JoAnn suggested I try The Magician’s Assistant as a last chance, and I chose to listen to it.

About the Book:

It isn’t until the charismatic Parsifal, Sabine’s husband and the magician she assisted for years, dies suddenly that Sabine discovers his secret: the family he claimed perished in a car accident long ago is actually alive and well in middle-of-nowhere Nebraska. When Kitty and Dot Fetters, sister and mother, respectively, of Guy Fetters — that’s Parsifal to Sabine — decide to visit Los Angeles to meet Sabine and see where Guy lived, Sabine finds herself drawn into Parsifal’s past, seeking comfort in these women who were so close to her husband and partner so long ago.

Does that (somewhat clumsy) summary make this one sound odd? Don’t get too hung up on it. Patchett manages to make it all work, somehow!

My Thoughts:

My issue with the two other Patchett novels I’ve read has been the ending. I enjoyed both books until the final pages, where the directions in which Patchett took both stories effectively severed my emotional connection to them — a rather disappointing conclusion to any book! I was pleasantly surprised to find that The Magician’s Assistant worked somewhat opposite for me, drawing me further and further inside itself as the story moved forward and (thankfully!) never letting go.

At first, I didn’t think I’d be able to connect much with Sabine, a glamorous magician’s assistant living the a cushy life in Los Angeles with her husband and his gay lover (I’ll let you read the book yourself to learn about that situation). Yet, as Sabine’s story unfolded, I found myself warming to her as she struggled to come to terms with her grief and redefine her suddenly solitary life. Through the Fetters family, Sabine encounters a world so different from her own that it both forces her to face reality and helps her on her journey. Patchett ended The Magician’s Assistant in precisely the right place, in my opinion, which left me feeling both satisfied and relieved this particular ending hadn’t gone the way of the others of Patchett’s I’d read!

The audiobook was read by Karen Ziemba. She’s a new narrator to me, but I liked the way her cool, polished voice matched the way I imagined Sabine. I very much enjoyed the audio production and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Has The Magician’s Assistant restored my willingness to try more by Ann Patchett? I’d say it has. I do have Run and The Patron Saint of Liars on my shelf already, so I’m sure I’ll try at least one of those. For readers who have had similarly disappointing experiences with Ann Patchett’s novels, The Magician’s Assistant is different enough that I’d recommend it as a nice change of pace. Thanks to JoAnn for suggesting it to me!

Those are my thoughts. Check out The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett on Goodreads or LibraryThing, read other bloggers’ reviews, or listen to an Audible sample!

Thoughts on “The Last Nude” by Ellis Avery

Erin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The Last Nude by Ellis Avery came to me through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program. It came out last month.

About the Book:

Young Rafaela Fano is struggling to carve out a life for herself in 1920s Paris when painter Tamara de Lempika spots her out walking one day and recruits her as a model. It isn’t long before the two women spend as much time in bed as they do at work, and Rafaela is thrilled to discover a new side of herself and a new perspective on love as she inspires some of Tamara’s most famous and coveted works. Based on historical fact, The Last Nude imagines Rafaela’s and Tamara’s stories, first from the model’s perspective and then, much later, from the artist’s.

My Thoughts:

My feelings toward The Last Nude were rather lukewarm. It’s not that I disliked it — more that there wasn’t really anything about it that I loved. I will be interested to see others’ reactions to the novel, as I bet there are many who will really enjoy it.

There were a couple of things I felt were well done in The Last Nude. First, it was, of course, written around a real painter, her model, and her paintings, and I thought Avery wove all three into the novel well. I also liked how Avery chose to portray Rafaela, a bright and passionate but naive girl, trying her best to find a place for herself in the world, thrilled and a little confused by the heady excitement of the role into which she finds herself suddenly thrown. The book is a quick read, not heavy or complex, but these features seemed to suit the story. Avery’s writing somehow matched de Lempika’s painting: bold, immediate, sensuous.

The parts I didn’t like had to do with the overall narrative. I thought Rafaela adjusted awfully quickly to the idea of a sexual relationship with another woman — one page she was questioning her new, unfamiliar feelings and almost literally the next she seemed one hundred percent on board with the relationship and fully invested. It made Rafaela’s transition from model to lover so quick as to be almost unbelievable, the pages before the first sexual encounter more a halfhearted prelude to be dashed through before the interesting part of the story began. (I, for one, was disappointed, as I liked Rafaela as an entity unto herself and not just as a partner for Tamara.) It didn’t match the time Avery spent developing Rafaela in later pages.

I also didn’t understand the need for Tamara’s section at the end of the novel. She is much older, near the end of her days, looking back in disjointed memories on her life. Perhaps my dislike for Tamara made me feel similarly toward her story. Whatever the cause, having her end the story instead of Rafaela partially severed my emotional connection to the novel — even if Tamara did reveal a bit more of Rafaela’s story than Rafaela herself told. I just didn’t need the epilogue, the delivery of which seemed to be Tamara’s main purpose.

Overall, I think The Last Nude just wasn’t quite the book for me. I think that has more to do with my own preferences than the book itself, and I bet there will be plenty of readers out there who will love Avery’s latest novel.

Those are my thoughts. Check out The Last Nude on Goodreads or LibraryThing, or read other bloggers’ reviews!

Reading Buddies Discussion: “The Razor’s Edge” by W. Somerset Maugham

Erin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:00:43 +0000

Welcome, Reading Buddies! Today we’re discussing The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham. Published in 1944, it was Maugham’s last major novel. It’s the first novel of his I can remember reading, though I know I read Of Human Bondage years back. Last year, though, I read a collection of Maugham’s short stories, called The Trembling of a Leaf, which I very much enjoyed.

Shortly after reading that collection of stories, I learned that one of my favorites had served as the basis for The Razor’s Edge, which made me eager to read the latter. I’m not too far into the novel yet — I just finished the third chapter of Part 2 — but so far the stories don’t quite line up. I am completely fine with this, and yet at the same time, I’m noticing how strongly my expectations formed from the short story color my reading of The Razor’s Edge. I keep wondering how we’re going to get from where we are to where the short story goes…and I don’t even think (or care if) the two tales end up in the same place at all! Has that ever happened to you?

So far I find all the main characters endearing, each in his or her own way, which is rare for me. I often find I really like a couple of characters, feel lukewarm toward others, and maybe strongly dislike a few more. I suppose that may change as the story progresses. I also quite enjoy that Larry’s life goal at this point is to “loaf,” though I’m not sure at this point where it’s leading him. The story itself isn’t big and flashy, which so far has worked fine. In 65 pages, the story really hasn’t moved terribly quickly, and yet I’ve not found myself wishing it would pick up the pace at all.

One thing I particularly like about The Razor’s Edge so far is the awareness the author inserts of himself. I like when he tempers his supposed retelling by cautioning the reader that much of the scene has been constructed, based on remembered fact, with the author’s imagination. In an odd way, I find this faux memoir turning my mind toward real memoirs, causing me to consider just how much of such a story must be recreated from memories and imaginings. I tend to forget all that when I read a memoir. Kind of neat.

Finally, I like that Maugham (or his narrator) explicitly states he will not attempt to American-ify his characters. It must be difficult to write characters from cultures not your own, though I’ve honestly never really considered it. I love Maugham’s explanation:

“It is very difficult to know people and I don’t think one can ever really know any but one’s own countrymen. For men and women are not only themselves; they are also the region in which they were born, the city apartment or the farm in which they learnt to walk, the games they played as children, the old wives’ tales they overheard, the food they ate, the schools they attended, the sports they followed, the poets they read, and the God they believed in. It is all these things that have made them what they are, and these are the things that you can’t come to know by hearsay, you can only know them if you have lived them. You can only know them if you are them.” (p. 4, in my edition)

That’s all I’ve got so far. How’s The Razor’s Edge going for you? What are your impressions so far?

Looking Back: January 2012

Erin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Well hello, February, where did you come from? Here’s what my January looked like:

Books

Total books read: 3
Total pages read: 876
Favorite book: A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
Least favorite book: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu — I had high hopes, but it fell flat for me.
The others: The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides, still working on War and Peace!

Audiobooks

Total audiobooks listened to: 5
Total hours listened: 72 hours, 26 minutes
Favorite audiobook: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Least favorite audiobook: I really didn’t have one. They were all good!
The others: The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett, Goliath by Scott Westerfeld, Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, The Religion by Tim Willocks

Erin Reads

Last month on Erin Reads:

I looked back on December and wrapped up 2011.
Reading Buddies read A Room with a View by E.M. Forster (discussion, wrap-up) and chose The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham for February.
I shared thoughts on 1984 by George Orwell (audiobook), The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown (audiobook), The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost (audiobook), and The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon (audiobook).

Your Turn!

That was my January. How was yours?

Reading Buddies: March Pick

Erin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Time to announce the March Reading Buddies book! It was neck and neck for a while there, but A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith won out in the end. Here’s what Goodreads has to say about it:

“The beloved American classic about a young girl’s coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness — in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.”

I know I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as a kid, but I hardly remember it and am looking forward to revisiting it! I hope some of you will be able to join me.

Just a reminder: February’s book is The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham. I just picked up my copy and am looking forward to digging in!

Finally, the poll for April is up in the sidebar. The options are (links go to Goodreads): Black Swan Green by David Mitchell, The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, and The Real Life of Sebastian Knight by Vladimir Nabokov. Please vote for your preference!

Thoughts on “The Story of Beautiful Girl” by Rachel Simon (Audiobook)

Erin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

In need of an audiobook, I picked up The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon, a book whose cover I love and that I’ve seen around the blogosphere since its publication in 2011.

About the Book:

On a rainy night in 1968, in rural Pennsylvania, a man and a woman find their way to the home of a widow named Martha. They bring with them a newborn baby girl. One is deaf, the other is developmentally disabled, and they are clearly in love. It doesn’t take long for the staff from the institution to track down the two escapees. Lynnie, the woman, is returned to the “school,” while the man — known as Number 42 to the staff and Buddy to Lynnie — flees into the night. When they are gone, Martha discovers the baby in her attic and makes the decision to honor Lynnie’s two-word request: “Hide her.”

As the lives of these three people race forward through time and space, their stories are woven into The Story of Beautiful Girl.

My Thoughts:

I’m not quite sure what I thought of The Story of Beautiful Girl. I liked its characters and thought Simon did a nice job imagining voices for each and respectfully bringing them to life. But the further the stories spun, the less I was inclined to go along with them. I could not work out exactly why that was.

It might have been that the entire tale teetered on the brink of unbelievability for me. It was just too much of a stretch. I wanted the characters I came to care about set within a storyline I could buy, to make them even more real. Instead, I constantly felt asked to reach just beyond what I could comfortably accept. Perhaps I need a better imagination.

I think my favorite character was Number 42/Buddy/Homan. I got frustrated with him at points, but I thought he seemed the most human, and I was happiest to watch his journey unfold. He faced some tough obstacles and, I thought, mostly dealt with them in realistic ways. Simon added a note to the end of the story explaining that there really was a Number 42, whose story she reimagined and wove into her novel. I liked that.

Kate Reading was an adequate narrator for this book. I had previously listened to her read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, which I thought suited her better. I ended up listening to The Story of Beautiful Girl at double speed, which was partly due to Reading’s narration but also partly because I didn’t find myself quite swept up in the story and wanted to move it along.

Overall, I thought The Story of Beautiful Girl was just okay. I’m happy I listened to it and enjoyed some really nice moments and characters. The whole package, though, didn’t quite work for me.

Those are my thoughts. Check out The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon on Goodreads or LibraryThing, listen to an Audible sample, or read a plethora of other bloggers’ reviews!

Reading Buddies Wrap-Up: “A Room with a View” by E.M. Forster

Erin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

First, current and potential future Reading Buddies, if you haven’t voted for the March book yet, please do so! The poll is over on the right. It’s a close race this month, so be sure to voice your opinion!

Ah, Room with a View. How did you like it? I very much enjoyed it myself. As was the case two weeks ago, though, I find myself without a whole lot to say. It was the sort of book with which I could sit back and just enjoy the story. Under Forster’s skillful guidance, the novel unfolded just as it needed to, I thought.

Begin spoilers!

I very much liked Lucy. Oh, did she grow as a character. I don’t think her growth was unbelievable, though. I thought Forster portrayed her magnificently, especially her movement away from Cecil as she came into her own.

I also found George intriguing. I wasn’t completely sold on him for most of the novel — he seemed a bit awkward and maybe a little immature. The final scene, though, with Lucy and George in Italy was, I thought, lovely. They both seemed somehow to have settled into their right selves, the people they were at heart. And, with my penchant for clever titles, I quite enjoyed how the novel began and ended with the same “room with a view.”

I also appreciated that Forster didn’t wrap up all the loose ends to make a nice, tidy package of the tale. I liked that Lucy and her family were still on the road to reconciliation when we left them, and that Lucy and George were just starting their life together. I think there is a sweet spot (or perhaps several) at which an author can end a novel perfectly, with just enough having happened that the reader is satisfied but with enough left unresolved that the story lives on. In A Room with a View, I think Forster hit that spot.

And so I have nothing but praise for A Room with a View, a novel I very much believe has earned its classic status, and not so much to discuss. Perhaps February’s book (The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham, if you missed the announcement!) will have me writing more?

If you posted about A Room with a View on your blog, please leave a link in the comments!

Thoughts on “Lost on Planet China” by J. Maarten Troost (Audiobook)

Erin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I’ve had a copy of Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost on my shelf for a few years now. When I discovered Simon Vance (my new favorite narrator) did the audiobook, I borrowed it from my public library.

About the Book:

J. Maarten Troost and his wife are ready for a change of scenery. When Troost suggests moving with their two small boys to China, his skeptical wife suggests he make an exploratory trip and report back. Troost does so, with enthusiasm.

What follows is the story of Troost’s China experience. He travels from area to area, exploring the sights, the history, the culture, and — of course! — the cuisine. Whatever China throws his way, Troost accepts with equanimity, an open mind, and a sense of humor. I learned, I laughed, and I was glad to be taking this particular trip vicariously!

My Thoughts:

If Bill Bryson is just a wee bit harsh for you, give J. Maarten Troost a try. Troost is missing that slightly vicious edge with which Bryson occasionally oversteps a line for some readers when describing other people. The downside is that Troost isn’t quite as wickedly funny and a hair less skilled at blending personal stories with factual but entertaining tangents. Overall, Troost is like Bryson toned down just a bit. I liked him.

I’ve really never read a nonfiction book about China. It’s a country I don’t know that much about. So, Troost’s introduction was just my speed. I liked hearing about the diversity he encountered, in cultures, terrains, food, and even pollution levels. I admired his outgoing nature and cringed with him when he landed in uncomfortable situations. I was mildly appalled at the dishes he ended up consuming. Just…eww.

Simon Vance was, as always, fantastic. I wonder how much my love of his narrations affects my feelings toward the book I’m listening to. Really, if you haven’t listened to him read yet, do yourself a favor and track down one of his audiobooks!

I think anyone who likes travelogues with a sense of humor will enjoy this trip through China with J. Maarten Troost. I know I did!

Those are my thoughts. Check out Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost on Goodreads or LibraryThing, listen to an Audible sample, or read other bloggers’ reviews:

Did I miss your review? Let me know and I’ll add it!

Your Turn!

What’s your favorite travel memoir?

Thoughts on “The Sparrow” by Mary Doria Russell

Erin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell was my book club’s pick for December.

About the Book:

2060, Rome. Emilio Sandoz has returned from an interplanetary mission to Rakhat with mutilated hands and in a precarious mental state, the solitary survivor of his original team of eight. Back in the care of his mission sponsors, the Jesuits, he begins the long and arduous road to recovery. Around him, nasty rumors and outrageous accusations swirl while the world waits for the truth about what happened in Emilio’s own words.

Flash back to 2019, when it all began. Emilio is a young and charismatic Jesuit priest, his group of friends gloriously witty and alive. In alternating chapters, The Sparrow moves effortlessly back and forth in time to fill in the details of this unprecedented and tragic mission and the people who undertook it.

My Thoughts:

When I proposed The Sparrow for my book group’s December read, none of us knew what to expect. The two keywords we found it listed with were “Jesuits” and “life on other planets” — what to make of that?? I’d heard from many people, though, that The Sparrow was one of their favorite books, and I looked forward to reading it with a group.

The Sparrow is one of those deceptively simple books. On the surface, it’s an absorbing story about a group of friends and scientists who travel to a new planet, and that’s mainly where I focused. But beneath that are layers, the most substantial of which examines faith. The way Russell handles this particular theme is impressive in that she fully explores the interior journeys and struggles of several characters in a sensitive, enlightening, and interesting way. It dovetails surprisingly well with the more science fiction side of the novel to create a cohesive and rich story.

I think my favorite aspect of The Sparrow was its characters. The core group is wonderful. They sparkle, they come alive, they are so very real. They’re people you want to invite to your next dinner party, who you wish were in your own social circle. You learn from them, you laugh with them, you share their excitement and their fear. I think I loved Anne and George Edwards and their marriage the best, but the novel would not have been the same had any of Russell’s creations been missing.

There are some truly beautiful passages in The Sparrow. Stunningly beautiful, in my opinion. I won’t describe them for fear of spoilers, but suffice it to say Russell succeeds in capturing in words scenes and feelings of such rapture and revelation that the reader cannot help but experience them alongside the characters.

I know Russell wrote a sequel, Children of God, before moving away from science fiction, and I’m rather curious to read it. If you’ve read it, would you say it’s a book worth looking into?

Those are my thoughts. Check out The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell on Goodreads or LibraryThing, or read a plethora of other bloggers’ reviews!

Thoughts on “The Weird Sisters” by Eleanor Brown (Audiobook)

Erin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I’d read some good reviews of The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown, so when I needed an audiobook and saw my library had this one on the shelf, I decided to give it a go for my daily commute.

About the Book:

Tiny Barnwell, Ohio, hometown to the three Andreas sisters, is the last place Bean and Cordy Andreas expect to end up. Rose is the homebody; her two younger sisters have flown far away. But when their mother is diagnosed with breast cancer, Bean and Cordy discover they have their own reasons to add to the list in favor of coming home.

With three grown girls home together, the unifying force of their mother out of commission, and their Shakespeare scholar of a father lost in his own literary world, things under the Andreas family’s roof aren’t exactly smooth. But back in tiny, boring Barnwell, at once familiar and foreign, the sisters have little to do but read novels — and face the roadblocks that sent them home in the first place.

Rife with Shakespeare references and rich with quiet truths, The Weird Sisters is about the ties that hold a family together and the struggle to soar in one’s own skin.

My Thoughts:

The Weird Sisters wasn’t what I’d expected. I’d been thinking it would be something a bit Gothic, perhaps, involving a dusty little bookshop and a bit of mystery. I don’t know where I got that impression. It’s not like that at all.

There were a couple of things I really liked about The Weird Sisters. First, Eleanor Brown really gets sister dynamics. At the same time, though, I didn’t think she relied too heavily on stereotypes. The relationships between Rose, Bean, and Cordy are complicated and ring true. Brown mixes childhood memories in with the storyline, giving the reader glimpses of the path the girls tread to get to where they are when we first meet them. Brown also writes in the first person plural, so that the story is told by “we” — presumably, the sisters. It caught me off guard at first, but this interesting approach came to feel right as I listened.

I also appreciated that nothing came too easily, and nothing was resolved the simple way. The girls got to where they needed to be, which wasn’t necessarily where I thought they were headed, and each got where she was going via a path I found believable. What could have been cheesy or sappy was instead satisfying and realistic.

I’m sure I missed most of the Shakespeare references in The Weird Sisters. They are constant. The characters quote the Bard to one another. “Our father,” as the narrators refer to their dad, speaks almost solely in Shakespearean snippets. The girls themselves are named for women in Shakespeare’s plays: Rose is short for Rosalind, Bean for Bianca, and Cordy for Cordelia. I wouldn’t be surprised if the sisters’ lives shadowed their Shakespearean counterparts (my Shakespeare knowledge is, sadly, too rusty to comment). I can say, though, that an intimate knowledge of the man’s plays is not a prerequisite for enjoying The Weird Sisters!

Kirsten Potter did a nice job narrating. I had thought she was a new-t0-me reader, but I later realized she’d read the production of Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín I enjoyed so much last year. I never one hundred percent forgot I was listening to a narrator and got swept away by the story, but her presence between myself and the novel was slight and didn’t bother me. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend The Weird Sisters on audio.

Those are my thoughts. Check out The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown on Goodreads or LibraryThing, read a plethora of other bloggers’ reviews, or listen to an Audible sample!