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Recent Books ReviewsFriday, November 21 20082666 by Roberto BolañoThis posthumously-published masterpiece is an expansive, teeming city, chaotic and vibrant, beautiful but rough around the edges, home to both gleaming towers and squalid holes. Best New American Voices 2009, ed. Mary GaitskillThough I feared "writers' workshop syndrome" when approaching this collection, I had implicit trust in Mary Gaitskill, and my trust was well placed. Thursday, November 20 2008The Modern Wit by Shelley KleinCombining blurts from celebrities with well-crafted words from comedians just because they make us laugh is rather like comparing rollercoasters with root canals because they both make us scream. Mortal Coil by David Boyd HaycockThe profuse wringing of hands about whether or not we are doing violence to humanity in our tech-objectives only serves to hinder social progress. Wednesday, November 19 2008
The World of Lucha Libre by Heather LeviA fascinating place in which masked men and women possessing incredible strength pummel one another into submission. The encoded meaning in their violence makes it even more interesting. The Way We Will Be 50 Years from Today, by Mike WallaceAs it becomes clear, 'we' means middle class and broadly conservative Americans; and by 'the world' Wallace evidently means the United World of America. Tuesday, November 18 2008Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, by John StaufferStauffer demonstrates in amusing and enlightening fashion the pivotal role fisticuffs and fighting had in helping Lincoln and Douglass define themselves and take control of their fates. John Lennon: The Life, by Philip NormanNiether Yoko Ono nor Paul McCartney seem pleased with Norman's book, but the reader should have no such problems. Monday, November 17 2008
Ruth Belville: The Greenwich Time Lady by David RooneyBefore radio signals and GMT, one family literally conveyed time itself from the Greenwich Royal Observatory to business people around London who would pay to know exactly where the clock's hands stood. A Mercy by Toni MorrisonFinely hammered phrases repeatedly come off the anvil, forming a story as powerful as many she has shaped before. Friday, November 14 2008The Opinion Makers by David W. MoorePolitical polls are usually pretty wobbly. But the media likes poll results that demonstrate preference, not ambiguity and indecision. Quantum of Solace by Ian FlemingThe best of Ian Fleming’s work inspired a generation of espionage writers, but sadly, not these stories. Thursday, November 13 2008The Given Day by Dennis LehaneIf there was anyone else living in Boston in 1919 whose life was not wracked by grief, poisoned by personal failure, or splattered with bloodshed, we do not meet them on Lehane's pages. Books: A Memoir by Larry McMurtryWhile I can't quite agree with McMurtry that even librarians don't want books to be in libraries, it certainly seems true that computers are taking up some of the space that used to belong to the books. Wednesday, November 12 2008The Retreat by David BergenFor the crime of falling in love with a police officer’s white niece, an 18-year-old Ojibway boy is left for dead near the remote town of Kenora, Ontario. Cue racial tension. Green, Inc. by Christine MacDonaldFrom gleaming Washington offices these environmental groups pay executives high salaries, mail high-pressure fundraising letters, and peddle resource-wasting tchochki to members. Tuesday, November 11 2008Forgotten Founder, Drunken Prophet, by Bill KauffmanThis book is a quick read and marked by monumental scholarship and deft style. Cobain UnseenThe most moving and heartbreaking elements are the many personal photos, most of which have never been published before. Monday, November 10 2008The Last Fish Tale by Mark KurlanskyAfter centuries of stubborn and eccentric independence, the fishing village microcosm of Gloucester, Massachusetts, is now poised on the brink of economic and cultural disaster. A President, a Church, and Trails West by Jon E. TaylorAnyone who may casually decide to drop in on historic preservation topics in Independence can feel like a tag-along guest at a family holiday. Friday, November 7 2008Who Are You: The Life of Pete Townshend by Mark WilkersonThere is a significant amount of information about the Who, but it doesn’t tell an obsessive fan anything she doesn’t already know. Icons of Pop Music: Bob Dylan & Elvis CostelloDissecting larger-than-life subjects, and their prolific catalogs, in compact form produces a kitchen sink approach that sometimes undermines the analysis. Thursday, November 6 2008Tycoon’s War by Stephen Dando-CollinsAlthough these accounts of Walker’s military adventures are often engrossing, they only serve as distraction, attempting to present him as a hero. Love Marriage by V. V. GaneshananthanAt the intersection of works on nationalism, cultural identity, and Sri Lankan history, stands this humble book -- part family history, part war memoir. Wednesday, November 5 2008Wild Boy: My Life in Duran DuranBehind the scenes, beneath the make-up and Anthony Price suits, the book lacks a sense of depth. Stop Me If You’ve Heard This, by Jim HoltHolt tells us that ancient Athenians traded wisecracks in the kooky corridors of the Temple of Heracles. Tuesday, November 4 2008Mind Over Matter 4: The Images of Pink FloydDo consider this book as a gift for the Floydian in your life ... just make sure she only looks at the pictures. The Tsar’s Dwarf by Peter H. FogtdalHow a vigorous, questioning, nihilistic mind can be a source of strength for a social pariah. |
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