6 posts tagged “paperback”
This was my first Pynchon book. I have always heard lots of great things about this author, so I was eager to read it. Now, I just don't know what to say about it.
A story about covert postmen? They were organized and stealthy...like a cross between organized crime and martial arts experts. Maybe they were mobster-ninja mailmen? Oh, and of course, they were British.
If this makes little sense, this is sort of the way the book was written. One rambling, coincidental scenario and story after another.
It was interestingly far-fetched, and the style matched what he was trying to say about life. Although it did keep the characters at a distance--probably more commentary about life though.
It was also nice to see a woman at the forefront of a detective story. Not so crazy about the fact that she was also a bit flighty, emotional, and even hysterical at times.
So, imagine Play It As It Lays (it's California, it's drugs, it's the 60s) but with more a sense of humor and then set it in a noir background and you might start to get a sense of this book.
Also, I could not help but think about the ending to Eyes Wide Shut. That might sound strange, but both are about secret societies and leave the main character wondering if anything that happened was actually real.
A story about covert postmen? They were organized and stealthy...like a cross between organized crime and martial arts experts. Maybe they were mobster-ninja mailmen? Oh, and of course, they were British.
If this makes little sense, this is sort of the way the book was written. One rambling, coincidental scenario and story after another.
It was interestingly far-fetched, and the style matched what he was trying to say about life. Although it did keep the characters at a distance--probably more commentary about life though.
It was also nice to see a woman at the forefront of a detective story. Not so crazy about the fact that she was also a bit flighty, emotional, and even hysterical at times.
So, imagine Play It As It Lays (it's California, it's drugs, it's the 60s) but with more a sense of humor and then set it in a noir background and you might start to get a sense of this book.
Also, I could not help but think about the ending to Eyes Wide Shut. That might sound strange, but both are about secret societies and leave the main character wondering if anything that happened was actually real.
This book was not on my list. And I've never read anything by Balzac. So why did I read it?
Besides the fact that I'm easily distracted I had heard that it mentions Madame Bovary in the end and it's a very short book.
First off, the title is awful. It makes sense in the end, but still, it just distracted me the entire time since the story is about two Chinese boys. The book and the seamstress come in about midway.
I was a little offended that the "little Chinese seamstress" was never given a name even though all the other characters were. Perhaps it was a commentary on how the boys saw her more as an object than a person, but I'm probably reaching on that.
Most of the book was superfluous and boring, but the ending was very good. It perfectly illustrated the "dangers" of knowledge. And I'm a sucker for books about censorship.
Oh, and unlike Madame Bovary, the "little Chinese seamstress" escapes from the trappings of family, love, materialism, and sensuality.
Besides the fact that I'm easily distracted I had heard that it mentions Madame Bovary in the end and it's a very short book.
First off, the title is awful. It makes sense in the end, but still, it just distracted me the entire time since the story is about two Chinese boys. The book and the seamstress come in about midway.
I was a little offended that the "little Chinese seamstress" was never given a name even though all the other characters were. Perhaps it was a commentary on how the boys saw her more as an object than a person, but I'm probably reaching on that.
Most of the book was superfluous and boring, but the ending was very good. It perfectly illustrated the "dangers" of knowledge. And I'm a sucker for books about censorship.
Oh, and unlike Madame Bovary, the "little Chinese seamstress" escapes from the trappings of family, love, materialism, and sensuality.
The fascinating thing about Madame Bovary is, well, Madame Bovary. Is she a sympathetic but flawed character, or is she a cruel and selfish woman?
Emma Bovary's main problem is that she believes money will end all her problems. But then most people today hold that same false belief.
I think how a person relates to this character says a lot about who he/she is.
It's sort of a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't kind of question though.
On one hand, if you sympathize with her you have to admit that you understand such a heightened level of egoism and self-delusion.
But if you don't sympathize with her it feels a bit sexist since it was a repressive, patriarchal class structure that undoubtedly created women similar to this fictional woman.
I'm still trying to figure out what I think of the character of Madame Bovary, but what I found particularly engaging about this book was its narrative form. I bet one could take a whole class on what Flaubert did with the narrative in just this one book.
One thing I can say with certainty is that my heart has never broken so much for a character as it did for the equally flawed Charles Bovary. I wonder what that says about me?
Emma Bovary's main problem is that she believes money will end all her problems. But then most people today hold that same false belief.
I think how a person relates to this character says a lot about who he/she is.
It's sort of a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't kind of question though.
On one hand, if you sympathize with her you have to admit that you understand such a heightened level of egoism and self-delusion.
But if you don't sympathize with her it feels a bit sexist since it was a repressive, patriarchal class structure that undoubtedly created women similar to this fictional woman.
I'm still trying to figure out what I think of the character of Madame Bovary, but what I found particularly engaging about this book was its narrative form. I bet one could take a whole class on what Flaubert did with the narrative in just this one book.
One thing I can say with certainty is that my heart has never broken so much for a character as it did for the equally flawed Charles Bovary. I wonder what that says about me?
In college I was taking a philosophy class and happened to watch the movie Trigger Effect. It's not a memorable movie but it stunned me because I was absorbed in trying to understand Hobbes's State of Nature. Suddenly it all made sense. I wonder if some student out there is having the same experience with this book. (The Road is vastly superior to Trigger Effect in case you're wondering.)
But the fact that society is based on two things: people and trust--that's the same message in all three. Of course, that led to all kinds of thoughts about how I live in a place with three main rules: never admit you're wrong, take as much as you can from everyone in every situation, and patience is a vice. And I wondered just how close Connecticut is to full on cannibalism.
OK, my personal nightmares aside, I did find this book haunting. I have been thinking about things--birds and food and aspirin and the general point of life--for days now in a new light.
But the ending...I don't think this book could have an adequate end. There's no point if the characters die, right? And if everything works out in the end it's just a cheesy cliche. I think the author did the best he could in light of this horrible corner he painted himself into, but the ending just didn't quite work for me.
But the fact that society is based on two things: people and trust--that's the same message in all three. Of course, that led to all kinds of thoughts about how I live in a place with three main rules: never admit you're wrong, take as much as you can from everyone in every situation, and patience is a vice. And I wondered just how close Connecticut is to full on cannibalism.
OK, my personal nightmares aside, I did find this book haunting. I have been thinking about things--birds and food and aspirin and the general point of life--for days now in a new light.
But the ending...I don't think this book could have an adequate end. There's no point if the characters die, right? And if everything works out in the end it's just a cheesy cliche. I think the author did the best he could in light of this horrible corner he painted himself into, but the ending just didn't quite work for me.
Instead of reading the next book on my list I read Story of the Eye. It's on the 1001 book list and only a hundred pages. My main impetus was to read something quick.
I can definitely see why people were shocked back in 1928.
One thing struck me. I have never heard of a murderous egg fetish.
The rest of it was just unpleasant--rape, insanity, blasphemy, murder, golden showers, suicide--but not indescribable.
The egg thing. That's unique. Sick, but unique.
I can definitely see why people were shocked back in 1928.
One thing struck me. I have never heard of a murderous egg fetish.
The rest of it was just unpleasant--rape, insanity, blasphemy, murder, golden showers, suicide--but not indescribable.
The egg thing. That's unique. Sick, but unique.
It seems most people read this book in high school. After I finished it, I could not decide if it would have been better to read it fifteen years ago or not.
Part of me would have gotten more out of it at the age of eighteen. Now, it's hard to believe that there is a place where children play outdoors, listen to their parents, and everyone is wise.
Except on the topics of race and class, that is--
which is one reason this book is so poignant.
Telling the story through the eyes of a child is a powerful tool. It reminds the reader that everyone was young once. Everyone saw the world without the contemptuous of adulthood at one time.
Living in a very jaded place for the last eight years, I can really relate to the message. I fight to keep the cynicism and animosity at bay. But I know some of it has crept in over the years. In some ways it seems like the South has made more progress in the last hundred years than many places in the North. Where I am living the class struggle might as well be given a name that holds the same weight as racist does. Because it's no less ugly and no less harmful.
In high school I would not have known any of this. I was living in the rural Midwest, perhaps one of the most sheltered places in the U.S. I would have just thought this was a nice story about how kindness will win out in the end and if you get to know people you'll find they're basically good. Now I know it's a lot more complicated than that.
Part of me would have gotten more out of it at the age of eighteen. Now, it's hard to believe that there is a place where children play outdoors, listen to their parents, and everyone is wise.
Except on the topics of race and class, that is--
which is one reason this book is so poignant.
Telling the story through the eyes of a child is a powerful tool. It reminds the reader that everyone was young once. Everyone saw the world without the contemptuous of adulthood at one time.
Living in a very jaded place for the last eight years, I can really relate to the message. I fight to keep the cynicism and animosity at bay. But I know some of it has crept in over the years. In some ways it seems like the South has made more progress in the last hundred years than many places in the North. Where I am living the class struggle might as well be given a name that holds the same weight as racist does. Because it's no less ugly and no less harmful.
In high school I would not have known any of this. I was living in the rural Midwest, perhaps one of the most sheltered places in the U.S. I would have just thought this was a nice story about how kindness will win out in the end and if you get to know people you'll find they're basically good. Now I know it's a lot more complicated than that.
