Showing posts with label Canada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canada. Show all posts

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Galore by Michael Crummey

It's sometime in the early 19th century, Newfoundland in a small fishing village called Paradise Deep. The village is anything but paradise and times are tough. The fish are no longer biting and a whale has beached on shore. There is no way to save the whale and the hungry villagers are waiting for it to die before they carve it up and portion it out. They will also harvest the oil for their lamps.


The whale finally dies and the villagers are carving away when all of a sudden a man pours out of its stomach. At first he appears to be dead but then it is discovered that he is alive. The Devine Widow is a healer and midwife and takes him home to nurse him. He is washed but no matter how many times he is washed he still stinks like dead fish. The other family members insist that he is kept in the shed.

He is mute but after a short time, healthy. They decide to call him Judah. many of the villagers decided that it is Judah brought them bad luck and that is why the fish left. They go after him but the widow has him hide.

The next day a bunch of the fisherman go out to try to catch some fish. They are desperate and feel it is they duty to try even though they now they will fail. They start rowing out but can't figure out where that nasty "dead fish" smell is coming from, when all of a sudden Judah comes out from under their gear. They decide it's too far to row back to shore and give Judah a turn at the oars. The men still call him "stranger".

Judah puts a line out and the fisherman think he's crazy they way he is doing it. However, "The stranger struck in then, hauling the line hand over hand, arms straining with the weight. The first pale glove of flesh let loose a pulse of oily ink as it broke the surface." Its squid, so many squid. The men fill up their boat and then hand of the line of squid to the next boat, and the next boat, until they couldn't carry any more. They discover that Judah is good luck, after all. After that they insist that he go with them every day they fish and then the cod start biting again.

This is a multi generational historical fiction saga. It chronicles two rival families, the rich Sellers family that pretty much owns the town and the Devine family, who try to scratch a living from fishing. When Judah is discovered from the whale, Mary Tryphena Devine is only nine years old. When she become of marriage age, she turns down every possible suitor, holding out hope that her secret love, Absalom Sellers will come back home and ask for her hand despite the rivalry between families. Mary Tryphena is finally talked into marrying Judah, to save him from King-Me Sellers.

Though Mary can't stand the smell of him, they consummate the marriage, in the shed and then Tryphena goes back to the house. Nine months later she has their son, Patrick. Later they have another son, Henley but is he really Judah's?

In part two of the book, Mary Tryphina is an old woman and still married to Judah, who still lives in the shed. The book goes on to follow her, her children, and her grandchildren, as well as the Sellers family.

I am a big fan of Michael Crummey. I absolutely loved the River Thieves and really enjoyed his follow up book, The Wreckage. He was born and raised in Newfoundland and it's the setting for his books. He took a departure from his usual writing style with Galore and I wasn't sure that I would enjoy it as much as his other works. He used a lot of folklore and some magical realism.

I am not a fan of magical realism at all. However, when I found out the Michael Crummy was finally coming to Vancouver (a friend of mine and I kept bugging the Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival until they finally invited him) I had to buy Galore to get it signed. (See my meeting Michael Crummey post.)

That was back in October and now I finally got to read it. I was quite surprised by it. Even though I usually have a very strong dislike for magical realism, I actually liked this book. Though those parts were not my favourite by any stretch, Crummey is such a gifted writer that I was able to lose myself in the story. He has such strong character development and let me tell you, there were a lot of characters. His poetic prose from his other books was still there and pulled me in. I wonder what his next book will bring?

4/5

Also reviewed by:


If you reviewed this book, be sure to leave your link in the comments.




Posted by Teddy Rose at 11:01 PM 5 comments  

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Friday, April 30, 2010

The Summer Before the Storm by Gabriele Wills

Muskoka is the summer playground for the very wealthy families that want to escape the stifling heat of summer in Toronto, Ontario Canada. The year is 1914 and one such family living there in the summer is the Wyndwoods. This large family lives an easy and fun filled summer with servants to meet their every need. The matriarch of the family is Augusta Wyndwood who took over the running of the family and business when her husband died. Al she has to do is threaten disinheritance and the family members jump to attention and do as she bids.


There are too numerous characters to mention here however I will mention the main characters of this story. Victoria is the headstrong granddaughter of Augusta. She would like to have more of the freedoms that men have but Augusta would like to marry her off to a wealthy cousin, Justin who is in love with Victoria. Victoria however is in love with her other wealthy cousin, Chas.

Then there is Jack, Augusta's grandson. He shows up, when the story opens, as a waiter at the resort restaurant that the family goes to every Monday for dinner. The next day he shows up at the Wyndwood estate and is introduced by Augusta. Jacks father was disinherited by Augusta for marrying beneath himself. His family was very poor and he died fairly young, leaving his family to survive on their own. Jack hopes to ingratiate himself into the family.

The family live there usual glutinous summer on the lake, boating, swimming, playing tennis, and the other things in their idyllic lifestyle. However, things start to turn dark when WWI is threatened and many of Victoria's cousins go off to war, to eventually become part of "the lost generation."

This story travels from Muskoka, Ontario Canada to Britain, and the skies of war torn France. It includes the horrific bombing and sinking of the famous Lusitania ship of the shores of Britain. There is a little of something for everyone including, wealthy living, romance, mystery, adventure, and war.

It is evident the Gabriele Wills did her research of the period. She has beautiful writing and very interesting characters that leap out from the pages. There are a couple more minor story lines that I didn't really care for. For instance Helena, who marries Victoria's father James later in the story. She is a stereotypical conniving stepmother. This took away from the story for me. That said, I really did enjoy this book over. This book is the first of a trilogy and I hope to read the other two books.

4/5

Thanks to Gabriele Wills for sending me a copy of this book. To find out more about this book and the writing of it, head on over to my collaborative blog, Historical Tapestry, where we featured her, here. Also coming soon to Historical Tapestry is a collaborative review of this book with Kailana and myself.

Also reviewed at:
The Book Chick

If you have also reviewed this book, please leave the link in the comments so I can post it here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:36 PM 5 comments  

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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Picture Perfect by Cheryl Kaye Tardif- An Amazon Short




Chilling Mystery

Caroline is just like any other older sister. She doesn't think that she should always have to look after her little sister Belle. Couldn't she just disappear?

The year is 1956 and Caroline is given $3.00 to take Belle to the Calgary Summer Carnival. She must go on rides the Belle wants to go on and pick the pink cotton candy from her hair. Everything is about Belle.

At the end of the street, the girls saw 'Grandpa's Tymeless Fotos.' This is where life changed Caroline’s life forever. As in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Caroline finds out what pictures can really do.

I enjoyed this short story immensely. Cheryl Kaye Tardif has the knack of making a suspenseful story sound believable.

Highly recommended!

5/5

Posted by Teddy Rose at 8:36 PM 14 comments  

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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje







A Story within a Story





In Northern California teenage sisters Claire and Anna live with their father and work the family farm together with Coop, a boy who is brought into the family from a neighboring farm. Very quickly this family shatters. To say why, would be to give away a spoiler. So, sorry dear readers my lips are sealed!

I will say that we do follow all three characters into their adult lives. Anna becomes a writer of biographies, which brings us to the second half of the book. She writes about the life of turn-of-the-century French poet named Lucien Segura. There was also another story within the story.

This book is about the past, loss, and passion.

To be quite honest, at times I had trouble following along. I wasn’t always sure what family I was reading about until I read further. Then I would catch up and follow smoothly along until it happened again.

I didn’t dislike this book, but I do think it would have been better written as three short stories. I just didn’t see the connection. That said, Ondaatje’s descriptions of both landscape and characters were amazing.

3/5

Also reviewed by:

The Bluestocking Society

Note to my fellow bloggers who also reviewed this book: If you would like me to link your review at the bottom of my review, please leave a comment with the link to your review.



Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:38 PM 13 comments  

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Saturday, August 16, 2008

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson





Powerful!


The Gargoyle is a difficult book to review and summarize. The plot crosses many genre lines and deals with many issues. That said, here is my attempt.

The novel begins with the narrator getting in a car accident after bingeing on liquor and cocaine. He has a bottle of bourbon between his legs at the time and him and his car go up in flames. He is burned over most of his body and is in a hospital burn unit for a very long time.

Marianne Engel, a famous sculptress of gargoyles, shows up on his unit one day and tells him that they were lovers in medieval Germany. She claims that he was a mercenary and that she was a scribe. He doesn’t really much faith in this claim, but is mesmerized by Marianne.

When he was ready to be released from the hospital he was still going to need continuous care. Normally he would have been sent to a rehab centre, however Marianne volunteers to take him into her home. She has the resources for him to get the care he needs.

This book is richly layered with many themes and symbolism. It is not a book to be read quickly, but rather slowly and contemplatively. One of the major themes is of redemption and there are many references to Dante’s Inferno in it.

This book is not for the faint of heart. The burns that the nameless narrator goes through and many other aspects are vividly outlined. Though I don’t normally like a book with much gore, it is needed in this book. It’s not there to purposely shock the reader, but to inform.

I really liked this book. It has a lot to keep the reader interested and is well researched and written. The stories that Marianne tells are very engaging and were my favorite part of the book.

I only have one complaint. Throughout the book the author refers to Marianne by her full name, Marianne Engel. Her entire name appears several times on the same page. Though this doesn’t ruin the book, it is a distraction, at least for me. I have no idea if this was intentional, though for what purpose I can’t fathom or if is was in need of better editing. That said, I did read an advance reading copy, so maybe in the final version published this was fixed. I sure hope so.

I highly recommend The Gargoyle and look forward to reading more from Andrew Davidson.

4/5

Thanks to Doubleday for sending an advance reading copy of this book!
Also reviewed by:


Note to my fellow bloggers who also reviewed this book: If you would like me to link your review at the bottom of my review, please leave a comment with the link to your review.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:52 PM 24 comments  

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Sunday, July 20, 2008

Look for Me by Edeet Ravel




Not Just Black and White, There’s Gray

Dana Hillman is an Israeli woman who falls in love. Her husband Daniel is a soldier who is burned badly in the conflict. He disappeared from the hospital on the day Dana was finally allowed to see him. He’s been missing for over 11 years, but Dana’s search for him continues.

Throughout this time, Dana also stays true to her beliefs and protest on behalf of Palestinians who are treated so badly by most of Israel.

There is a rather eccentric cast of characters throughout this book, especially those living in Dana’s building. This thought provoking work of fiction is a love story, a character study, and a political statement. However, don’t let the mention of politics keep you from reading this book!

In the news, we never see all sides of the conflict in the Middle East. Edeet Ravel really captures the conflict between Israel and Palestine, showing all sides. It’s not just black and white; there is a lot of grey. For instance, Edeet shows us that there are Israelis who protest and support the Palestinians right to live free not corralled in little settlements.

This is the second book in Ravel’s Tel Aviv trilogy. I didn’t find this out, until after I finished reading it. This book can be read as a "stand alone" book. However, since I enjoyed it, I plan to read the first in the trilogy, ‘Ten Thousand Lovers.’

4/5

Did you also review this book? Leave a link to your review in the comments and I will post it at the bottom of my review.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:11 PM 9 comments  

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Sunday, July 6, 2008

The Horseman's Graves by Jacqueline Baker



A Worthwhile Journey

This is Jacqueline Baker’s first novel. Set in the early 1900’s in the Saskatchewan’s Sand Hills, The Horseman’s Graves is about a community of German immigrant settlers’ in particular, two families; the Schoffs and the Krausses.

Both families have lived next door to each other since their families immigrated. Now in the second generation, the families continue to hold a grudge for each other. Leo Krauss is scorned by the community for his rudeness and his odd behavior. Stolanus and Helen Schoff are outcast from the greater community after their son gets run over by a wagon. He lives but must endure growing up physically scarred, perhaps with mild brain damage, and suffering from seizures. Many of the superstitious community still believe that seizures are the work of the devil.

Despite all this, the Schoff farm prospers and with the help of Lathias, the Schoff's young farmhand the boy grows up. Meanwhile, Leo Krauss gets married to a woman who has a teenage girl, Elizabeth. Lathias and the Schoff boy befriend Elizabeth and starts taking almost daily horseback rides to the river. One day in the winter the Schoff boy and Elizabeth go to the river alone and argue about Lathias. The boy walks away, but looks back and no longer sees Elizabeth. It is presumed that she fell through the ice and drown, but the body is not recovered. There is speculation the Schoff boy may have done something intentionally, but this is never proved.

Though this story takes a slow meandering path, it depicts the beautiful yet harsh landscape of the Saskatchewan Alberta boarder and has many plot twists and turns. It does go somewhere, but you must be willing to travel slowly, at least at the beginning. I am not always the most patient reader. I usually like to get into the plot rather quickly. However, I enjoyed the slower journey that Jacqueline Baker’s takes us on. The journey of passion, sin, redemption, through an amazing landscape of time, place, and people.

I look forward to reading more by Jacqueline Baker and recommend this book.

4/5

Thanks to Harper Collins for a copy of this book!

Note: If you have also reviewed this book, please feel free to post your link in the comments. I will then add it to the end of my review.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 1:01 PM 12 comments  

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Saturday, June 21, 2008

The Canadian Book Challenge Completed




I wanted to give a big THANKS to John over at Book Mine Set for hosting this awesome challenge!

I joined this challenge quite late and honestly didn't think I would be able to finish it, however with a little extra determination I did!

These are the books that I read for the challenge and links to their reviews:

1. Charles the Bold by Yves Beauchemin

2. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Montgomery

3. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

4. The Time in Between by David Bergen

5. The End of the Alphabet by C.S. Richardson

6. Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland

7. Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King

8. Barncle Love by Anthony De Sa

9. A Perfect Night to Go to China by David Gillmor

10. Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels

11. Bang Crunch by Neil Smith

12. Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay

13. Tabasco the Saucy Raccoon by Lyn Hancock

Congratulations to all of you who participated and finished this challenge! Stay tuned for the 2nd Canadian Book Challenge, Starting on July 1, 2008

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:09 PM 7 comments  

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Tabasco the Saucy Raccoon By Lyn Hancock




A Zesty Story about a Spicy Animal






Almost 30 years ago Lyn Hancock was asked to be mother to a newborn raccoon. He was three weeks years old and she to bottle-feed and nurture this cute little being.

At the time, she was attending Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC Canada.
She has a tiny "no pets" apartment, but somehow she manages. As Tabasco grows, he goes with Lyn across the country on tour. He makes friends very easily, just about everyone falls in love with him.

When they return home, he is ready to explore his world. Lyn has a hard time letting go, but understands that he is wild and should be free. However, this is easier said then done. This is Lyn's story of the year she spent as Tabasco’s "mother".

This book is for 9-12 year olds, but I think any animal lover will enjoy it. I sure did! It was fun to see Tabasco grow up and see what he would get himself into (he got into a lot). Lyn made me fall in love with Tabasco.
4/5

If you have also reviewed this book on your blog, please leave a link to it in the comments and I will be glad to add your link to the end of this review.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:53 PM 6 comments  

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Thursday, June 12, 2008

Bang Crunch By Neil Smith








The Art of Short Story




This is Neil Smith’s debut book of 9 short stories. It’s somewhat uneven, like most books of short fiction. Some of the stories were gems and a couple duds.

I especially enjoyed "The B9ers", the story of a support group for people who had benign tumors. Yes, you read write, the non-lethal variety of tumor. This story was both humorous and touching.

Another story I enjoyed was the title story, "Bang Crunch". It’s the touching story about a girl born with Fred Hoyle syndrome. First she ages rapidly and then goes backward, back to an embryo again.

There were only 2 stories that I didn’t care for at all. "Green Fluorescent Protein" and "Extremities". They were just too "out there" for me.

Neil Smith is a strong writer. He writes with sensitivity and wicked humour. Though I didn’t like all the stories in this collection, I highly recommend it. The stories I enjoyed were well worth the time!

3.5/5

Note: If you have also reviewed this book, please feel free to post you link in the comments. I will then add it to the end of my review.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:10 PM 8 comments  

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Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels



Just a Little Too Poetic for This Reader’s Taste


The book opens with Jakob Beer as a seven-year-old child hiding in the bog in order to escape the Nazis. His family did not escape and were killed. Jakob was found by Athos Roussos, who smuggled him out of Poland and brought young Jakob to live with him in Greece. After the war, they immigrated to Canada. Jakob later becomes a poet and translator. The story is told by Ben, who discovered Jakob’s diaries, a man whose parents are Holocaust survivors.

This is primarily a story about memory, love, and loss. Anne Michaels is an accomplished poet, which is really demonstrated in this, her first novel. Every sentence is carefully crafted poetry. Her descriptions have great depth and make the reader see the great beauty and great horror.

This book is not a fast read. I found myself having to stop and ponder a lot. This was both negative and positive for me. I am not a huge fan of poetry, so in that sense this book was too lyrical for me. However, by being forced to stop and ponder I found some wonderful pearls.

I saw the movie version, which is what prompted me to read this book. The movie was a gem and I loved it. Sometimes it takes an overly lyrical novel to make a great film. It is very rare that I like the film version better than a book, but this is one of those cases.

I’m glad I read the book. I got to explore the characters more deeply. Now I want to see the movie again.

3.5/5

Note: If you have also reviewed this book, please feel free to post you link in the comments. I will then add it to the end of my review.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:22 PM 0 comments  

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Sunday, June 8, 2008

A Perfect Night to Go to China By David Gilmour



Heartbreaking but Unbelievable



The book opens with Roman tucking his 6-year-old son in for the night. He then decides to leave the house, with his son in it, to go to a bar down the street for a quick drink. He’s gone about 15 minutes. When he returns, his son is missing.

Throughout the book we follow Roman on a remorseful journey. A journey of regret, sorrow, relationship problems, searching, and all those things that normally go with loss.

I really wanted to like this book and I did, I just didn’t love it. David Gilmour really has a way with words, and this really shines through. His mature prose was sometimes poetic, sparkled with some dark humour.

The major problem I had with this book was that every time Roman would dream, they would be in sequence. It’s like he planned it that way and he could do this at will. We don’t dream that way. I sometimes wish we did, because I have had dreams that I wish would continue the next time that I fell asleep. LOL!

I think with Gilmour’s talent, he could have done much more with this book. That said, this is the first David Gilmour book I have read, but I will definitely try another.

3/5

Note: If you have also reviewed this book, please feel free to post you link in the comments. I will then add it to the end of my review.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 11:25 AM 5 comments  

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Sunday, June 1, 2008

Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland


Rich Details and Decadence of 17th-Century Court


This is the story of real life Louise de la Vallière, mistress to France's King Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King. At a young age, Louise, lovingly nicknamed Petite by her father, uses bone magic to tame a wild stallion.

Though of minor nobility, her family doesn’t have enough money for her dowry to marry, let along to get into a convent. Thus she starts a new chapter in her life, that of maid in waiting to a princess of a bit higher nobility than herself. After the princess moves away, Louise moves to the court of the Sun King and is maid of honour to a high nobility princess. Soon after she becomes mistress to the king.

Set against the breathtaking background of France, this enchanting piece of historical fiction displays the extravagant opulence of the time of King Louis XIV’s reign.

Sandra Gulland has made me crave more of King Louis XIV. She must have suspected that this would be the case with some readers, as she suggests a book to learn more ‘Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King’ by Antonia Fraser. I have added this to my TBR (to be read).

This is the first book I have read by Sandra Gulland but it won’t be the last! I look forward, with great anticipation to reading her Josephine B. trilogy.

4/5

For more information on Sandra Gulland and her work including this book and her Josphine B Trilogy, see her Official Website.

Thanks to Harper Collins Canada for sending me this advance reader’s copy!

Note: If you have also reviewed this book, please feel free to post you link in the comments. I will then add it to the end of my review.

Also reviewed at:

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:27 PM 15 comments  

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Sunday, May 25, 2008

Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay



Deeply Moving and True to Life




Its 1975 Yellowknife where Harry arrives on the scene to temporarily manage the small town radio station, back where his radio career started. When he arrives, he is enchanted by an exotic and sensual female voice on the air, that of Dido. He falls instantly in love but finds out that Dido is more than what her voice portrays.

There is also Eleanor, the wise and supportive receptionist, Gwen the woman who drove cross-country hoping for a producer job behind the scenes, but instead is put on as an amateur announcer, and there is Ralph the book critic and photographer. Of course, Yellowknife is also a central character with its beauty and biting cold.

In the background, we learn about the real life controversy of the proposed Mackenzie River Valley natural gas line, which threatens to go into the Arctic and destroy native people’s land. We also learn the rich history of the extraordinary explorer John Hornby, which prompts Harry, Eleanor, Gwen, and Ralph into an ambitious and difficult 6-week journey through the harsh climate on foot and by canoe.

Throughout the entire book Elizabeth Hay allows us to get to know and love the richly-textured characters that come to life. I felt as if I was part of the book as I was reading it. Having to bundle up when reading about the harsh winters and in awe of the beauty both sounds and sights that Hay paints. The characters seem like people who are true to life, which makes the book very readable and believable.

Hay won the prestigious Giller Prize for this work and I couldn’t agree more. This book is a must read and will appeal to readers of literary fiction, fine character studies, and historical fiction alike. This was my first voyage through Elizabeth Hay and it has left me yearning for more by this outstanding author.

5/5



Note: If you have also reviewed this book on your blog, please leave a link to it in the comments and I will be glad to add your link to the end of this review.

Also reviewed at:

Posted by Teddy Rose at 2:13 PM 14 comments  

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Monday, March 31, 2008

Charles the Bold: The Dog Years by Yves Beacuchemin


Coming of Age in 1960’s/70’s Quebec

In this first volume we follow Charles from birth in 1966 through elementary school. His mother dies when is very young and his father is an alcoholic who doesn’t care for his son. He’s both neglectful and abusive. We follow Charles through good times and bad. We also get a glimpse into the place and politics of Montreal at the time.

I realized soon after I started this book, why it was labeled ‘The Dog Years. Dogs from all over the neighborhood follow Charles everywhere he goes. It really rang true for me, because I also had a dog following when I was growing up. My mom dislikes animals so I was not allowed to have pets of my own, but in a way I did because there were always dogs nearby when I was outside. I was happy that Charle finally got a dog of his own, unlike I who had to wait until adulthood.

Though this book is depressing at times, Charles has an endurable spirit that is contagious. He is a delightful boy that captured my heart. Though I found the first couple chapters a bit slow and tedious, Beauchemin really weaves a wonderful story with rich scenery and characters.

I look forward to reading the other three volumes of Charles the Bold and highly recommend this book. I predict that it will become a Canadian Classic, it certainly should.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 4:13 PM 4 comments  

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Friday, February 29, 2008

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery




Happy 100 Year Anniversary!


I have lived in Canada for over 15 years and even became a citizen of this beautiful country, but I had never read Anne of Green Gables. I knew that I had to be remedy soon, so I started to read it. Then I happened to be on the Internet a few days ago and found out that this is the 100 year anniversary of this fine book.

Anne is picked up from an orphanage by a friend of the Cuthberts. They asked her to choose a boy for them, but somehow this was miscommunicated and they ended up with a girl. Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert debated right in front of Anne trying decided if they should bring her back and exchange her for a boy. During this part it seems like they are debating over a sack of potatoes rather than a human being.

However, they did decide to keep her and that’s when the story truly begins. Anne easily wins the hearts of the Cuthbert’s, all of Green Gables, and the reader’s.

L.M. Montgomery’s characters come to life in this heart warming but not over sentimental book. I was able to visualize all of the places in Prince Edward Island with her breath taking descriptions. At times I forgot that I was actually reading a book. It was like I became part of the story, part of the town.

I definitely want to read the entire series now, and would very much like to visit P.E.I. I highly recommend this book for both children and adults, and you don’t even need to live in Canada to love it.

5/5

Also reviewed at:
1morechapter.com
Things Mean a Lot

Posted by Teddy Rose at 7:43 PM 2 comments  

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Sunday, February 17, 2008

The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson




Delightful

Given only one month to live, 50 year old Ambrose Zephyr decides to take his wife, Zipper and travel around the world A-Z.

This is a love story first and far most. The destinations around the world are secondary and in fact they end up having to cut the trip short due to Amborse’s failing health. It is also about coming to terms with the inevitable loss.

Richardson’s prose jumps off the page while reading this poignant little story. It is funny, sad, and intelligent all at the same time. The only problem with it is that I wanted to know more. I wanted to know more about Ambrose and his wife’s history. This book was only 139 pages though it could have been still under 150, but our curiosity about the past could have been quenched.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by CS Richardson!
4/5

Posted by Teddy Rose at 2:55 PM 7 comments  

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Monday, February 4, 2008

The Time in Between by David Bergen



Deservedly Won the 2005 Scotiabank Giller Prize
Charles Boatman, a solder in the Vietnam war is haunted by what happened there, and spend most of his life trying to come to terms with it. Plagued by nightmares, he goes to Vietnam in an effort to reconcile his life.

When he disappears, his children Ada and Jon go to Vietnam to try to find him. This is the story of Charles and his children, all lost in the confusion and chaos we call life.

This novel is deeply depressing and haunting. Bergen’s lyrical prose takes us to were most of us do not want to go, but should. It is not just Charles lonely journey trying to find life, but also that of his children and more in this cast of characters.

At times I found myself wanting to put this book down to catch a breath of fresh air, but I couldn’t! Bergen is amazing at his craft and I look forward to reading more by him. I wish I would have read this one sooner!

I highly recommend this book to all, however if your suffering from depression, you may want to wait to read it until your feeling better.

5/5

Posted by Teddy Rose at 8:13 PM 10 comments  

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Thursday, January 24, 2008

Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King



Water, Water and a Little Too Much Water
This is the intersecting story of a cast of many colorful characters. There’s Alberta, a University professor who wants to trade her two boyfriends in for a baby but no husband. There’s her boyfriend Lionel who is about to turn 40 and is still working at a television store. Alberta’s other boyfriend; Charlie is a "hot shot" lawyer. Then there’s Eli who lives in an old cabin where a dam has been built, but not in use due to his injunctions to stop it. The character list goes on to other supporting characters and some symbolic ones.

This is a very readable quirky book, interspersed with pages of magical realism and mythical characters. I truly enjoyed reading about the main and supporting characters. They were very lively and interesting souls with real, sometime quirky issues. However, I had a hard time getting into the magical realism and symbolic characters. They felt more throw in for good measure, then really fitting in. The other issue I had was the use of water as a symbol. The author made this symbol quit clear from the beginning but I felt like it was being pushed on me throughout the book. It just felt a bit like "over kill" to me.

That said, this is a well-written enjoyable book. Especially for fans of magical realism, but also for readers who can look past that to the wonderful characters.

3.5/5

Posted by Teddy Rose at 4:53 PM 13 comments  

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Friday, January 11, 2008

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen




I was Hooked from Page One of this Delightful Novel!



During the Great Depression, Jacob, age 23, is in the middle of taking his veterinary medical exam and leaves, handing in a blank test. He wonders and ends up jumping on a train. Unknown at the time of his jumping, it is a circus train. He joins the circus as a veterinarian and the story really takes off from there!

The story shifts seamlessly back and forth from present day Jacob, age 93, living in a nursing home to the 23 year old Jacob. He tells of his colorful experiences with the circus and his two great loves, Marlena a performer and Rosie, an elephant. The human-animal bond shines through.

Sara Gruen really did her research for the circus lore of this amazing historical novel. The author’s note at the end of the book and the circus terminology that she uses, proves this. She portrayed this sad time in history with respect for all those who struggled.

The characters are larger than life with Gruen’s elegant prose. At times gut wrenching and at times laugh out loud funny this novel is a must read. This is the first time I have read anything by Sara Gruen and it won't be the last.

If I could only own one book for the rest of my life, this would be it!
5/5


Also Reviewed at:
Just Another Blogger
ReadingAdventures
Maw Books
An Adventure in Reading

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:28 PM 30 comments  

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