Ruth's reading in 2012

[Kidsmum]

I might buy Shakespeare on Toast for my hubby he's not a fan so it might help to change his mind

[Ruth]

Have finished reading Self-Made Man, by Norah Vincent, but am not going to post my review on here yet, as I know other people are currently reading this book. I found parts of it interesting, but would seriously question the ethics of what Norah did. I ended up not particularly liking the author, although I have to admire the extent to which she went in order to make herself convincing as a male.

 

Started reading The Legend of Colton H. Bryant, by Alexandra Fuller - a fictionalised account of the true life of a young man from Wyoming. So far I am liking it a lot - the writing is beautiful, almost poetic at times.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Ruth

[Ruth]

Started reading Gigi and The Cat by Colette today (Kindle edition). I like the film adaptation of Gigi back in the 1950s, and the book seems like a nice easy read too. Also, still reading The Legend of Colton H Bryant, which I am enjoying. I seem to like books set in Wyoming - I think the barren but beautiful landscape appeals to me. I'd love to visit there one day.

[poppyshake]

I have Gigi and the Cat somewhere .. look forward to hearing your thoughts on it Ruth

[Kylie]

Excellent review of Shakespeare on Toast! It sounds great, and I'd like to learn about iambic pentameter.

[Ruth]

Shakespeare on Toast sounds like it could be useful, Ruth. I love watching Shakespeare's plays (mostly the comedies, I have to admit) but I rarely read them. I often think it's because when you're watching someone perform it, you can get the idea of what they're talking about even if you don't get every word, but I find I stutter in reading them at times because I want to know exactly what is being said, and I lose the flow. I might add this to my wishlist for a future purchase!

 

Yes, I was exactly the same. Loved all the adaptations, film and stage (like you, I prefer the comedies) but never enjoyed reading Shakespeare. I read A Midsummer Night's Dream after watching an adaptation, and that really helped me understand it.

 

I might buy Shakespeare on Toast for my hubby he's not a fan so it might help to change his mind

 

I hope he likes it I think it would be great for people who don't like Shakespeare, or for people who have read him before

 

Excellent review of Shakespeare on Toast! It sounds great, and I'd like to learn about iambic pentameter.

 

Thank you Oh, the dreaded iambic pentameter. I grew to hate those words when I was studying poetry!! But it's all explained clearly in this book and makes it 'click' somehow.

 

I have Gigi and the Cat somewhere .. look forward to hearing your thoughts on it Ruth

 

Well, so far I'm really enjoying it I really like Colette's writing style, and may seek out more of her work.

[Ruth]

The Legend of Colton H. Bryant, by Alexandra Fuller

 

 

This books takes narrative liberties to tell the true story of a real Wyoming cowboy, Colton H. Bryant. Born in 1980 to a loving and close family, Colton is often teased in childhood for his short attention span and simple outlook, but he never loses his love of life and grows up to be a decent and kind husband, father, brother and son. With stunning blue eyes and a truly beautiful soul, Colton becomes one of Wyoming’s favourite sons, but as he and his friends grow up, reality bites and he starts working on one of Wyoming’s Oil Rigs, a dirty and dangerous job, but the only option for many young men in the area.

The book tells Colton’s life in a series of short vignettes and ‘snapshots’ from his youth and adulthood. It is mostly told in short chapters (about 3 – 5 pages long) and through these chapters, we not only get to know Colton, but also his family, best friend Jake and wife Melissa. (His family and friends were completely open and honest with Fuller in describing his life.)

This book made me cry – and that isn’t something that happens very often when I’m reading (I love to read, and books often make me laugh, but rarely do they make me cry). Alexandra Fuller’s writers is incredible – beautiful, evocative and poetic. This is an author who can bring such emotion to the reader. She finds the hero in Colton, and really made me feel for this sweet young man, in a way that I almost didn’t even realise until tragedy hits in his story. At times, I found myself re-reading passages simply because the writing was so lovely.

Despite the harsh life for many people in Wyoming – which is perfectly illustrated, Fuller makes the place – and its people – incredibly interesting, and it’s clear that despite hating the greedy oil companies who have taken over so much of the area – she has a deep affection and love for the place.

I adored this book, and getting to know Colton, his family and friends. It’s a story that won’t leave me for a long time, and I would highly recommend this book to just about anybody.

[Ruth]

Gigi and The Cat, by Colette

 

 

 

Gigi and The Cat are two short novels (60 and 100 pages respectively) by French writer Colette. Both revolve around the theme of love, or some twisted version of it. Gigi – which was adapted into a hugely successful musical in the 1950s – is about a young girl, who is being groomed (or trained) by her grandmother and great aunt, into becoming a courtesan. They try to educate in the ways of the world and the ways of men, but the naive yet impetuous Gilberte (‘Gigi’) instead falls for a French playboy twice her age (I’m not making this up!).

Despite the subject matter, the book is written in a light-hearted, humorous way, and the subject is handled delicately. The writing is both charming and eloquent, and I loved the way that so much of the action was unseen, but related through dialogue between the characters. Gigi is likeable, her grandmother and great aunt less so. I didn’t much care for Gaston (the film interpretation of the character, played by Louis Jourdan, is much more sympathetic), but he more or less won me over in the end.

The Cat is about a young girl named Camille, who is jealous of her new husband Alain’s love and affection for Saha, his Persian Blue cat. Camille eventually goes to extreme lengths to rid herself of her rival for Alain’s affections – with far reaching consequences.

I didn’t like this story as much as Gigi, mainly because neither Alain nor Camille were particularly likeable characters, and I felt that two such selfish and self-absorbed people probably deserved each other. Nonetheless, the writing is eloquent, even with occasional humour, even if the ending was almost inevitable from the outset.

These stories are the first works by Colette that I have ever read. Based on these, I would probably be interested in seeking out a full length novel, where the characters might perhaps be slightly better developed. (The lack of characterisation was a little niggle I had with the book, but I find this to be fairly common in short stories or novellas.) Overall, I would recommend Colette as a writer.

[Ruth]

Arlington Park, by Rachel Cusk

 

 

This book takes place over the course of one ordinary day, in Arlington Park, a private housing estate just outside London. The viewpoint switches between four or five female characters as they go through their daily routines, and captures their thoughts.

 

Unfortunately, I found this book quite disappointing. There isn’t really a plot to speak of; this is very much a character driven story. This in itself would not be a problem, except for the fact that there wasn’t a single likeable character amongst the entire cast in this book! The book is populated by women who have nice houses in a nice area, are at least fairly well off financially, and have happy and healthy children. Now while I fully accept that having all of these things does not preclude someone from being unhappy or depressed, I would have thought that at least one of the characters might have been quite contented with her life. But unfortunately, all of the women in this book just seemed to be unhappy – and more irritatingly, they seemed determined to remain so. I ended up feeling frustrated with them, and wanting to point out how fortunate they were.

 

There’s no doubt that Rachel Cusk can write beautifully – the scenes from a school literary club were extremely believeable, as were the few pages describing the park (of Arlington Park) just after school had broken up for the day. Cusk captures the minutiae of a mundane or ordinary day very well, and at these points, I did find myself nodding in recognition at some of the observations she made. The characters were also well fleshed out. I just didn’t like any of them!

 

The other thing that bothered me about the book was the significance attached to the smallest things. For example, one wife spots a smear of butter accidentally left on the work surface by her husband. The author likens it to a small mark of (the husband’s masculinity). Well, it could be, I suppose. Or it could just be that the husband accidentally left some butter there. It felt as though there had to be some deep significance to everything that the characters saw, however trivial, however small.

 

Overall, while I can certainly appreciate the writing, and the attention to detail, this book just didn’t work for me. It was too miserable, and the characters just ended up being unsympathetic and unlikeable.

[vodkafan]

I like the sound of a Beautiful Blue Death Ruth thanks. Another one for the wishlist.

[Ruth]

It was a lot of fun - kind of Sherlock Holmes-ish, but more friendly! The author is American, but I think he studied in London; he certainly captured the atmosphere of the period well.

[Ruth]

Gregory Peck: A Charmed Life, by Lynn Haney

 

 

 

Gregory Peck was one of the 20th century’s most loved screen idols. Tall and handsome, he is forever linked with (and perhaps confused with) his most famous role, that of Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird (1962). This book chronicles his life, from his early stage career, through to his largely successful life in Hollywood and his humanitarian campaigns and activities. It also describes his private life, including his first marriage to Greta, his second marriage to Veronique, and the tragic suicide of eldest son Jonathan.

I thought this book was clearly well researched, and well written. Lynn Haney apparently was a friend of Gregory Peck, and the warmth she feels for him comes through loud and clear. She does however manage to remain objective, and although she clearly holds Peck in high regard, there are constant reminders throughout that he was a man, not a god, and he had flaws and idiosyncrasies which made him all too human.

It’s a shame that the book does not seem to have any first person interviews with Peck or any of his family. There are plenty of quotes from other interviews however. (Early on in the book, Haney mentions another biography of Peck, and notes that the author of that book never met with nor spoke to Gregory Peck at all; implying that she had spoken to him. As they were apparently friends, this is not surprising, but it does not appear that he had any part in the writing of this book.) Having said that though, it’s clear that Haney knows her subject well.

The book discusses most of Peck’s films – the hits and the misses – giving anecdotes from the set, and offering glimpses into the actor’s interactions and relationships with colleagues. It does not shy away from discussing disagreements that Peck had with other actors, producers or directors, or his disappointment with the way some projects turned out.

There is a saying that you should never meet your heroes because you will always be disappointed – you could broaden this saying and add that it’s best not to know too much about your heroes in case you are disappointed. I can’t deny that at some points while reading this biography I read things that did disappoint me somewhat. But I also believe that no man or woman on earth is perfect (whatever perfect is), and that all we can do is the best that we can at the time. At the end of this book, I was left with the impression that Gregory Peck had done just that…and he will always be one of my favourite actors.

This isn’t the only available biography of Gregory Peck – it might not even be the best one around, but for fans, it is definitely worth reading.

[Ruth]

The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd

 

 

 

In the mid-1960s, Lily Owens is 14 years old, and lives with her unforgiving and remote father on a peach farm in South Carolina. Lily has grown up with the knowledge that when she was 4 years old, she accidentally killed her mother. Lonely and sad, her only friend is the black maid Rosaleen.

When racial tension explodes into ugly violence, Lily and Rosaleen run away, and end up at a home in Tiburon, where they stay with three sisters, August, June and May, who keep bees, and make and sell honey. As Lily grows to enjoy her new life, she learns not only about keeping bees, but also lessons about life, and her own past.

I really enjoyed this book, although there were some aspects of it which could have put me off. The story is narrated by Lily, and the author’s ability to speak in a child’s voice is astounding and entirely convincing. Lily is honest – sometimes painfully so, and to her own detriment – but she is a very believable character. I also thought that Rosaleen was an excellent character, combining pride and honesty with a humorous lack of decorum that makes Lily (and sometimes me) wince.

August – the sister who is the driving force behind the honey making business – is a very likeable person, but perhaps just a little too perfect, although this is counterbalanced somewhat by her angry sister June, and her emotionally unbalanced sister May.

The book balances moments of tragedy and anger, with times of friendship and joy, and all of it was captivating reading.

However, the book does have a number of cliches running through it. The Daughters of Mary group – a set of (mainly) women who come to worship at August’s makeshift church seem very stereotypical, and I had a job distinguishing the characters in the group from each other. Also, Lily’s father T. Ray, is very one-dimensional…he’s cruel and without redemption, although a slight effort is made to explain his behaviour.

The book only really scratches the surface of racial tension and ugly bigotry that happened in the era described, but as the book is told from a naive child’s point of view, this is understandable. (This book cannot begin to compare to the child’s narrative in the excellent To Kill A Mockingbird, although I cannot help wondering whether this book was in any part inspired by that particular classic.) There was also a strong religious thread running through the book. Although I am not religious, this did not bother me, but it may bother other readers.

Despite the flaws though, this is an enjoyable and easy to read story of a young girl’s awakening, and I would certainly recommend it. I would definitely be interested in reading more by Sue Monk Kidd.

[lauraloves]

I have The Secret Life of Bees on my TBR, I can't wait to get around to it now

[chaliepud]

I have The Secret Life of Bees on my TBR, I can't wait to get around to it now

 

It's a great book Laura! :-)

[lauraloves]

It's a great book Laura! :-)

 

I keep hearing good things about it, I really can't wait

[Ruth]

Hope you enjoy it Laura It had been on my tbr at least since July 2007 (I know because that's when I joined LibraryThing, and entered that book), and I eventually picked it up because it was book of the month from the reading group I go to. I was glad I finally got around to it!

[julie]

Ruth

I read Secret Life of Bees awhile back and really enjoyed it ! Her next one wasn't quite as good, but it was okay . Good review .

[Ruth]

Thanks Julie I'll be looking out for her other book(s).

[lauraloves]

Hope you enjoy it Laura It had been on my tbr at least since July 2007 (I know because that's when I joined LibraryThing, and entered that book), and I eventually picked it up because it was book of the month from the reading group I go to. I was glad I finally got around to it!

 

Thanks, I havent had it as long as you, only since last year, but by the time I get around to it will probably be a few years from now with my stupidly high TBR!

[Ruth]

On The Beach, by Nevil Shute

 

 

This book was written in 1957, and set in 1963. Nuclear war has wiped out the Northern Hemisphere, and radioactive winds are making their way down to the Southern Hemisphere. The people living in the southernmost countries know that when the winds reach them, they too will die.

 

There are five main characters in the book, which is largely set in Melbourne, where people are trying to go about their daily lives in as normal a way as possible. People continue to go to work and in many cases, continue to plan for a future which they know they will never see. One of the characters is American Submarine Captain, Lieutenant Dwight Towers, who was in Australia when war broke out. He knows that his wife and children back home in America must be dead, but he cannot accept it. He forms a friendship with Moira Davidson, a young woman who drinks too much and parties too hard to blot out her anger at her imminent death due to a war that her country had no part of. Peter and Mary Holmes are a young couple with a baby daughter, and the cast of characters is rounded out by John Osbourne, an Australian scientist. When Dwight’s submarine is commissioned to investigate radio signals coming from Seattle, Peter and John are part of the staff who go with him.

 

I enjoyed this book, but can’t help feeling that it is somewhat dated now. I would like to believe that in the face of such horror, people would still remain courteous and civil, and would continue to keep living as normal a life as possible – but I just don’t see that happening. It seems more realistic to imagine that there would be widespread panic, and that chaos and anarchy would descend. All that most of these people – Moira excluded, although even she seems somewhat accepting of her fate – seem to feel is a vague sense of sadness. For example, Mary Holmes seems more concerned with the prospect of her baby daughter catching Measles than dying of radiation. And yet, it is this sense of normalcy, of routine, that lends the book a chilling air. People carry on, because what else can they do? A mother won’t stop worrying about her daughter getting an illness that can be avoided, just because a far bigger problem is on the way.

 

There were moments of real poignancy; when John Osbourne buys a Ferrari that he can’t really handle, and takes up motor racing – because why not? (It is not giving away anything too spoilerish to say that the motor race near the end of the book was one of my favourite parts.) Dwight Towers goes shopping for gifts for his wife and children, knowing deep down that he will never be able to hand them over. It was the moments like this that really made me think. It’s always worth bearing in mind that the book was written during the Cold War, when nuclear warfare was a very real fear for many people. It did make me think – what would I do? What would you do? Try and complete some kind of bucket list, sink into a deep depression, or just try and carry on as normal? Who knows? (And hopefully, we will never have to know.)

 

As I mentioned earlier, the book has not aged particularly well, and I found it hard to believe that most people would behave in the way that the characters here behaved. For that reason, I did not find the book as chillling as other post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels which I have read. However, for anyone with an interest in the genre, this is certainly a worthwhile addition to their collection, and I would recommend it.

[Kidsmum]

I read On the Beach years ago when I was quite young it's the only Nevil Shute book I've read but seem to remember I enjoyed it I guess it would seem quite dated today though like those 80's programmes about what it would be like to survive a nuclear war.

[bree]

The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd

...

Wonderful review. And makes me want to read it.

Will look out for it.

 

Thank you for posting this!

[julie]

Ruth

I enjoyed your review of On the Beach . I have never read it and really never even knew what it was about.

I like books like that ,the ones that make you think "What would I do ? " That's one of the reasons I like to read, it makes you step outside the box sometimes and put yourself in someone else's life,just to make you think about what you'd do in the same situation .

Thanks for the review!

[Ruth]

Starmaker: Life As a Hollywood Publicist, with Farrah, The Rat Pack, and 600 More Stars Who Fired Me, by Jay Bernstein

 

 

In 1960, Jay Bernstein came to Hollywood, hoping to make his fortune. He had no idea what he was going to do, and no idea how he was going to do it. But he did have determination, confidence and the ability to work as hard as it took. With guts and grit, he became a publicist to many stars, including Farrah Fawcett and her then husband Lee Majors, and The Rat Pack. He later branched out into managing stars, and producing, directing and writing for movies and television. This book is his memoir of his long career in Hollywood, with the highs and lows, triumphs and let-downs, and of course, what life was like with such icons of the day.

I enjoyed the book a lot. Bernstein is an engaging and very witty narrator; he’s also very frank, not only about the people who he worked with, but also about himself, being more than willing to admit when he made mistakes and bad decisions. He also pulls no punches when it comes to his opinions on others (Frank Sinatra does NOT come out of this book well!!)

The book concentrates mainly on Bernstein’s work for Farrah Fawcett (the story of her rise to stardom, thanks to the hard work of Bernstein, is fascinating), Suzanne Somers, The Rat Pack, and Stacey Keach on the Mike Hammer television productions (based on Mickey Spillane’s books about Hammer). Sadly, Jay Bernstein passed away while the book was being written, and a note at the end points out that there were far more stories he wanted to share, but his death meant that they are not in the book.

For anyone who is interested in movies or television, and the truth behind the glamorous facade of the industry, this book is enjoyable, easy to read, eye-opening and funny. I highly recommend it!

Edited May 12, 2012 by Ruth