Tuesday, September 07, 2004
August
I have read some books in the last month, honest. It's just I haven't
had much of an inclination to blog them. Perhaps because my feelings
weren't particularly clear-cut or perhaps because I'm lazy. Either
way.
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chambon
Suggested by Tara this book was an original novel that entertained
fully. It was probably a bit more meaningful than that but I don't
remember it greatly. There's something very reassuring about people
going through situations you can identify with and this book totally
captures the feelings of finishing college or university and learning
that your personality/life/character is a result of your
behaviour/decisions/etc and as such entirely under your control, with
the single exception of pesky outsiders and sex. Or both. Together.
Overtaken by Alexei Sayle
This book seemed to be a Ben-Elton-type novel, the kind of thing that
is so witty, so ironic, so iconic that the story line is just a sail
upon which the author can blow his windy politics at to hurtle towards
a titanic-like crash. (Wow, I managed not to mix metaphors - I'm very
impressed!) However, surprisingly, amongst all of that, this book
seemed to be a modern fable, a philosophical debate on the nature and
necessity (or lack thereof) for forgiveness and it's place in a
universal setting. The highly improbable set up (all possible quibbles
the reader might have are clearly pre-considered by the author and
removed by any means necessary) gives this very modern novel a
fairy-tale like quality that makes the developments that much more
shocking. Definitely a good read for some provoking thoughts.
Riding in the Cars with Boys by Beverly D-someone
Nice autobiography of a BAD girl (the capitals letters are because B A
D is her initials - bit of an omen from the parents then?). Since the
author and the central character are the same, there's never a great
deal of surprise that it all turns alright at the end, in spite of
marrying before graduating from high school because of a teenage
pregnancy. This is both because you can already appreciate that she
has become a writer, and because she's willing to share it all with
the world. In fact, save the abject poverty, drugs, drinking and
bra-less-ness, she's rather smug about it. That's not fair, it's a
good book. But still. Glad to have read the book and not seen the Drew
Barrymore film.
had much of an inclination to blog them. Perhaps because my feelings
weren't particularly clear-cut or perhaps because I'm lazy. Either
way.
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chambon
Suggested by Tara this book was an original novel that entertained
fully. It was probably a bit more meaningful than that but I don't
remember it greatly. There's something very reassuring about people
going through situations you can identify with and this book totally
captures the feelings of finishing college or university and learning
that your personality/life/character is a result of your
behaviour/decisions/etc and as such entirely under your control, with
the single exception of pesky outsiders and sex. Or both. Together.
Overtaken by Alexei Sayle
This book seemed to be a Ben-Elton-type novel, the kind of thing that
is so witty, so ironic, so iconic that the story line is just a sail
upon which the author can blow his windy politics at to hurtle towards
a titanic-like crash. (Wow, I managed not to mix metaphors - I'm very
impressed!) However, surprisingly, amongst all of that, this book
seemed to be a modern fable, a philosophical debate on the nature and
necessity (or lack thereof) for forgiveness and it's place in a
universal setting. The highly improbable set up (all possible quibbles
the reader might have are clearly pre-considered by the author and
removed by any means necessary) gives this very modern novel a
fairy-tale like quality that makes the developments that much more
shocking. Definitely a good read for some provoking thoughts.
Riding in the Cars with Boys by Beverly D-someone
Nice autobiography of a BAD girl (the capitals letters are because B A
D is her initials - bit of an omen from the parents then?). Since the
author and the central character are the same, there's never a great
deal of surprise that it all turns alright at the end, in spite of
marrying before graduating from high school because of a teenage
pregnancy. This is both because you can already appreciate that she
has become a writer, and because she's willing to share it all with
the world. In fact, save the abject poverty, drugs, drinking and
bra-less-ness, she's rather smug about it. That's not fair, it's a
good book. But still. Glad to have read the book and not seen the Drew
Barrymore film.
