My conscience says that I should start with a Spoiler Alert but with a condition: this book’s plot will only be news to you if you’ve never read Sophocles or heard of an oedipal complex or if you don’t read dust jackets. Now that I’ve covered myself liability-wise here’s what you need to know, David Guterson’s Ed King is his re-imagining of the tale of Oedipus Rex. ... Read More...
The Dovekeepers
I’ve read enough Alice Hoffman to believe that she is one of the world’s best writers about women. Her plots may be fantastical but even as her female characters behave in magical and mystical ways their deepest mystery lies in their female essence. Imagine then, taking a subject as masculine and obscure as the decimation of the Jews at the siege of Masada- the ... Read More...
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Writing a review about a Stephen King book feels almost as daunting and futile as deciding to climb Everest. What is left to say that hasn’t been said by professional reviewers the world over? His background, writing style, mental stability and more have been discussed and dissected ad nauseam so I won't go there. The man has written 50 books and whether you like the ... Read More...
The Help
Important preface to this review: I am one of those people who doesn’t do well when faced with exhortations to view/read something widely and unanimously praised. Call it childish or perverse, I often find it that much harder to like or enjoy and certainly not to the degree everyone around me seems to be feeling. Several key examples of movies and books which I ... Read More...
The Way We Live Now
I just finished The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope (like he didn’t catch shit in school) and while you might think 738 pages is a slog far too great for any book that isn’t part of the The Girl series it’s not for this one. My biggest complaint is that as I read lying in bed it did hurt my wrist to hold the book up but hey, suffering is a part of art. If you want true ... Read More...
