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Notes on My Summer Reading (2003)
See complete list of summer reading books.
Arranged alphabetically by author for convenience.
The numbers following the headers suggest the order in which I read the books
Disclaimer: These are notes, not blurbs. Many of them will probably not make sense unless you have read the book. They are not intended especially to help others select reading; rather, these comments are my own revenge upon the world of American literature for making me suffer through the sex-laden and gruesome trivialties of my society's literary output.
Prize Stories 1993 (The O. Henry Awards), edited by W. Abrahams (06)
There were over twenty stories in this anthology, and I wasn't super-impressed by any in particular. I think what I learned most is that sex really does sell: all but two of the stories referred or alluded to it, mostly unnecessarily.
I probably liked "Charades" [about a family playing charades and their characters as shown through such] and "Improving my Average" [in which a girl who moves frequently describes some of her houses and their memories], the former for its vivid depiction of a scenario and the latter for its chracters, who may have been the most memorable of the collection.
Thought-provoking and informative, but perhaps not literature in its finest forms?
The Fledgling by Elizabeth Cadell (03)
This one was most assuredly fun, but, then, I've always loved reading childrens' books. The story was a little far-fetched, but I did not notice that as I was reading it, because Cadell's characters are vivid and just fanciful enough to make it happen. Even the dog was fun--and I don't even like dogs. The story was fast-paced, had good morals, and was all-around just a delightful and enjoyable book. I'd love to get it for our store.
Disclosure by Michael Crichton (04)
I think they call this a "thriller." Sex, intrigue, lawyers, and corporate scandal. It was a little overdone, a little odd to read, and so forth. The characters weren't really developed and it semed just a trifle too "pat."
The story is essentialy that of a married man whose ex-girlfriend moves into his corporate structure as his boss and tries to seduce him. When it doen't work, she slaps him with harrassment claims, he retaliates by actually suing her, and they wind up in a horrid mess. In the end, all things work out, etc. etc. etc. Interesting concept, but it could have been better toned.
Killer Diller by Clyde Edgerton (02)
The continuation of Walking Across Egypt was fun, like catching up with old friends after a really long time. It was sad and frightening to find how much Ned and Ted [college administrators] reminded me of the administration at my own (non-Baptist) college.
The plot was simple, and silly in places--but then, so is life--and the unusual characters led to some very unpredictable situation, as is to be expected of Edgerton. I appreciate the author's ability to keep me guessing but dislike moments when the characters' randomness seems more stupid than human.
The humor is great!
Freddy's Book by John Gardner (01)
Story-within-a-story. I liked the characterizations but never quite understood why the professor called his son a monster--was it only for size and the prof. was a misunderstanding parent, or did I miss some deep underlying meaning?
I found myself realy wondering what happens to Freddy after the story concludes. It felt as though the second half of parentheses around the Norse saga were missing. Sadly enough, I almost liked the exterior story and characterizations more than the other. The inner story got tiring after a while. Good book, though.
A Painted House by John Grisham (08)
I really liked this. Grisham in vivid detail describes and catalogues the life of a family of farmers in the South. They do not own their land and are basically strapped for cash. A series of rivalries between the Mexicans and hill people, both hired to help pick cotton, adds depth, realism, and intrigue to the story by the lifelike qualities of the setting.
My only question arises from the fact that the 7-year-old narrator seems a little opinionated/mature for his ahe, both in his narrative style and in his reactions to some of the events that occur.
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller (23)
I really enjoyed this book, except for the parts I didn't really enjoy. [It reminds me of my cousin Hank]. Heller's story is an experiment in double-checking and contradictions. His main characters all do everything but what they don't do, and his story is similarly safe. It's as though he hates to be wrong, so he says everything.
I found the story really repetitive. Some scenes were repeated, some revised, and others simply hugely drawn out. It wasn't bad, just very tedious and long. It also wasn't worth finishing, though I did anyway.
The Rescuer by Dee Henderson (07)
Brain candy at its best! The plot of the book held to the typical Dee Henderson formula, waiting for only the last O'Malley conversion and engagement to settle everything. It's surprising how predictable these have become.
The story was typical: exciting, fast-paced, and slightly unreal. With all due respect, Meg really shouldn't even have been looking at Stephen. Also, the conversion, like most, felt just a trifle too planned. Life--and Christianity--shouldn't be that pat.
Otherwise, it was pretty good; a relaxing read, if nothing more.
Hunter by James Byron Huggins (39)
In this masterful and powerful tale, Huggins gives the term "suspense" a new definition and takes gore to some levels hitherto usually unexplored, as well. Huggins' traditional authorial impact is evident in this story, which is part adventure and part sci-fi. Although there are some unexplained elements and though Huggins seems to have taken a turn towards an evolutionary theory, the book is nevertheless a skillfully done piece of literature. The characters are well done--I actually found myself mourning some deaths--and the story is unpredictable and quite vivid. This is a literary treasure.
Rora by James Byron Huggins (25)
This was probably one of the better books I've read this summer. Huggins is a real master of characterization and also of detail, in that he knows which details to squelch and which to draw out.
Rora is historical fiction about a group of people determined to preserve their religious freedom, even in the face of the Inquisition, till the very end. The intensity of their struggle and the depth of their faith are powerfully drawn out through Huggins' masterful descriptions, carefully researched to the very best of his abilities. This book was just plain fun to read.
Not a Sparrow Falls by Linda Nichols (09)
Unlike most contemporary Christian romance, this book manages to tell a real story about real (flawed) people. Nichols does a brilliant job blending human error and desire to do better; she also creates some wonderfully realistic characters.
THe main character is a young woman of compassion and hunger. She wants to be helped from the mess in which she finds herself, and at the same time, her heart goes out to others who have secrets or fears. The pastor's daughter presents yet another fascinating character sketch.
Well done! This book restores humanity to today's Christisn literature. Thank God Ms. Nichols is not afraid to discuss sin.
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (14)
Yet another skillfully done novel by Ayn Rand., although this one spouts a slightly more blatant preaching of philosophy. In this book, Rand leaves her idea of the utimate tirade and goes into an exposee of the ugliness behind Communist practice--by puling Communist ideologies into the setting of odern-day America.
The heroine is a trifle too "perfect" and her hero a tad too idealistic. I think that of all the characters here, I am most fond of "Frisco" the "playboy." Rand's description of the ideal world as evidenced by the gulch makes an interesting contrast with Huxley's idea (in Brave New World) that no society can exist without some lower classes as well.
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (10)
The characterizations in this book are brilliant. I never thought I'd be able to identify with characters so different from myself, but Rand has made it possible. It's an engaging story, one sometimes terribly difficult to set down, and despite its length, it holds the reader's interest straight through.
Rand presents her subjects and characters beautifuly; her inherent and obvious worldviews are flawed but intriguing, and their problems are quite obvious. She misses two things: the ending was a letdown, and she never develops Mike, my favorite character beause of his faithfulness.
We the Living by Ayn Rand (12)
While not quite as good as [Fountainhead and Anthem], this book nevertheless possesses a certain charm and drama not entirely lost amid the political statements and brutal ugliness found in Communist Russia. Telling a story that must have been very similar to her own life and past, Rand captures humanity, and the struggle to believe in life, in these pages. Unfortunately, her doctrine is less than perfect.
The characters, captured as they are in a society with no morals and few absolutes, remain in a struggle to live, survive, and believe, despite rough circumstances and an unforgiving world. Unfortunately, the Communist Andrei was my favorite character of all--perhaps because of his heart. [Yet another proof that we cannot judge a person simply by others of the same background].
Wringer by Jerry Spinelli (05)
I haven't decided yet whether I like this book or not. It's certainly well-written, and the characters are well-done, but something is lacking: perhaps . . . morality? As with most Spinelli books, I finish it hungry, not for more, but for something . . . better? sweeter? more true? Dad always discusses "redeemable" characters in movies, but it's not that these characters were bad but that their good (and sometimes bad) traits felt so superficial. It became hard to understand the deeper parts of the story, or Palmer's [the main character, a 9-10 year-old boy] motivations. I did enjoy Palmer's mother at the end.
Set This House on Fire by William Styron (32)
This book, also known generously as "God's curse on the literary world" (generously because God's presence would imply that the book had some value or purpose) confirmed every derogatory or ugly guess I had ever made about William Styron's character and morals. t was disgusting, tactless, and lewd. While the world probably does contain some animalistic life forms as degenerate as those Styron introduces as humanity, I would take an evening chatting with Hitler or Stalin with threat of impending death over one more momnt with Styron's creatures and fantasies. This book far overcame any pretense of being a waste of time. It is, rather, a sexual nightmare designed to waste the world.
Sophie's Choice by William Styron (27)
Styron had something really good--almost beautiful--going here for about three pages, possibly twice that, when he focused on the choice after which the book is named. His flashback scenes are also good, but the book is destroyed by his prevalent emphasis on the sexual. It seems as though someone is either having or wanting sex on every third page. Yes, sex sells, but does it have to utterly overpower? Sophie's fragility, beauty, and other such inspiring stuff might have been better portrayed than through the eyes of the lustful, sniveling twit who longs for her. At least Styron managed not to overemphasize the supposed point of the story--but he certainy digressed often enough to lose it in a tangle of legs and buttocks.