Reads
Pseudo-reviews of some of the books I have read recently...
The Zero by Jess Walter - This is the second Walter book I have read (the other being Citizen Vince). IMHO, The Zero is better. This book also happens to be the third 9/11 book I have read. I'd rank Ken Kalfus's A Disorder Peculiar to the Country higher than The Zero, but I'd place The Zero ahead of DeLillo's Falling Man, a novel I did not really like, though I admit it has moments of genius. The Zero is a kind of thriller, I suppose, and a sort of dark comedy with some noir thrown in. It'sa good summer read.
The Grifters by Jim Thomspon - Essential Jim Thompson.
The Elementary Particles by Michel Houellebecq - I loved Platform very much. This book?: not so much. Despite the graphic sex that should appeal to me, the book reads like a too-long essay on the social history of France told by way of biographies of two half brothers. The trouble is that the novel is unbelievably boring.
A Partisan's Daughter by Louis De Bernieres - I am a huge fan of this writer, but I hated this book.
Choke by Chuck Palahniuk - I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't. I mean, it's OK, and it's certainly not terrible. If you removed the sex parts, though, you would be left with an unreadable book. I'd really hate to use the word stupid to describe this book, but I might have to.
The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall - I imagine that if the publisher packaged this book as a mass market paperback and placed it at the checkout at supermarkets, it would sell quite a few copies. I fail to understand why this book is being referred to as literary. I just don't see that. It's a quirky sort of book that is not challenging to read. Literary it is not. It might pass for good. It's not brilliant.
Ratner's Star by Don DeLillo - I'm a big fan of DeLillo. I've loved everything I had read, except for Falling Man, as I have already mentioned. This book is great, but a bit of a chore to get through. If you are a serious DeLillo fan, you will already have read it anyway.
Kockroach by Tyler Knox - Kockroach is sort of the reverse of Kafka's Metamorphosis. Imagine a cockroach turning into a man who gets involved in organized crime. It's a fun read.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon - The idea behind this novel is fascinating and I enjoyed it at some level, but I would say that it shouldn't have been a novel. I really think that this book would have been better as a long short story or a novella. I think it was difficult for the author to sustain the story, or maybe I simply tired of it.
The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs by Irvine Welsh - I suppose this is a modern twist The Picture of Dorian Gray. It's thoroughly enjoyable, but you have to accept the crazy supernatural concept.
Leading the Cheers by Justin Cartwright - Not bad, but Justin has done better. White Lightning, for example, is better.
Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord by Louis De Bernieres - Awesome. This is book two in the Latin American trilogy. Book three is waiting for me. De Bernieres is a talented writer and he has a gift for comedy and political satire.
Showing posts with label don delillo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label don delillo. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Some Recent Reads
OK, so here are a bunch of mini reviews/comments on some of the books that I have read recently, which probably means within the last couple of months, or so. I am sure that I have missed a few.
Justin Cartwright - In Every Face I Meet
I still fail to understand why Justin Cartwright is not more famous. He ought to be. This book was short-listed for the Booker Prize. It didn't win. I am not certain that it should have won. It's good, for sure, but not his best. I still prefer White Lightning, but this is certainly a good book. I'll give it an 8/10.
Jess Walter - Citizen Vince
I don't normally read crime fiction. There might be crime in the fiction I read, but the genre is not something I normally check out. I can't really say why that is. It just is. So, I read Citizen Vince mostly because I liked what was written on the back cover. The blurb mentioned sex, drugs, prostitution - all good things, really. It mentioned mobsters and a cross-country chase. While it is true that all of these elements are part of this book, I have to say emphatically that the blurb is over-written. That's not to say that I was disappointed. After all, the book is a lot more subtle than the blurb would have you believe. The protagonist is not such a bad guy, for a bad guy. He's truly reformed, though still earning some money on the side by means of a few illegal activities. So, yes, he's a bad guy doing bad guy things, and yet we like him in a noirish way. He's alright, in many ways, and one feels for his plight. The book is alright too, but I wouldn't suggest that you read it. I would suggest that you read the blurb and then decide if you want to read it. Just remember that the cover copy is over-written. I give this book a 6.5/10. If you are one of those crime fiction readers, you would probably rate it higher, maybe even an 8.5/10.
Paul Quarrington - King Leary
Paul Quarrington could be my favourite Canadian writer. Sadly, he has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. I have read many of his books and recently read King Leary while on the train to Montreal. Leary won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. Stephen Leacock was a funny Canadian writer who wrote lots of funny things, by the way. This book is probably deserving of the award, as it is funny and a good read. But, I have very little to go on, since the only other Leacock winner I have read is Jake and the Kid by W.O. Mitchell, but that was really read to me in public school by the teacher a long time ago. I tried to read Barney's Version, another Leacock winner, but found it unbearably boring. My fav Quarrington novel has to be Whale Music, but his best piece of writing is The Boy on the Back of the Turtle. I give King Leary 8/10.
Jim Thompson - After Dark, My Sweet
I don't normally read crime fiction. Wait, I already said that. This book, however, might better be described as pulp fiction, but not in a Tarantino kind of way. It may be that Jim Thompson has been overlooked as a writer, despite the evidence that he was on to something. This book was made into a film. I know, that's not really a good indicator of a book's relative value, but it is interesting to consider, especially when you note that other Thompson books were filmed as well. These books include The Grifters and The Getaway, which was filmed twice, I believe, the first time by Sam Peckinpah.
Anyway, I liked this piece of noir pulp fiction and I am thinking that I should locate the film. I'll rate this book a 7.5/10.
Louis de Bernières - The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts
This book is a satirical, magical, and hilarious look at a fictionalized nation in South America. The writing is so genuinely terrific that it is a difficult book to put down. Other words that might describe this book could be zany and beautiful and violent. At the heart of this book is a parody of third world banana republics, filled with unusual characters and with hilarious yet poignant observations. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it. I have almost finished the second book in the trilogy: Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord, which is funnier that it's predecessor. The third and final book in the trilogy - The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman - is waiting for me on my bookcase. The first two books in this trilogy deserve a rating of 9.9/10.
Don Delillo - Falling Man
I never thought that it would happen, but Don DeLillo has finally penned a novel that I did not like. Sure, there are the usual pieces of genius and his poetical use of the English language, but this book left me unimpressed. Let me just say that the dialogue irritated me. No one speaks the way they do in this book. It doesn't mater who the character is, everyone speaks in a jarring, fragmented fashion that is difficult to accept. I appreciate what DeLillo is trying to achieve, but I am not convinced that he pulled it off. For that, I have to give this a 6/10.
Graham Swift - Out of this World
This is perhaps a minor work from Swift and, while I think I enjoyed it, it really didn't stay with me. I have no complaints, no praise, and not much at all to say about it. The book is fine, but not at all out-of-this-world. If you are planning to read Swift, better start somewhere else, say with Last Orders. 6.5/10 for this one.
Gao Xingjian - Buying a Fishing Rod for My Grandfather, Stories
OK, so here are a bunch of mini reviews/comments on some of the books that I have read recently, which probably means within the last couple of months, or so. I am sure that I have missed a few.
Justin Cartwright - In Every Face I Meet
I still fail to understand why Justin Cartwright is not more famous. He ought to be. This book was short-listed for the Booker Prize. It didn't win. I am not certain that it should have won. It's good, for sure, but not his best. I still prefer White Lightning, but this is certainly a good book. I'll give it an 8/10.
Jess Walter - Citizen Vince
I don't normally read crime fiction. There might be crime in the fiction I read, but the genre is not something I normally check out. I can't really say why that is. It just is. So, I read Citizen Vince mostly because I liked what was written on the back cover. The blurb mentioned sex, drugs, prostitution - all good things, really. It mentioned mobsters and a cross-country chase. While it is true that all of these elements are part of this book, I have to say emphatically that the blurb is over-written. That's not to say that I was disappointed. After all, the book is a lot more subtle than the blurb would have you believe. The protagonist is not such a bad guy, for a bad guy. He's truly reformed, though still earning some money on the side by means of a few illegal activities. So, yes, he's a bad guy doing bad guy things, and yet we like him in a noirish way. He's alright, in many ways, and one feels for his plight. The book is alright too, but I wouldn't suggest that you read it. I would suggest that you read the blurb and then decide if you want to read it. Just remember that the cover copy is over-written. I give this book a 6.5/10. If you are one of those crime fiction readers, you would probably rate it higher, maybe even an 8.5/10.
Paul Quarrington - King Leary
Paul Quarrington could be my favourite Canadian writer. Sadly, he has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. I have read many of his books and recently read King Leary while on the train to Montreal. Leary won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. Stephen Leacock was a funny Canadian writer who wrote lots of funny things, by the way. This book is probably deserving of the award, as it is funny and a good read. But, I have very little to go on, since the only other Leacock winner I have read is Jake and the Kid by W.O. Mitchell, but that was really read to me in public school by the teacher a long time ago. I tried to read Barney's Version, another Leacock winner, but found it unbearably boring. My fav Quarrington novel has to be Whale Music, but his best piece of writing is The Boy on the Back of the Turtle. I give King Leary 8/10.
Jim Thompson - After Dark, My Sweet
I don't normally read crime fiction. Wait, I already said that. This book, however, might better be described as pulp fiction, but not in a Tarantino kind of way. It may be that Jim Thompson has been overlooked as a writer, despite the evidence that he was on to something. This book was made into a film. I know, that's not really a good indicator of a book's relative value, but it is interesting to consider, especially when you note that other Thompson books were filmed as well. These books include The Grifters and The Getaway, which was filmed twice, I believe, the first time by Sam Peckinpah.
Anyway, I liked this piece of noir pulp fiction and I am thinking that I should locate the film. I'll rate this book a 7.5/10.
Louis de Bernières - The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts
This book is a satirical, magical, and hilarious look at a fictionalized nation in South America. The writing is so genuinely terrific that it is a difficult book to put down. Other words that might describe this book could be zany and beautiful and violent. At the heart of this book is a parody of third world banana republics, filled with unusual characters and with hilarious yet poignant observations. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it. I have almost finished the second book in the trilogy: Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord, which is funnier that it's predecessor. The third and final book in the trilogy - The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman - is waiting for me on my bookcase. The first two books in this trilogy deserve a rating of 9.9/10.
Don Delillo - Falling Man
I never thought that it would happen, but Don DeLillo has finally penned a novel that I did not like. Sure, there are the usual pieces of genius and his poetical use of the English language, but this book left me unimpressed. Let me just say that the dialogue irritated me. No one speaks the way they do in this book. It doesn't mater who the character is, everyone speaks in a jarring, fragmented fashion that is difficult to accept. I appreciate what DeLillo is trying to achieve, but I am not convinced that he pulled it off. For that, I have to give this a 6/10.
Graham Swift - Out of this World
This is perhaps a minor work from Swift and, while I think I enjoyed it, it really didn't stay with me. I have no complaints, no praise, and not much at all to say about it. The book is fine, but not at all out-of-this-world. If you are planning to read Swift, better start somewhere else, say with Last Orders. 6.5/10 for this one.
Gao Xingjian - Buying a Fishing Rod for My Grandfather, Stories
Are these really stories? They feel more like random pieces of prose. I suppose that they qualify as both. This is an entertaining book and it's extremely well-written. It's enjoyable, but I didn't think too hard about what I was reading. The words just flowed over me and I absorbed them. 8.5/10
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
DeLillo, DeLillo, DeLillo, and some other things
I wrote, in a previous post, that "Don DeLillo is, without question, the greatest living novelist." I am not really sure if that is true, but I can say that he is in my personal top 5. This was confirmed for me again after reading Cosmopolis, although I will say that I have enjoyed some of his other books better. His masterpiece, White Noise, is so complex that it is like reading an encrypted sociological treatise. Underworld is simply a novel about everything, a novel so completely formed that the first thing I wanted to do when I finished it was read it again. It is long, dense, and fascinating.
The trouble is, it is difficult to move on. After DeLillo, many novels seem anemic. I am hoping that David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas will not pale too much in comparison.
Fractured penis?
I thought it was all muscle. A man lost a court case against his ex-girlfriend when she fractured his penis during sex. Seriously, You can read about it here.
May 18th
Today is International day of the internet and International day of Museums, and Visit Your Relatives Day. Just thought you'd like to know.
Technorati Tags: Don DeLillo, Cosmopolis, reading, penis
I wrote, in a previous post, that "Don DeLillo is, without question, the greatest living novelist." I am not really sure if that is true, but I can say that he is in my personal top 5. This was confirmed for me again after reading Cosmopolis, although I will say that I have enjoyed some of his other books better. His masterpiece, White Noise, is so complex that it is like reading an encrypted sociological treatise. Underworld is simply a novel about everything, a novel so completely formed that the first thing I wanted to do when I finished it was read it again. It is long, dense, and fascinating.
The trouble is, it is difficult to move on. After DeLillo, many novels seem anemic. I am hoping that David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas will not pale too much in comparison.
Fractured penis?
I thought it was all muscle. A man lost a court case against his ex-girlfriend when she fractured his penis during sex. Seriously, You can read about it here.
May 18th
Today is International day of the internet and International day of Museums, and Visit Your Relatives Day. Just thought you'd like to know.
Technorati Tags: Don DeLillo, Cosmopolis, reading, penis
Monday, July 21, 2003
Don DeLillo
Don DeLillo is, without question, the greatest living novelist. I finally read The Body Artist, his short follow-up to Underworld. (Read chapter one). It is a deceptively simple story, and quite unlike Underworld, or his other novels.
Tags: Don DeLillo, reading
Don DeLillo is, without question, the greatest living novelist. I finally read The Body Artist, his short follow-up to Underworld. (Read chapter one). It is a deceptively simple story, and quite unlike Underworld, or his other novels.
Tags: Don DeLillo, reading
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)