51 - Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, by Dai Sijie, 184 pages, Random House, 2001
WHY I PICKED IT: Picked it up in Powell's Books in Portland
ELAPSED TIME: 2 days
RATING: Very Good
This story was both a learning experience and a joy to read. I didn't know of Mao Zedong's "re-education" efforts of sending the children of the bourgeois to remote villages to learn the value of real work... the lost intellectual opportunity for a generation of children through the rejection of literature and science is sad.
Despite this backdrop, the protagonist and his best friend Luo, survive and find joy in secreted books (including Balzak's Ursule Mirouet), and a friendship with the daughter of the region's tailor.
I enjoyed this story and would wholeheartedly recommend it.
This blog is a simple review of every book that I read... For all books I’ll tell you why I picked it, how long it took me to read it, and give it a rating (burn it, not good, meh, good, very good, and required reading). I ask (encourage?) all readers of my blog to post their thoughts of any of the books in my comments :). Thanks!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
2011-50 - The Descendents, by Kaui Hart Hemmings
50 - The Descendents, by Kaui Hart Hemmings, 283 pages, Random House, 2011
WHY I PICKED IT: Picked it up in Powell's Books in Portland
ELAPSED TIME: 2days
RATING: Very Good
This is a melancholic story of a man who is trying to connect with his daughters, while saying goodbye to his wife (who is being taken off the ventilators, as directed by her living will).
The drama of the story is poignant and quite real. The experience of their interaction is phenomenally well constructed:
- That someone would "forget" that their wife and mother is slowly dying in a hospital bed, and sharing a laugh for a moment is a completely believable (especially when you consider the book starts more than 2 weeks into the Joanie's coma).
- That the death of his wife is the awakening of Matthew... that he now understands that he is responsible for his family, and for their future.
I strongly recommend this book.
WHY I PICKED IT: Picked it up in Powell's Books in Portland
ELAPSED TIME: 2days
RATING: Very Good
This is a melancholic story of a man who is trying to connect with his daughters, while saying goodbye to his wife (who is being taken off the ventilators, as directed by her living will).
The drama of the story is poignant and quite real. The experience of their interaction is phenomenally well constructed:
- That someone would "forget" that their wife and mother is slowly dying in a hospital bed, and sharing a laugh for a moment is a completely believable (especially when you consider the book starts more than 2 weeks into the Joanie's coma).
- That the death of his wife is the awakening of Matthew... that he now understands that he is responsible for his family, and for their future.
I strongly recommend this book.
2011-49 - One Day, by David Nichols
49 - One Day, by David Nichols, 435 pages, Random House Vintage Books, 2009
WHY I PICKED IT: Ling Sian recommended it
ELAPSED TIME: 6 days
RATING: Required Reading
This is the second time I've read this book, and I'm rating it higher than the initial read... The story is of Dexter and Emma's friendship... on July 15th of each year for 20-years from graduating from University, through to building careers, and figuring their way in the world.
Dex and Em are people to me now, and I will miss having them in my life.
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