23 - Burnt
Shadows, by Kamila Shamsie
WHY I PICKED IT: Heard
her interviewed on CBC Radio, and was intrigued
ELAPSED TIME: 10 days
RATING: REQUIRED READING
This book is really three inter-related sections. The first section is set on the backdrop of the Nagasaki bomb and the partition of India. In this part of the book,Shamsie weaves in concepts of class and difference from a perspective that is rarely seen in North America. I would recommend this book on this section alone. So rarely does a writer introduce such concepts, with prose that is captivating.
The second section brings us to a neighborhood in Karachi during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. We can see how some characters thrived, and others, despite having let pride get in their way, have made lives for themselves. Here Shamsie shows us that character is really a defining feature in who we are; more so than the opportunities that were available to us (by virtue of race and where we were born).
Finally, we have Afghanistan and the USA in a post 9/11 world. 20 years have passed. This part of the story builds on the themes from earlier in the book. Subtle commentary becomes more a feature in the story as issues of nationalism and opportunity show us how North Americans value a human lifedepending on where they were born and where they died, and the impact of US interventionist policy 20-years after they left Afghanistan to the Taliban. This is beautifully written, but (to me) didn't fit with the rest of the story as too much action and intrigue detracted from the characters and ideas that Shamsie had built up.
Shamsie writes characters that have warmth and depth, and that are beautiful and flawed. Best of all, she writes about nationalism and class, about war and the value of a human life. This is a book, and these are characters, that will travel with me for some time to come.
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!
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
2014-22 - Sugar Falls, by David Alexander Robertson and Scott B. Henderson
22 - Sugar Falls, by David Alexander Robertson and Scott B. Henderson
WHY I PICKED IT: Heard about it on the CBC
ELAPSED TIME: 2 days
RATING: Very Good
This is a great little story. A graphic novel with only 40 pages tells the story of a high school kid asking his friend's grandmother about her experience in a Canadian Residential School.
These schools were run by the Catholic Church, funded by the Canadian government, and imposed on the native population... These churches were the home to many native children who were forced away from their families, to sacrifice their own language and culture, were beaten when they didn't comply, and frequently abused in other ways too.
This story shows all of that... A stark reminder that this history is not that long ago. A worthy read.
WHY I PICKED IT: Heard about it on the CBC
ELAPSED TIME: 2 days
RATING: Very Good
This is a great little story. A graphic novel with only 40 pages tells the story of a high school kid asking his friend's grandmother about her experience in a Canadian Residential School.
These schools were run by the Catholic Church, funded by the Canadian government, and imposed on the native population... These churches were the home to many native children who were forced away from their families, to sacrifice their own language and culture, were beaten when they didn't comply, and frequently abused in other ways too.
This story shows all of that... A stark reminder that this history is not that long ago. A worthy read.
2014-21 - The Rosie Effect, by Graeme Simsion
21 - The Rosie Effect, by Graeme Simsion
WHY I PICKED IT: Loved the Rosie Project
ELAPSED TIME: 1 week
RATING: Not Good
Oh what a disappointment. The Rosie Project was a surprisingly fantastic book. The follow up had logical fallacies (what are the odds of anybody in NYC scoring themselves a free apartment in Manhattan) and unlikely events (friend-of-a-friend who flips out at dinner turns out to be the social worker who forces him into therapy!)... oh the hijinks. No. Sorry. Fail.
WHY I PICKED IT: Loved the Rosie Project
ELAPSED TIME: 1 week
RATING: Not Good
Oh what a disappointment. The Rosie Project was a surprisingly fantastic book. The follow up had logical fallacies (what are the odds of anybody in NYC scoring themselves a free apartment in Manhattan) and unlikely events (friend-of-a-friend who flips out at dinner turns out to be the social worker who forces him into therapy!)... oh the hijinks. No. Sorry. Fail.
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