It should not be so hard to write both poetry and fiction. Both arts, after all, make use of the same materials, words and punctuation. Poems...
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I'm already a huge Ondaatje fan, and he did not disappoint with his latest novel! A lovely childhood reminiscence that avoids sweet sentimentalism, The Cat's Table reminds us that we all have those events in our past that have shaped who we are today. For Ondaatje's narrator "Michael," it is a weeks-long boat trip from Sri Lanka to London, that also gives the novel a touch of an adventure story. A beautiful story with lovely characters rendered in Ondaatje's amazing prose, this is his best work in years.
I picked this book up because it was on sale, but after reading it I would have paid full price. What a delightful novel! Sherrill's California is both complex and compelling. The narrator Inez draws you in with her experiences and her commentary, and even though my own childhood was quite different from hers, I could feel her pain and triumphs and found myself cheering her on throughout the book. It was one of those rare novels I couldn't put down. Now I'm looking forward to reading Sherrill's other works, both present and future.
I am not a regular reader of science fiction and/or fantasy, but when this book was recommended to me and I heard what it was about, I had to give it a shot. A regular point of conversation in my family is what we should do in the sure-to-be apocalypse. These conversations are mostly in jest, of course, but I think in the back of everyone's minds these days is what they would do if they were faced with a world full of zombies or rampant disease or a nuclear winter (think McCarthy's _The Road_.) Stirling gives us a view of a world after an undetermined cataclysmic event that knocks out all electricity--permanently--and renders combustibles, like gun powder, useless. In other words, "The Change" sends the world back to the Middle Ages when you couldn't rely on technology, except in its most rudimentary forms, to save and/or help you. This premise would not normally be enough to get me to read this book; however, what pushed me over the edge was the fact that it's set in Western Oregon (up and down the Willamette Valley) and Northern Idaho and Eastern Oregon (from the Sawtooths to Pendleton to Bend). As a Pacific Northwest native who has lived in both Western and Eastern Oregon and who has a lot of family in Idaho, I absolutely loved being able to visualize the places Stirling was writing about (he's great with geographic authenticity!) and that made the book all the better. So, if you live in Oregon or Idaho (or Southern Washington, for that matter), and want to prepare yourself for the apocalypse, read _Dies the Fire_ and start practicing an antiquated skill such as archery, swordsmanship, even smithing, just for fun. You never know when you'll have to use it!
It's always a pleasure to read a new author with real talent, and that's exactly what Ben Fountain is. His narratives not only draw you in, but he's a master at language. In a world where even the most inane prose can somehow find a publisher, Fountain's work reminds everyone what good writing is and why we read good writing in the first place.
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(10 of 20 readers found this comment helpful)
This is simply the best novel I have read all year. Vega has an incredible ability to draw you in to his intricate web of characters and plots and keep you interested and engaged through a complicated piece of work. His insights on race and identity are powerful and important and his use of jazz and jazz culture as the "thing" that ties America together is ingenious. This book is a must read for anyone looking for their new favorite author!
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(7 of 13 readers found this comment helpful)
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Malinda has commented on (5) products.
The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje
Malinda, January 1, 2012
I'm already a huge Ondaatje fan, and he did not disappoint with his latest novel! A lovely childhood reminiscence that avoids sweet sentimentalism, The Cat's Table reminds us that we all have those events in our past that have shaped who we are today. For Ondaatje's narrator "Michael," it is a weeks-long boat trip from Sri Lanka to London, that also gives the novel a touch of an adventure story. A beautiful story with lovely characters rendered in Ondaatje's amazing prose, this is his best work in years.The Ruins of California by Martha Sherrill
Malinda, February 1, 2011
I picked this book up because it was on sale, but after reading it I would have paid full price. What a delightful novel! Sherrill's California is both complex and compelling. The narrator Inez draws you in with her experiences and her commentary, and even though my own childhood was quite different from hers, I could feel her pain and triumphs and found myself cheering her on throughout the book. It was one of those rare novels I couldn't put down. Now I'm looking forward to reading Sherrill's other works, both present and future.Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling
Malinda, January 2, 2011
I am not a regular reader of science fiction and/or fantasy, but when this book was recommended to me and I heard what it was about, I had to give it a shot. A regular point of conversation in my family is what we should do in the sure-to-be apocalypse. These conversations are mostly in jest, of course, but I think in the back of everyone's minds these days is what they would do if they were faced with a world full of zombies or rampant disease or a nuclear winter (think McCarthy's _The Road_.) Stirling gives us a view of a world after an undetermined cataclysmic event that knocks out all electricity--permanently--and renders combustibles, like gun powder, useless. In other words, "The Change" sends the world back to the Middle Ages when you couldn't rely on technology, except in its most rudimentary forms, to save and/or help you. This premise would not normally be enough to get me to read this book; however, what pushed me over the edge was the fact that it's set in Western Oregon (up and down the Willamette Valley) and Northern Idaho and Eastern Oregon (from the Sawtooths to Pendleton to Bend). As a Pacific Northwest native who has lived in both Western and Eastern Oregon and who has a lot of family in Idaho, I absolutely loved being able to visualize the places Stirling was writing about (he's great with geographic authenticity!) and that made the book all the better. So, if you live in Oregon or Idaho (or Southern Washington, for that matter), and want to prepare yourself for the apocalypse, read _Dies the Fire_ and start practicing an antiquated skill such as archery, swordsmanship, even smithing, just for fun. You never know when you'll have to use it!Brief Encounters with Che Guevara: Stories (P.S.) by Ben Fountain
Malinda, March 1, 2008
It's always a pleasure to read a new author with real talent, and that's exactly what Ben Fountain is. His narratives not only draw you in, but he's a master at language. In a world where even the most inane prose can somehow find a publisher, Fountain's work reminds everyone what good writing is and why we read good writing in the first place.(10 of 20 readers found this comment helpful)
No Matter How Much You Promise...: A Symphonic Novel by Edgardo Vega Yunqué
Malinda, October 7, 2006
This is simply the best novel I have read all year. Vega has an incredible ability to draw you in to his intricate web of characters and plots and keep you interested and engaged through a complicated piece of work. His insights on race and identity are powerful and important and his use of jazz and jazz culture as the "thing" that ties America together is ingenious. This book is a must read for anyone looking for their new favorite author!(7 of 13 readers found this comment helpful)