Vincent Lam's loosely connected stories about med students and subsequent doctors are fascinating to read. One quickly gets caught up in these characters' lives, which are told with humour and compassion.
It's an amazing glimpse into the medical world with its doctors portrayed as human beings who are sometimes faced with astonishing dilemmas and must perform with heroic strength.
The only drawback is that the stories alternate between characters and we don't get enough of each individual.
Marjane Satrapi brilliantly conveys Iran's history through the eyes of a young girl growing up. It's not merely a history lesson though; it's a moving and humourous personal story as well, involving Marjane's intellectual Marxist family.
The graphics are simple but effective and convey not only the horrors of the Iranian revolution and war with Iraq, but the joyous moments spent with family and friends as well.
The recent animated film version did the graphic memoir justice--it was just as funny and touching.
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(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
A timely story by a terrific author. The story is mostly about fitting in, whether one is a native-born American or a recently-arrived American. It also touches on the difficulties experienced by immigrants since 9/11.
Tyler gives us a story about friendship and struggle between the American Donaldsons and the Iranian American Yazdans, centring on both families' adoptions of Korean infants.
She has always written expertly about relationships but here Tyler infuses her story with some socio-political issues. Humour is also well in attendance, as are abundant descriptions of the plentiful Iranian dishes that are served at the annual "arrival parties" for the newly-arrived Korean girls.
An interesting story with good character description and distinctive points of view.
I loved this book from beginning to end--it whole-heartedly deserved to win the annual Canada Reads Contest. Baby, the novel's young female protagonist, was so captivating. It was one of the most original and touching stories I've read in a long time. It will make you laugh and cry, and you won't want to put it down.
I had the good fortune to meet the author at my local library and she was delightful. I look forward to many more great books from her.
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(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Never having been to Australia and unfamiliar with much of the slang used in the novel, I nevertheless was completely captivated by the wonderful descriptions of the rugged Australian landscape, as well as the quirky characteristics of the principal characters.
Luther Fox came off the most sympathetic due to everything he'd endured in his past and was still enduring. His drive and (stubborn) determination to free himself of his demons was heartwrenching.
Georgie Jutland, the woman who he becomes obsessed with, is also trying to elude her demons. They make an unusual pair in that Georgie is still tied to her partner (a tough fisherman and sworn enemy of the Fox family) and initially cannot decide what move to make.
The writing is lyrical with crisp dialogue, and the plot moves along, dividing its chapters between Georgie and Luthor and their quests for individuality.
A real page-turner.
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(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
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julieb43 has commented on (5) products.
Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures: Stories by Vincent Lam
julieb43, April 10, 2008
Vincent Lam's loosely connected stories about med students and subsequent doctors are fascinating to read. One quickly gets caught up in these characters' lives, which are told with humour and compassion.It's an amazing glimpse into the medical world with its doctors portrayed as human beings who are sometimes faced with astonishing dilemmas and must perform with heroic strength.
The only drawback is that the stories alternate between characters and we don't get enough of each individual.
A good read nevertheless.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
julieb43, March 7, 2008
Marjane Satrapi brilliantly conveys Iran's history through the eyes of a young girl growing up. It's not merely a history lesson though; it's a moving and humourous personal story as well, involving Marjane's intellectual Marxist family.The graphics are simple but effective and convey not only the horrors of the Iranian revolution and war with Iraq, but the joyous moments spent with family and friends as well.
The recent animated film version did the graphic memoir justice--it was just as funny and touching.
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Digging to America by Anne Tyler
julieb43, March 4, 2008
A timely story by a terrific author. The story is mostly about fitting in, whether one is a native-born American or a recently-arrived American. It also touches on the difficulties experienced by immigrants since 9/11.Tyler gives us a story about friendship and struggle between the American Donaldsons and the Iranian American Yazdans, centring on both families' adoptions of Korean infants.
She has always written expertly about relationships but here Tyler infuses her story with some socio-political issues. Humour is also well in attendance, as are abundant descriptions of the plentiful Iranian dishes that are served at the annual "arrival parties" for the newly-arrived Korean girls.
An interesting story with good character description and distinctive points of view.
Lullabies for Little Criminals (P.S.) by Heather Oneill
julieb43, February 24, 2008
I loved this book from beginning to end--it whole-heartedly deserved to win the annual Canada Reads Contest. Baby, the novel's young female protagonist, was so captivating. It was one of the most original and touching stories I've read in a long time. It will make you laugh and cry, and you won't want to put it down.I had the good fortune to meet the author at my local library and she was delightful. I look forward to many more great books from her.
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Dirt Music by Tim Winton
julieb43, February 18, 2008
Never having been to Australia and unfamiliar with much of the slang used in the novel, I nevertheless was completely captivated by the wonderful descriptions of the rugged Australian landscape, as well as the quirky characteristics of the principal characters.Luther Fox came off the most sympathetic due to everything he'd endured in his past and was still enduring. His drive and (stubborn) determination to free himself of his demons was heartwrenching.
Georgie Jutland, the woman who he becomes obsessed with, is also trying to elude her demons. They make an unusual pair in that Georgie is still tied to her partner (a tough fisherman and sworn enemy of the Fox family) and initially cannot decide what move to make.
The writing is lyrical with crisp dialogue, and the plot moves along, dividing its chapters between Georgie and Luthor and their quests for individuality.
A real page-turner.
(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)