Describe your latest book/project/work. I've been studying the life and work of photographer W. Eugene Smith for 13 years. My first book (Dream...
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this early book by Portland author Spanbauer certainly fits the "rollicking good read" phrase - but it is more than that - it is also a thoughtful (though undeniably fun) consideration of identity (gender, family, self) and the effects of religious repression on a small town. The characters are great - several I wish I knew now - and the story very compelling and full of action. I was pretty emotionally bound up in the story and wanted it to keep going.
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(8 of 13 readers found this comment helpful)
While not as arresting as his fiction (e.g., About Grace) - this memoir of a year in Rome by Anthony Doerr is full of clear, beautiful writing. He explores the small cobbled backways of Rome's neighborhoods near the Vatican with his new twin sons, ruminates on birth, death, gratitude and anticipation while surviving days with out sleep (two babies, remember?) and being struck dumb and mute through not knowing Italian. He has written a touching and insightful and gently provocative book about Rome and being alive. Definately worth a read.
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(7 of 11 readers found this comment helpful)
Chandra has written a huge, churning tale that combines detective mystery, international thriller and religious pilgrimage - with a a fascinating view into current life in India. Set mostly in Mumbai (Bombay), but ranging throughout Asia, this book takes commitment (at 900 pages), but is well paced and full of interesting (though sometimes a bit simplistically drawn) characters that (I at least) will likely never meet in my life. I found the complicated narrative simple to follow and gripping - deftly showing how loyaltry between friends and family (blood or extended) holds people together in a setting rife with violence, graft, greed and betrayal. A pervasive backdrop of cultural and religious intolerance provides a nice counterpoint to one of the characters' ultimately futile attempt to find spiritual peace.
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(11 of 20 readers found this comment helpful)
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paul sorenson has commented on (3) products.
The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon by Tom Spanbauer
paul sorenson, July 15, 2007
this early book by Portland author Spanbauer certainly fits the "rollicking good read" phrase - but it is more than that - it is also a thoughtful (though undeniably fun) consideration of identity (gender, family, self) and the effects of religious repression on a small town. The characters are great - several I wish I knew now - and the story very compelling and full of action. I was pretty emotionally bound up in the story and wanted it to keep going.(8 of 13 readers found this comment helpful)
Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World by Anthony Doerr
paul sorenson, July 3, 2007
While not as arresting as his fiction (e.g., About Grace) - this memoir of a year in Rome by Anthony Doerr is full of clear, beautiful writing. He explores the small cobbled backways of Rome's neighborhoods near the Vatican with his new twin sons, ruminates on birth, death, gratitude and anticipation while surviving days with out sleep (two babies, remember?) and being struck dumb and mute through not knowing Italian. He has written a touching and insightful and gently provocative book about Rome and being alive. Definately worth a read.(7 of 11 readers found this comment helpful)
Sacred Games: A Novel by Vikram Chandra
paul sorenson, May 6, 2007
Chandra has written a huge, churning tale that combines detective mystery, international thriller and religious pilgrimage - with a a fascinating view into current life in India. Set mostly in Mumbai (Bombay), but ranging throughout Asia, this book takes commitment (at 900 pages), but is well paced and full of interesting (though sometimes a bit simplistically drawn) characters that (I at least) will likely never meet in my life. I found the complicated narrative simple to follow and gripping - deftly showing how loyaltry between friends and family (blood or extended) holds people together in a setting rife with violence, graft, greed and betrayal. A pervasive backdrop of cultural and religious intolerance provides a nice counterpoint to one of the characters' ultimately futile attempt to find spiritual peace.(11 of 20 readers found this comment helpful)