"The Space Between" this and other bestselling novels......
The Space Between Us is quite an ambitious novel. The universal themes of gender roles, identity, class struggles, poverty, family bonds and love are pervasive, but it is written so eloquently and with such dynamic force that it supercedes the vast majority of bestselling fiction on bookstore shelves today.
This characters and circumstances of this novel could take place in any time and place throughout history, which is what makes it so relatable. The fact that the author chose to set it in Bombay only adds to its appealability, in my opinion. Learning of the customs and pasttimes of the people if India added another layer of fascination, yet these could have been people you all know and love.
What was most brilliant about this novel was the quiet, subtle way the story unfolded, as opposed to it being thrust upon the reader from page one. You will inevitably become so immersed in the characters' stories, you'll be shocked at the way their lives unfold.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. The author is a briliant and magical storyteller and I look forward to reading anything and everything she writes!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Quote of the Day
I suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little farther down our particular path than we have yet got ourselves. ~ E. M. Forster
The Sacrifice of Tamar by Naomi Ragen
Read it and weep....
I absolutely loved and HIGHLY recommend this gem of a novel!
The story of a young ultra-religious girl in 1950s Brooklyn having to deal with having been brutally raped by a African American man and unable to tell anyone or deal with the consequences, was gripping, intriguing and an extraordinary premise. Yet this book is about so much more....it is about friendship, beliefs, tradition, family loyalties, truth, honor and love. It is a book that will stick with you a long time after reading it and hopefully you'll feel as compelled as I to pass it along to friends/family.
Despite its predictabilty, I would consider this a "must-read" and recommend it highly. For those of us who grew up Jewish, or at least familiar with Jewish culture/traditions, it will be extremely compelling and relatable....(I was proud to recognize/understand all those yiddish words I heard growing up!) However, I hope it finds a universal readership, across cultural and religious lines, as I believe it is through learning about other people/cultures, that we become a more tolerant society.
I absolutely loved and HIGHLY recommend this gem of a novel!
The story of a young ultra-religious girl in 1950s Brooklyn having to deal with having been brutally raped by a African American man and unable to tell anyone or deal with the consequences, was gripping, intriguing and an extraordinary premise. Yet this book is about so much more....it is about friendship, beliefs, tradition, family loyalties, truth, honor and love. It is a book that will stick with you a long time after reading it and hopefully you'll feel as compelled as I to pass it along to friends/family.
Despite its predictabilty, I would consider this a "must-read" and recommend it highly. For those of us who grew up Jewish, or at least familiar with Jewish culture/traditions, it will be extremely compelling and relatable....(I was proud to recognize/understand all those yiddish words I heard growing up!) However, I hope it finds a universal readership, across cultural and religious lines, as I believe it is through learning about other people/cultures, that we become a more tolerant society.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
Loving Mamah.....
While I really enjoyed this novel and was captivated by the romance between Mamah and Frank Lloyd Wright in the first few years of the 20th Century, I really LOVED Mamah's character and found her extremely relatable, complex and indeed a woman ahead of her time. Her only condition/vice/weakness was her love for a man not her husband, for which her society shunned her, and perhaps rightly so.
What bothered me about Mamah's character was the ease with which she abandon her children for her own romantic happiness, something I personally find so hard to imagine. However, despite my inabiltiy to comprehend this aspect of her character, I still had enormous respect for her as a woman, admired her lifestyle, and continued to "root for her" throughout the novel.
While some will argue that Mamah was the love of Frank's life, I never truly felt his love for her came close to hers for him. It is true he abandoned his wife and their children to live with Mamah in Talesin, however, I believe even if Mamah never come along, his journey may have led him to live apart from them nonetheless. Frank seemed, from this novel, a man obsessed with his work, his ideals, and his idea of truth (despite his affair), all of which he valued above his love for Mamah. While there is no doubt they were in love, it seemed (as the name of the novel suggests) that this is really Mamah's story of loving Frank, more than a love of equality or of her being the love of his life.
I HIGHLY recommend this novel and know avid readers will welcome and love this novel
While I really enjoyed this novel and was captivated by the romance between Mamah and Frank Lloyd Wright in the first few years of the 20th Century, I really LOVED Mamah's character and found her extremely relatable, complex and indeed a woman ahead of her time. Her only condition/vice/weakness was her love for a man not her husband, for which her society shunned her, and perhaps rightly so.
What bothered me about Mamah's character was the ease with which she abandon her children for her own romantic happiness, something I personally find so hard to imagine. However, despite my inabiltiy to comprehend this aspect of her character, I still had enormous respect for her as a woman, admired her lifestyle, and continued to "root for her" throughout the novel.
While some will argue that Mamah was the love of Frank's life, I never truly felt his love for her came close to hers for him. It is true he abandoned his wife and their children to live with Mamah in Talesin, however, I believe even if Mamah never come along, his journey may have led him to live apart from them nonetheless. Frank seemed, from this novel, a man obsessed with his work, his ideals, and his idea of truth (despite his affair), all of which he valued above his love for Mamah. While there is no doubt they were in love, it seemed (as the name of the novel suggests) that this is really Mamah's story of loving Frank, more than a love of equality or of her being the love of his life.
I HIGHLY recommend this novel and know avid readers will welcome and love this novel
Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama
Wonderfully written, interesting tale...
At first blush, I thought this was a sweet, simple summer read, but having finished it I can safely say it is so much more than that. It is deeply moving, wonderfully written, and fascinating in its exploration of women in China in the early 20th century.
As the reader follows the story of Pei, a young girl born to a poor farming family who is sent to the "big city" to become a silkworker, we learn of the constant struggles and hardships faced by women in Chinese society at this time, where it was much more adventageous and acceptable to send a female child away to work and reap the benefit of her income, than to have her at home with the family and face shame from the community. Her story is one of hope, love, tenderness, and loss, and it will continue to follow you long after the book is closed.
I highly recommend this novel to everyone, especially those with interest in womens' issue, Chinese society, the early 20th Century, or silkworkers.
At first blush, I thought this was a sweet, simple summer read, but having finished it I can safely say it is so much more than that. It is deeply moving, wonderfully written, and fascinating in its exploration of women in China in the early 20th century.
As the reader follows the story of Pei, a young girl born to a poor farming family who is sent to the "big city" to become a silkworker, we learn of the constant struggles and hardships faced by women in Chinese society at this time, where it was much more adventageous and acceptable to send a female child away to work and reap the benefit of her income, than to have her at home with the family and face shame from the community. Her story is one of hope, love, tenderness, and loss, and it will continue to follow you long after the book is closed.
I highly recommend this novel to everyone, especially those with interest in womens' issue, Chinese society, the early 20th Century, or silkworkers.
The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud
Mixed feeling about this one...
As a thirty year old who lived in Manhattan during my twenties (and still lives nearby), I know so many people who fit the profiles of the characters in the novel, so for me, their lifestyles, self-importance, and overprivileged aimlessness was nothing out of the ordinary and quite relatable (unfortunately). However, I could see how readers from other parts of the country may be unable to relate to the main characters and their experiences.
I loved the author's style of writing and found the book entertaining and interesting. I would compare it to "The Secret History" and "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" due to similarities in the characters' circumstances (wealthy, overprivilegd youth), yet would not give it as high a rating as either novel.
I have a very hard time recommending this to a general audience, however, I would definitely recommend it to those living in NYC and/or in their late twenties/early thirties, for relatability reasons.
As a thirty year old who lived in Manhattan during my twenties (and still lives nearby), I know so many people who fit the profiles of the characters in the novel, so for me, their lifestyles, self-importance, and overprivileged aimlessness was nothing out of the ordinary and quite relatable (unfortunately). However, I could see how readers from other parts of the country may be unable to relate to the main characters and their experiences.
I loved the author's style of writing and found the book entertaining and interesting. I would compare it to "The Secret History" and "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" due to similarities in the characters' circumstances (wealthy, overprivilegd youth), yet would not give it as high a rating as either novel.
I have a very hard time recommending this to a general audience, however, I would definitely recommend it to those living in NYC and/or in their late twenties/early thirties, for relatability reasons.
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