The Sense of an Ending

There's a good possibility Julian Barnes' Man Booker Prize-winning novel, The Sense of an Ending, will be my final completed book in 2011. And it's a good way to cap off the year!

My first experience with Julian Barnes's work wasn't really any experience at all. I was scheduled to take a Contemporary British Literature class to cap off my undergraduate degree in 2003, but I ended up dropping the class in favor of a different British lit class with a professor with a bigger, badder attitude. I can't say I regret it, as the class I opted for introduced me to one of the most influential of authors I've ever read: T.S. Eliot and my all-time favorite poem, "The Waste Land". The bigger, badder professor also turned out to be a life changer, leaving the university to pursue the priesthood, largely influenced by T.S. Eliot and his work. His influence drove me to get a graduate degree in English. What's not to love about that?

Why am I wasting your time with this remembrance? Because it is formative and my memories are memories I consider concrete, unchanging, certain. The main character in Barnes's novel, Tony Webster, discovers that his own memories are not so certain. The book is split into two long chapters, the first of which details Tony's adolescence with his three best friends--namely the enigmatic Adrian Finn--as well as his naive fumblings with girlfriend, Veronica. The latter half of the book is Tony's realization that his has been a fulfilling but lackluster adulthood. When he receives an attorney's letter in the mail he's left scrambling through those earlier memories to put together pieces of a puzzle that will thoroughly unsettle him.

This is a great book in a number of ways. First off, it's only 170ish pages in print, and it was only 107 on my Nook. The amount of character building and the sense of realism Barnes is able to infuse in a story of this length is quite an accomplishment. I'm a proponent of short stories, so it's probably not surprising that I would enjoy what amounts, in my mind, to a novella, but I guess the impressive part is the sense of realism Barnes imparts with a lot of different issues swirling around the characters. Issues of time, philosophy, class, relationships, sexuality, and suicide.

To build on that, this novel is a lit-gasm, y'all. There is a ton of talk about literature and literary devices, philosophy, and a good many intertextual references. In the beginning, Tony is reflecting on his experiences in school, and Adrian tends to be pretty brilliant, so the banter about philosophy and literature was really fun for me. I also knew there was an intertextual reference in the title, but it wasn't until I stumbled upon a review in Vogue that I figured out what it was (because I'm too lazy to Google it): "Barnes’s title is taken from critic Frank Kermode, whose landmark analysis of fiction examined the consolations of narrative and the corrections authors make to bring meaning and order to a chaotic world." 

The title says so much about the novel. The biggest issue at work in this little book is Tony's struggle with memory. He remembers his first girlfriend as much more of a cold fish than she probably was, he idolizes his friend Adrian more than necessary, and quite honestly, he remembers himself in a much nicer, more flattering light than was true. It's only when he looks back at a letter to Adrian and Veronica that it really dawns on him how fallible memory can be.

I'm SO not doing this book justice. Tony is a regular guy who experiences a big slap to his ego and a big snap back to reality in light of who he and his friends really were in their youth. The only thing that left me slightly unsatisfied was the ending. There is a surprise ending in this book -- a revelation that honestly surprised me, though looking back through my notes and highlights, it probably shouldn't have surprised me. While I was satisfied with the surprise itself, the novel only lasted a few pages past the surprise. As a reader, I wanted Tony to grapple with the truth a bit more before the novel closed. It's a small complaint in the grand scheme of things.

While I am absolutely certain I'm impressed by this book, especially from a technical perspective, I'm not sure how long it'll stick with me. I wasn't touched on an emotional level (which I tend to prefer in picking all-time faves), but I found myself in a constant state of analysis while reading. Barnes is a good storyteller and a thoughtful evaluator of issues. While I'm interested in reading more of his work, and while I appreciate this novel, it didn't win me over on visceral level, but it sure impressed me on the cerebral plane.

Rating:

Snuggle (more like a firm handshake with a professor) -- Skewer

Pub. Date: October 2011
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday
Format: E-book
ISBN-13: 9780307957122
Source: Purchased by me.

The Sense of an Ending

There's a good possibility Julian Barnes' Man Booker Prize-winning novel, The Sense of an Ending, will be my final completed book in 2011. And it's a good way to cap off the year!

My first experience with Julian Barnes's work wasn't really any experience at all. I was scheduled to take a Contemporary British Literature class to cap off my undergraduate degree in 2003, but I ended up dropping the class in favor of a different British lit class with a professor with a bigger, badder attitude. I can't say I regret it, as the class I opted for introduced me to one of the most influential of authors I've ever read: T.S. Eliot and my all-time favorite poem, "The Waste Land". The bigger, badder professor also turned out to be a life changer, leaving the university to pursue the priesthood, largely influenced by T.S. Eliot and his work. His influence drove me to get a graduate degree in English. What's not to love about that?

Why am I wasting your time with this remembrance? Because it is formative and my memories are memories I consider concrete, unchanging, certain. The main character in Barnes's novel, Tony Webster, discovers that his own memories are not so certain. The book is split into two long chapters, the first of which details Tony's adolescence with his three best friends--namely the enigmatic Adrian Finn--as well as his naive fumblings with girlfriend, Veronica. The latter half of the book is Tony's realization that his has been a fulfilling but lackluster adulthood. When he receives an attorney's letter in the mail he's left scrambling through those earlier memories to put together pieces of a puzzle that will thoroughly unsettle him.

This is a great book in a number of ways. First off, it's only 170ish pages in print, and it was only 107 on my Nook. The amount of character building and the sense of realism Barnes is able to infuse in a story of this length is quite an accomplishment. I'm a proponent of short stories, so it's probably not surprising that I would enjoy what amounts, in my mind, to a novella, but I guess the impressive part is the sense of realism Barnes imparts with a lot of different issues swirling around the characters. Issues of time, philosophy, class, relationships, sexuality, and suicide.

To build on that, this novel is a lit-gasm, y'all. There is a ton of talk about literature and literary devices, philosophy, and a good many intertextual references. In the beginning, Tony is reflecting on his experiences in school, and Adrian tends to be pretty brilliant, so the banter about philosophy and literature was really fun for me. I also knew there was an intertextual reference in the title, but it wasn't until I stumbled upon a review in Vogue that I figured out what it was (because I'm too lazy to Google it): "Barnes’s title is taken from critic Frank Kermode, whose landmark analysis of fiction examined the consolations of narrative and the corrections authors make to bring meaning and order to a chaotic world." 

The title says so much about the novel. The biggest issue at work in this little book is Tony's struggle with memory. He remembers his first girlfriend as much more of a cold fish than she probably was, he idolizes his friend Adrian more than necessary, and quite honestly, he remembers himself in a much nicer, more flattering light than was true. It's only when he looks back at a letter to Adrian and Veronica that it really dawns on him how fallible memory can be.

I'm SO not doing this book justice. Tony is a regular guy who experiences a big slap to his ego and a big snap back to reality in light of who he and his friends really were in their youth. The only thing that left me slightly unsatisfied was the ending. There is a surprise ending in this book -- a revelation that honestly surprised me, though looking back through my notes and highlights, it probably shouldn't have surprised me. While I was satisfied with the surprise itself, the novel only lasted a few pages past the surprise. As a reader, I wanted Tony to grapple with the truth a bit more before the novel closed. It's a small complaint in the grand scheme of things.

While I am absolutely certain I'm impressed by this book, especially from a technical perspective, I'm not sure how long it'll stick with me. I wasn't touched on an emotional level (which I tend to prefer in picking all-time faves), but I found myself in a constant state of analysis while reading. Barnes is a good storyteller and a thoughtful evaluator of issues. While I'm interested in reading more of his work, and while I appreciate this novel, it didn't win me over on visceral level, but it sure impressed me on the cerebral plane.

Rating:

Snuggle (more like a firm handshake with a professor) -- Skewer

Pub. Date: October 2011
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday
Format: E-book
ISBN-13: 9780307957122
Source: Purchased by me.

Orangegasm! A Month of Orange Prize Reading

I promised myself no more challenges this year, especially after I challenged my own fool self to read all of the Tournament of Books contestants. BUT silly rules (especially self-inflicted ones) are made to be broken, so I'm hopping on the Orange July reading train!!! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you should probably visit The Magic Lasso and find out. And there are giveaways!

The premise of Orange July is to read AT LEAST ONE book-- just one singly itty bitty book -- that's won, been shortlisted, OR longlisted for the Orange Prize. Ever. How easy is that???!!! Admittedly, I've never been a huge awards follower. I've had really-freakin' mixed luck with Pulitzer winners, Booker tends to sit a little better with me, and somehow I usually end up reading more male than female authors in any given year, so the Orange has been a point of interest but largely ignored.

When I heard about Orange July I perked up, especially since several of my Tournament of Books winners were on the Orange list this year. I started investigating my shelves and realized I have quite a few Orangey books already in my house!

• Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (winner)
• On Beauty by Zadie Smith (winner)
• White Teeth by Zadie Smith (shortlist)
• Hotel World by Ali Smith (shortlist)
• The Accidental by Ali Smith (shortlist)
• The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (shortlist)
• Great House by Nicole Krauss (shortlist)
• The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht (winner)

Since it's summertime and I have less dispensable cash to buy books, it'll most definitely be a read-from-home and library July, so what better time to get better acquainted with these ladies?

The only book on this list that I've actually finished is Ali Smith's Hotel World. That was years ago and I ADORED it, so I'm keen for a re-read. It's written in a stream-of-consciousness style that's not quite as convoluted as Virginia Woolf. A little more accessible and it's got a certain creepy factor since one of the characters is a spirit in the hotel.  I've also had The Accidental on my shelves for a good long while, so I'm looking forward to that one.

I became interested in Tea Obreht earlier this year when I saw an interview of her discussing The Tiger's Wife, so I'm looking forward to finishing that one in July as well. I previously checked it out from my 'brary via the Overdrive e-book checkout system. Life got in the way, yadda, yadda.

Soooo many more books that I want to read, but I think these little beauties take the cake! 

If you're interested in Orange July what's at the top of your reading list? Also, are you interested in any particular bookish awards other than the Orange? If so, what are some of your favorite bookish award winners?

Orangegasm! A Month of Orange Prize Reading

I promised myself no more challenges this year, especially after I challenged my own fool self to read all of the Tournament of Books contestants. BUT silly rules (especially self-inflicted ones) are made to be broken, so I'm hopping on the Orange July reading train!!! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you should probably visit The Magic Lasso and find out. And there are giveaways!

The premise of Orange July is to read AT LEAST ONE book-- just one singly itty bitty book -- that's won, been shortlisted, OR longlisted for the Orange Prize. Ever. How easy is that???!!! Admittedly, I've never been a huge awards follower. I've had really-freakin' mixed luck with Pulitzer winners, Booker tends to sit a little better with me, and somehow I usually end up reading more male than female authors in any given year, so the Orange has been a point of interest but largely ignored.

When I heard about Orange July I perked up, especially since several of my Tournament of Books winners were on the Orange list this year. I started investigating my shelves and realized I have quite a few Orangey books already in my house!

• Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (winner)
• On Beauty by Zadie Smith (winner)
• White Teeth by Zadie Smith (shortlist)
• Hotel World by Ali Smith (shortlist)
• The Accidental by Ali Smith (shortlist)
• The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (shortlist)
• Great House by Nicole Krauss (shortlist)
• The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht (winner)

Since it's summertime and I have less dispensable cash to buy books, it'll most definitely be a read-from-home and library July, so what better time to get better acquainted with these ladies?

The only book on this list that I've actually finished is Ali Smith's Hotel World. That was years ago and I ADORED it, so I'm keen for a re-read. It's written in a stream-of-consciousness style that's not quite as convoluted as Virginia Woolf. A little more accessible and it's got a certain creepy factor since one of the characters is a spirit in the hotel.  I've also had The Accidental on my shelves for a good long while, so I'm looking forward to that one.

I became interested in Tea Obreht earlier this year when I saw an interview of her discussing The Tiger's Wife, so I'm looking forward to finishing that one in July as well. I previously checked it out from my 'brary via the Overdrive e-book checkout system. Life got in the way, yadda, yadda.

Soooo many more books that I want to read, but I think these little beauties take the cake! 

If you're interested in Orange July what's at the top of your reading list? Also, are you interested in any particular bookish awards other than the Orange? If so, what are some of your favorite bookish award winners?

A Visit From the Goon Squad

Jennifer Egan's A Visit From the Goon Squad is the darling of last year's "Best Of" and "Must Read" lists. I tend to clear a wide berth around novels having anything to do with show business, so it took a good deal of Pulitzer and Tournament of Books attention to entice me into reading this one. Given all the hype, I figured it was worth at least taking the chance and when I found the trade paperback on sale, I snapped it up.

What did I get for going against my natural inclination to stay away from show business books? A solid, "meh," that's what.

If you follow my Twitter feed or are my Goodreads buddy, you've seen the word "slog" out of me quite often over the last week in regards to the ole Goon Squad. While parts of it were captivating and titilating and all those other good atings, there were stretches that made me want to clean the house, change the cat litter, or do just about anything else except read. Quite simply, I forced myself to finish it.

Now, before you stop reading (are you still reading?) and just assume it's a wash, it's not really.There were really good parts, but they were a little too few and far between for me to love it outright.

If you haven't already heard, Goon Squad is a collection of loosely related chapters hinging on a few key characters and the loads of peripheral characters that float in and out of their lives.  It's damn hard to explain so go on over and read Janet Maslin's NY Times Review if you want a really good blurb and a specific example of how the stories relate. My somewhat flippant blurb goes like this: the key figures are Bennie, an aging music producer, and Sasha, his kleptomaniac assistant. The book spans from the 1980s when Bennie is a burgeoning punk rocker to the future when the U.S. is a growing desert and babies all have hand-held devices remarkably like iPads. And they buy music. Why wouldn't they? At that point Bennie is thoroughly pissed off with music and stages a surprising comeback for himself and another sad sack you'll get to know along the way. Nothing is chronological, so it's a big cluster following who's who and why they're nuts.

Jennifer Egan is undoubtedly hella talented. The book is superbly plotted and I was really stunned that she was able to carry off what often seemed desultory connections between the characters and made them into something more meaningful -- a short story cycle with some semblance of cohesion among all the noise. There were moments of pure humor, pure heartbreak, and then there were long stretches of "meh" that just drove me nuts. Without some of the "meh" this would've been a clear winner for me. As it is, I'll probably remember a few key moments and quickly forget the rest. The point of this book? A simple one: time is a goon. It'll hunt you down, kick you in jewels, and move right on to the next hit.

I do plan to read more of Egan's work. The Keep looks downright droolworthy and I already own Look at Me.This book also cements the fact that Pulitzer and I have an extremely hit and miss relationship. Some winners I love, some I loathe, and some would make really good coasters.

Rating:

Snuggle - Skewer

 

Pub. Date: March 22, 2011

Publisher: Anchor

Format: Trade Paperback, 352 pages

ISBN-13: 978-0307477477

Source: Purchased at a local bookstore

A Visit From the Goon Squad

Jennifer Egan's A Visit From the Goon Squad is the darling of last year's "Best Of" and "Must Read" lists. I tend to clear a wide berth around novels having anything to do with show business, so it took a good deal of Pulitzer and Tournament of Books attention to entice me into reading this one. Given all the hype, I figured it was worth at least taking the chance and when I found the trade paperback on sale, I snapped it up.

What did I get for going against my natural inclination to stay away from show business books? A solid, "meh," that's what.

If you follow my Twitter feed or are my Goodreads buddy, you've seen the word "slog" out of me quite often over the last week in regards to the ole Goon Squad. While parts of it were captivating and titilating and all those other good atings, there were stretches that made me want to clean the house, change the cat litter, or do just about anything else except read. Quite simply, I forced myself to finish it.

Now, before you stop reading (are you still reading?) and just assume it's a wash, it's not really.There were really good parts, but they were a little too few and far between for me to love it outright.

If you haven't already heard, Goon Squad is a collection of loosely related chapters hinging on a few key characters and the loads of peripheral characters that float in and out of their lives.  It's damn hard to explain so go on over and read Janet Maslin's NY Times Review if you want a really good blurb and a specific example of how the stories relate. My somewhat flippant blurb goes like this: the key figures are Bennie, an aging music producer, and Sasha, his kleptomaniac assistant. The book spans from the 1980s when Bennie is a burgeoning punk rocker to the future when the U.S. is a growing desert and babies all have hand-held devices remarkably like iPads. And they buy music. Why wouldn't they? At that point Bennie is thoroughly pissed off with music and stages a surprising comeback for himself and another sad sack you'll get to know along the way. Nothing is chronological, so it's a big cluster following who's who and why they're nuts.

Jennifer Egan is undoubtedly hella talented. The book is superbly plotted and I was really stunned that she was able to carry off what often seemed desultory connections between the characters and made them into something more meaningful -- a short story cycle with some semblance of cohesion among all the noise. There were moments of pure humor, pure heartbreak, and then there were long stretches of "meh" that just drove me nuts. Without some of the "meh" this would've been a clear winner for me. As it is, I'll probably remember a few key moments and quickly forget the rest. The point of this book? A simple one: time is a goon. It'll hunt you down, kick you in jewels, and move right on to the next hit.

I do plan to read more of Egan's work. The Keep looks downright droolworthy and I already own Look at Me.This book also cements the fact that Pulitzer and I have an extremely hit and miss relationship. Some winners I love, some I loathe, and some would make really good coasters.

Rating:

Snuggle - Skewer

 

Pub. Date: March 22, 2011

Publisher: Anchor

Format: Trade Paperback, 352 pages

ISBN-13: 978-0307477477

Source: Purchased at a local bookstore

Score!!! Book Awards Everywhere!

I'm sure you've already heard, but just in case you haven't, Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book won the Newbery Medal!!! Yay yay yayyyy! You might remember that I freakin' loved it and wrote a very gushy review for Bibliobuffet. If you weren't motivated enough to read it already, let this be the gush that pushes you over the edge! Click here to read Neil's delighted reaction to his win.

When I heard that Susan Marie Swanson's The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes, won the Caldecott Medal, I hurried right out to my library and picked it up. Click on either of the images from the book to enlarge--you won't be sorry.

The House in the Night is a subtle little book written as a cumulative poem--like the structure of "This is the House That Jack Built." It takes the reader through a house at night--a little girl's room, into a book, we get a bit of a bird's song, a look at the moon, etc. The illustrations are certainly the centerpiece. Beth Krommes' wood engravings are powerful, dramatic, and just really stunning. I couldn't stop petting the pages as I was reading through. Here's another one...

Visit Beth Krommes website for more of her gorgeous illustrations.

In other bookish news, I'm thoroughly involved in Lauren Groff's book of short stories, Delicate Edible Birds, and I have a slew of other great tomes screaming at me from the stacks. I think the short stories are good for my waning attention span. Can't wait to dive back in (if I can force myself off the computer).

Happy Monday!