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Book report
May. 8th, 2007 04:33 pmPeriodically I post a list of the last few books I read along with my thoughts on them. Here’s the latest crop. And I must say that overall, this was a really good batch!
1. A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews – A novel taking place in a remote Mennonite town in Canada, in modern times. A teenage girl is struggling to grow up under the weight of the oppressive atmosphere where anyone can be shunned at anytime if they fall afoul of the strict rules of the all-powerful church leaders. Her family background is filled with secrets and mysteries, which are gradually revealed as the novel progresses. The last several pages contain some intriguing revelations. (I’m being vague in case anyone reading this wants to check out this book --- I like to keep surprises in tact). Our protagonist narrates in a humorous, wry manner which includes some passages that are laugh-out-loud hilarious. In short – loved it! Grade: B+
2. Alice Walker by Evelyn C. White – I was a bit hesitant to open this 470-page biography of the famous writer, for no reason other than its length. I am so glad I did! I found it to be a complete page-turner. I’ve read Walker’s “The Color Purple”, “Possessing the Secret of Joy”, and a few others – but I realize I knew very little about the woman who wrote the masterpieces. This biography tells the story of Alice’s childhood, born as the 8th child to a family of impoverished but hardworking sharecroppers in Georgia, experiencing the extreme racism of the 1940’s and 50’s South. (The author is very clear in writing about the racism and does not let whites off the hook for their racism). Despite the hardships of her early years, Alice is recognized as being brilliant and having a talent for writing. I especially loved reading of her participation in the Civil Rights Movement, her marriage to a white lawyer who worked for the NAACP and the reactions their interracial marriage received. The biography also brilliantly covers the release of “The Color Purple”, analyses it along with criticisms it has received, and does the same with all of Walker’s other works. The subject of this biography is a fascinating woman and I just loved learning more about her. I will say that I wanted more! Only 20 or so pages are devoted to Walker’s life and works after “The Color Purple”. And if I wanted to get nitpicky about the narrative itself, I should point out that it did have its flaws. Several paragraphs began with the phrase, “To be sure”. There were several misplaced modifiers and Evelyn White also used some grammatical constructions that I found awkward (anytime she described a marriage, she would write of John Smith “and the former Jane Doe”; she also frequently used the construction “the book alludes to a college (read: Spellman). I found the whole “the former Jane Doe” and the “read: Spellman” constructions to be a bit jarring). Flaws notwithstanding, this was a really fascinating biography and I can’t wait to read more of Walker’s books (and to see the musical of The Color Purple!). Grade: A-
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1. A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews – A novel taking place in a remote Mennonite town in Canada, in modern times. A teenage girl is struggling to grow up under the weight of the oppressive atmosphere where anyone can be shunned at anytime if they fall afoul of the strict rules of the all-powerful church leaders. Her family background is filled with secrets and mysteries, which are gradually revealed as the novel progresses. The last several pages contain some intriguing revelations. (I’m being vague in case anyone reading this wants to check out this book --- I like to keep surprises in tact). Our protagonist narrates in a humorous, wry manner which includes some passages that are laugh-out-loud hilarious. In short – loved it! Grade: B+
2. Alice Walker by Evelyn C. White – I was a bit hesitant to open this 470-page biography of the famous writer, for no reason other than its length. I am so glad I did! I found it to be a complete page-turner. I’ve read Walker’s “The Color Purple”, “Possessing the Secret of Joy”, and a few others – but I realize I knew very little about the woman who wrote the masterpieces. This biography tells the story of Alice’s childhood, born as the 8th child to a family of impoverished but hardworking sharecroppers in Georgia, experiencing the extreme racism of the 1940’s and 50’s South. (The author is very clear in writing about the racism and does not let whites off the hook for their racism). Despite the hardships of her early years, Alice is recognized as being brilliant and having a talent for writing. I especially loved reading of her participation in the Civil Rights Movement, her marriage to a white lawyer who worked for the NAACP and the reactions their interracial marriage received. The biography also brilliantly covers the release of “The Color Purple”, analyses it along with criticisms it has received, and does the same with all of Walker’s other works. The subject of this biography is a fascinating woman and I just loved learning more about her. I will say that I wanted more! Only 20 or so pages are devoted to Walker’s life and works after “The Color Purple”. And if I wanted to get nitpicky about the narrative itself, I should point out that it did have its flaws. Several paragraphs began with the phrase, “To be sure”. There were several misplaced modifiers and Evelyn White also used some grammatical constructions that I found awkward (anytime she described a marriage, she would write of John Smith “and the former Jane Doe”; she also frequently used the construction “the book alludes to a college (read: Spellman). I found the whole “the former Jane Doe” and the “read: Spellman” constructions to be a bit jarring). Flaws notwithstanding, this was a really fascinating biography and I can’t wait to read more of Walker’s books (and to see the musical of The Color Purple!). Grade: A-
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