The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is a novel of epic proportions, both in size (576 pages) and content.  Some people describe this novel as a story about a boy and his dogs, but it is much more.  At some points it is sweet and at others it is a punch in the gut.  At all times it is a masterpiece in story telling.  Loosely based on Shakespeare's Hamlet, expect a tragedy.  Expect loss.  Expect illicit love.  

As a student of Shakespeare, and Hamlet being one of my favorite plays, I have to say I simply thought The Story of Edgar Sawtelle was brilliantly written. I've noticed MANY reviewers saying they did not like the end of the novel--and without posting a spoiler I will say this--Hamlet' story was a tragedy, and so is the story of Edgar. Tragedies never have happy endings, do they? Of course not. Tragedies reveal the human condition--brutal as it can be, intertwined with love and tenderness.

One of the most unique transformations from Hamlet to this novel was the character of Ophelia, represented here by a beautiful dog, Almondine. I absolutely loved the chapters written from Almondine's point of view--especially one line where she was noting the delivery of mail on a daily basis--the mailbox caught and released the man every day. (paraphrased) There are many little gems like this scattered throughout the book.

One element I loved in Hamlet, but is missing from this story, is the advice that Polonius gives his son, Laertes--you know, the famous "Not a beggar nor a borrower be" etc. Polonius is represented by the friendly old vet, Page, and his son is the town's buffoon sheriff deputy.

Don't think that it is Hamlet retold, though, because the book is not. It stands on its own merits. I'd love to read anything else by Wroblewski.

I'm usually not a fan of verbose writers, but Wroblewski paints such a vivid image in the reader's mind that I have to say the length and extended descriptions did not bother me and the reading went quickly. 

Highly recommended!  5 Blooms

No compensation was received for this book review.

Tell-All by Chuck Palahniuk

No one love's the work of Chuck Palahniuk like I do, so I am very excited to be reviewing his newest book, Tell-All. I promise I won't tell all--I don't want to spoil the fun!

*Boy Meets Girl.  Boy Gets Girl.  Boy Kills Girl.
The hyperactive love child of Page Six and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? caught in a tawdry love triangle with The Fan. Even Kitty Kelly will blush.*

Lillian Hellman, can you read this?  Chuck writes a winner with this all-star tribute to the glamour and glitz of the Golden Age of the entertainment industry.  The story is simple--or is it?  First let me start with the writing style.  Chuck's last few books have been experimental, frustrating this reader, until I finally declare the experiment "brilliant."  Chuck doesn't play with style in Tell-All, but he does do something pretty unique.  He "name drops" every single A to D list star from the beginning of celebrity-dom in Hollywood.  Hundreds of names.  Names I thought were fictitious until I Googled them.  And everything he writes about them--their dialogue, their actions--all lies.  All Chuck's imagination.  Lillian Hellman would be proud!

All of these names are intertwined into a brilliant tale of an aging movie star, struggling to hold on to her fame and name, whose vanity rivals that of Dorian Gray.  Always present is her dedicated companion, the teller of this tale. Palahniuk weaves a delicious story of husbands, has-bands, deceased pets and orphans hoping.  Brilliant!  I give this one 5 blooms! 

Disclosure:  This book was won in a contest held by Random House and ChuckPalahniuk.net.  No compensation was received for this blog entry.

Dueling Vampire Girlfriends--Sookie VS Bella

Whether you are Team Edward or Team Jacob, drooling over Eric's abs or fantasizing about being Bill's Southern Belle, you have got to admit vampire fever has sucked us all in.  But, as everyone knows, there is a great divide among the fans of both the HBO True Blood series, loosely based on Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels and the Twilight movies based on the novels written by Stephanie Meyer.  Rarely will you find that someone is the fan of both.  It doesn't have to be an either/or situation, though.  Let's compare these two objects of intense vampire desire.

First Sookie, played by Anna Paquin.  Sookie is bright, confident and never afraid to express her feelings, even if that means pissing off an already aggravated bloodsucker.  She's independent and more than once she's saved someone else, even though she's considered to be a weak human.  Paquin plays the role fiercely, week after week, season after season, on the small screen, currently on season 3, with the two previous seasons available on DVD or download.  True Blood 

Bella, portrayed by Kristen Stewart, on the other hand, is dark and brooding, unsure of herself, full of that angst that goes along with not having a full realization of who she is and where she belongs.  She is dependent on having others look out for her, but her neediness provides plenty of opportunities for her knight to rescue her.  Rather than tv, Bella has helped the Twilight movies become blockbusters at the theater.  The 3rd installment, Eclipse, is set to release in a couple of weeks.  Twilight 

As different as night and day these two may seem, they both have a similar quality that is quite obvious.  They both love their men, fiercely devoted to them, regardless of how apprehensive they were getting involved with them. 

So what do you think?  Do you love both?  Hate one but love the other?  Or are you "over" vampires?

Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk

As a rabid Chuck Palahniuk fan, famous author of the cult classic Fight Club boy was  I tickled to get Pygmy  and start it. As I read the first page, my first response was WTF Chuck?!? Another gimmicky style?  Are you trying to drive off readers or just bend our minds?  

Rant and Snuff weren't enough to tickle your creative fancy? The book is written as if it is a first person account of a person whose primary language isn't English, but the account is written in English. For example, flowers are called "plant genitals." 

I almost quit the book, but I kept on, and I finally adapted to the writing style. The story is about Pygmy and his comrades, who were taken from their parents at a very young age and made into weapons of "the state." We never find out which country--Palahniuk does this on purpose--the country who wants to destroy the USA is a composition of what could be many other countries. Anyway, Pygmy and his comrades all enter the USA as foreign exchange students, with their goal to inflict "Operation Havoc."

I really did enjoy the story, even as distracted as I was by the writing. I really wish Ole Chuck would just weave us a few good novels without the gimmicks. He's a great writer, has a huge base and doesn't need to "play." Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe his gimmicks are forever sealing his fate as one of the greatest contemporary writers of our time.

*Note-after having time to stew over this novel, and looking back at how difficult it must have been to write it, I see it in a different light--Palahniuk is a genius.  I rate this one 4 blooms!


Disclosure:  This book was purchased by me and I received no compensation for this review.

Any Given Doomsday (Phoenix Chronicles, Bk 1) by Lori Handeland

Any Given Doomsday (The Phoenix Chronicles, Book 1)

Any Given Doomsday (Phoenix Chronices, Bk 1)
by Lori Handeland.

Book Description-

Elizabeth Phoenix once used her unique skills as a psychic to help in the Milwaukee Police Department's fight against injustice. But when Liz's foster mother is found viciously murdered—and Liz is discovered unconscious at the scene—her only memory of the crime comes in the form of terrifying dreams...of creatures more horrific than anything Liz has seen in real life. What do these visions mean? And what in the world do they have to do with her former lover, Jimmy Sanducci?

Lily's Thoughts-

Almost condemning Any Given Doomsday from the beginning, I decided to plod on through and eventually found myself enjoying this somewhat of a paranormal romance meets Buffy the Vampire Killer story. Liz Phoenix, a feisty psychic orphan, is destined to be the savior of the earth. With the help of DKs, or Demon Killers, she must lead the battle between good vs. evil. I found this a rather ambitious goal of the author and, although there are entertaining aspects of the novel, I feel that, for the first book of this series, Handeland falls short. The first 1/3 of the novel was choppy, almost incoherent. The second third was better, but was riddled with flat circular dialogue that seems to just be a filler. The last third was where the meat of the story lay. Handeland has the bare bones started for a great series. Let's hope the next book does a better job at entertaining.

3 Blooms

Disclosure:  This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for a review.

Lima Nights by Marie Arana

 







If you are looking for a novel that grabs you and doesn't let go until the final paragraph, you've found it in Lima Nights. The book is more than a tantalizing, erotic love story between generations, but a statement that exposes the desperation of indigenous people who live in filth and extreme poverty in contrast to the wealthy German immigrants, who dine on delicacies and live in extravagantly furnished homes, complete with armed guards. Desire and desperation combine into a combustible need; Bluhm, looking for respite from his stifling, unfulfilled marriage, is drawn to Maria's youth and fierceness, while Maria, physically starving, needs to escape the slum she was born into, knowing that if she doesn't, she will be resigned to live the same fate as her mother, sees Bluhm as her saviour. Both Bluhm and Maria are hungry, ravenous, and Arana does very well bringing out the passion between them, and then letting the story evolve naturally, with an ending reminiscent of the masters of classical literature.

4 Blooms


Disclosure:  This book was given in exchange for a review.

The Gilda Stories: A Novel by Jewelle Gomez

 The Gilda Stories, a novel about vampires, but much more....it is a story about longing, living in the past, trying to define oneself by criteria that is inconsistent with the reality of one's existence. Gilda moves though her life, extended through vampirism, searching for a place to call home and wanting a lover who will never leave. Her conflict is her inability to leave her life as a human behind and take on the characteristics of a vampire's life. Gomez's writing is concise and gripping. I enjoyed this novel immensely. This novel has lesbian themes, although I wouldn't necessarily label it as a lesbian novel. It also delicately deals with race and class issues over a generations, from the brutality of slavery to the generalizations of theater and urban life.

4 Blooms

Disclosure:  No compensation was given for this review.

Theft: Stories by N. S. Koenings

Loss is a universal concept that stretches across all ethnicity and walks of life among people. In her collection of five short stories, aptly called Theft, N. S. Koenings explores loss as it is perceived by her parade of varied and interesting characters. In Pearls to Swine, we read about an idealistic woman who, in essence, has her pride and self identity stolen when things don't pan out as she expects. 

Wondrous Strange takes us on a journey into the hope of other worlds, which may or may not rob us of our foothold into reality.

The title story, Theft, no only deals with material theft, but the theft of security and idealism. 

Sister for Shama is a strange but entrancing story of compassion and imagination. 

Lastly, Setting Up Shop quite effectively demonstrates how one can lose everything because of a desperate want of something out of reach.

The writing style is reminiscent of 19th century masters--delicate, beautifully intricate, and vibrantly descriptive. Koenings has an impressive grasp of the "feel" of other cultures and reveals those feelings to us in a wonderful way. I highly recommend this collection.

4 Blooms

Dislosure:  No compensation was given for this review.

Entertaining Disasters:a novel with recipes by Nancy Spiller

Don't be fooled by the title, Entertaining Disasters. This novel is not a superficial story about a foodie's faux pas hosting dinner parties, but a unique creation by the author to weave fiction into memoir. Through creating this memoir, the narrator, who is unnamed, carries the reader along the journey of her life. Paragraphs of the past are interwoven with the present preoccupation of preparing for a dinner party. We are allowed to see how the circumstances of the past, the pain of a mentally ill family member, the isolation from everyone but her dog and husband, and passion for cooking has molded and shaped the narrator into the obsessive, doubtful, fraudulent food writer she has become. But this isn't just a story of the past, but a tale of a woman who discovers the deeper meaning to life--life that she's avoided for over a decade. Spiller's unique method of storytelling lets us witness the food writer answer her own questions about love, life, perfection, and the importance of family

 4 blooms

Disclosure:  This book was given by Elle Magazine in exchange for a review.