Beautiful Ruins
Jess Walter
I was really excited to read this book (I think based on a review in Entertainment Weekly), and it didn't disappoint. It's frankly the best book I've read in awhile - and I found myself telling people about it a lot.
Which was somewhat complicated, because the plot is complex. Beautiful Ruins centers around the meeting of actress Dee Moray and Pasquale, an Italian innkeeper. From this meeting, there are many ripples of aftermath, which are all covered in the book. The character list is sprawling, and there are many jumps forward and back in time. But what separates this book from other gimmick-y books with time jumps and several generations is that everything wraps up with a consistent plot that makes sense and isn't predictable.
Did I like it? Yes. Very much. Read this book.
Did it pass the Bechdel test? Sadly, no. There are a number of named female characters, but they don't interact outside of men.
PS: I have read other books. I'm recommitting myself to blogging consistently. Which will involve books, among other things.
Showing posts with label Bechdel test. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bechdel test. Show all posts
Monday, September 9, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Books: The Passage
The Passage
By Justin Cronin
The Passage is the story of a government experiment gone horribly, gruesomely wrong. In the quest to get closer to immortality, the government experiments with some bats found in the tropics. They eventually get a virus that extends life. And as is so often suggested, they start to experiment with death row prisoners. And one little girl who seems to be abandoned. The virus does indeed extend life, but in return it turns the affected into vampire-like creatures.
The action skips around in time and place. It starts before the virus is found, skips to when it is truly becoming viral, and then skips about 100 years in the future. There's a sprawling cast of characters, including the girl, several of the death row inmates, the FBI agents who recruit them for experiments, a colony of survivors, a military unit, and many others. I'd say the girl, Amy, is the protagonist.
The Passage is the third book in a planned trilogy. The sequel, The Twelve, is available now. The third book is not yet available.
Did I like it? No. This book is over 700 pages long. Not a problem in and of itself, but this particular novel draaaaaaags on. And on. And on. It's aiming for Stephen King with the character development and the basic plot, but it falls quite short (and I'm not a huge King fan). As the book drew to a close, I kept wanting it to just be over already. I'd basically stopped caring what happened.
Did it pass the Bechdel test? Yes. Some of the action happens in a convent. And on more than one occasion the female colonists converse. Little of the conversation is about men. And Amy, who is about 12, does not even think about men or boys. In a vampire novel, no less! Also interesting to note is that the men are as likely as the women to worry about their relationships.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Books: Suicide
Suicide
by Edouard Leve
Suicide is the written account of how a man remembers a friend who has committed suicide. The two men seem to have been friends from childhood. It's close to a stream-of-consciousness memoir, where the narrator shares memories of his friend, speculated on things the friend would have liked, and ruminates on life in general. The friend left no note, so "why" is another common theme.
It's a short book. There's an afterword explaining that Leve famously committed suicide just days after turning in the manuscript. He also left no note, so the book is often read by those seeking to understand what may have caused him to take his own life. I was unaware of the biographical note until after I had finished the book.
Did I like it? This one is a toughie. But yes ... lots of naval-gazing, and the anonymous nature of the narrator and the friend prevent any fully realized characters. But the concept is interesting, it's well-written, and there are some interesting points made.
Did it pass the Bechdel test? No. No dialog.
by Edouard Leve
Suicide is the written account of how a man remembers a friend who has committed suicide. The two men seem to have been friends from childhood. It's close to a stream-of-consciousness memoir, where the narrator shares memories of his friend, speculated on things the friend would have liked, and ruminates on life in general. The friend left no note, so "why" is another common theme.
It's a short book. There's an afterword explaining that Leve famously committed suicide just days after turning in the manuscript. He also left no note, so the book is often read by those seeking to understand what may have caused him to take his own life. I was unaware of the biographical note until after I had finished the book.
Did I like it? This one is a toughie. But yes ... lots of naval-gazing, and the anonymous nature of the narrator and the friend prevent any fully realized characters. But the concept is interesting, it's well-written, and there are some interesting points made.
Did it pass the Bechdel test? No. No dialog.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Books: Dark Places
Dark Places
Gillian Flynn
345 pages
Dark Places is one of Gillian Flynn's earlier books (by "earlier," I mean before this summer's ubiquitous Gone Girl, which I liked but did not love). I happen to remember Flynn from Entertainment Weekly, which is my favorite magazine.
Dark Places follows Libby Day, and adult whose mother and sisters were murdered when she was a child. Libby testified that her brother, Ben, was the killer, and he's been in jail for the 25 years since. Libby has been drifting and living off donations, which are almost out. So when Lyle and the Kill Club (a local group of people obsessed with various murders and murderers) contact her and offer to pay her for helping them solve the crime (they believe Ben to be innocent), she takes them up on it for the money.
And to reveal too much more of the plot would be spoiling it. I can say that the narration shifts between Libby in the present day, Ben the day of the murders, and mom Patty the day of the murders. It's a stressful day for a lot of reasons (family is poor, Ben is a teenager, several pieces of bad news are delivered etc.). By the end of the book, Libby, the Kill Club and the reader all know true story of the murders.
Did I like it? The action was well-paced, the dialog is believable, and the story was enjoyable. However, I thought the ending was a little too tidy. A quick scan of Internet reviews show that I am in the minority here, but I though the deus ex machina was a little too unbelievable. So, my final verdict is that it's well-written but ultimately I wouldn't recommend it.
Did it pass the Bechdel test? Yes. Libby doesn't necessarily interact with many women (she's a loner), but Patty interacts with her sister Diane, and childhood Libby and her sisters Debby and Michelle talk amongst each other a lot.
Gillian Flynn
345 pages
Dark Places is one of Gillian Flynn's earlier books (by "earlier," I mean before this summer's ubiquitous Gone Girl, which I liked but did not love). I happen to remember Flynn from Entertainment Weekly, which is my favorite magazine.
Dark Places follows Libby Day, and adult whose mother and sisters were murdered when she was a child. Libby testified that her brother, Ben, was the killer, and he's been in jail for the 25 years since. Libby has been drifting and living off donations, which are almost out. So when Lyle and the Kill Club (a local group of people obsessed with various murders and murderers) contact her and offer to pay her for helping them solve the crime (they believe Ben to be innocent), she takes them up on it for the money.
And to reveal too much more of the plot would be spoiling it. I can say that the narration shifts between Libby in the present day, Ben the day of the murders, and mom Patty the day of the murders. It's a stressful day for a lot of reasons (family is poor, Ben is a teenager, several pieces of bad news are delivered etc.). By the end of the book, Libby, the Kill Club and the reader all know true story of the murders.
Did I like it? The action was well-paced, the dialog is believable, and the story was enjoyable. However, I thought the ending was a little too tidy. A quick scan of Internet reviews show that I am in the minority here, but I though the deus ex machina was a little too unbelievable. So, my final verdict is that it's well-written but ultimately I wouldn't recommend it.
Did it pass the Bechdel test? Yes. Libby doesn't necessarily interact with many women (she's a loner), but Patty interacts with her sister Diane, and childhood Libby and her sisters Debby and Michelle talk amongst each other a lot.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Books: The Round House
The Round House
By Louise Erdrich
The Round House is the story of Joe, a 13-year-old boy living on and Indian reservation in North Dakota (shout out to my home state). His father is a judge and his mother works for the tribe doing tribal enrollment. Ealy In the summer, Joe's mom is brutally raped and attacked. Because tribal law and white and the land around it and the entire system is unnecessarily complicated, there's no real investigation besides the one done by Joe and his father (Mom is rendered helpless by the attacks).
Other main characters include Joe's friends and his extended family (two sets of aunts/uncles and a grandfather). The characters are well-drawn, and life on the Rez is realistically colorful. Joe is a breath of fresh air in that he's not one of these precocious kids usually in books - he thinks and talks and acts like a teenage boy (or at least how I remember teenage boys). The story starts out compelling, but I thought the end wrapped up a bit too neatly - lots of seemingly loose ends. I do agree that the laws in reservations in ND a messy and often things happen without a thorough investigation, but there was too much not followed through.
Does it pass the Bechdel test? No. There are several named female characters, but none of them speak to each other as part of the story (some implied dialog, but it all happens offscreen).
Would I recommend it? Yes. Although I wasn't fond of the end, the story overall was compelling and thought-provoking. I always like Erdrich.
By Louise Erdrich
The Round House is the story of Joe, a 13-year-old boy living on and Indian reservation in North Dakota (shout out to my home state). His father is a judge and his mother works for the tribe doing tribal enrollment. Ealy In the summer, Joe's mom is brutally raped and attacked. Because tribal law and white and the land around it and the entire system is unnecessarily complicated, there's no real investigation besides the one done by Joe and his father (Mom is rendered helpless by the attacks).
Other main characters include Joe's friends and his extended family (two sets of aunts/uncles and a grandfather). The characters are well-drawn, and life on the Rez is realistically colorful. Joe is a breath of fresh air in that he's not one of these precocious kids usually in books - he thinks and talks and acts like a teenage boy (or at least how I remember teenage boys). The story starts out compelling, but I thought the end wrapped up a bit too neatly - lots of seemingly loose ends. I do agree that the laws in reservations in ND a messy and often things happen without a thorough investigation, but there was too much not followed through.
Does it pass the Bechdel test? No. There are several named female characters, but none of them speak to each other as part of the story (some implied dialog, but it all happens offscreen).
Would I recommend it? Yes. Although I wasn't fond of the end, the story overall was compelling and thought-provoking. I always like Erdrich.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Books: Diary of a Mad Fat Girl
Diary of a Mad Fat Girl
Stephanie McAfee
Paperback
Diary of a Mad Fat Girl is the story of Graciela "Ace" Jones. Ace is in fact a fat girl (although the descriptions of her in the book sound more like chubby) who has a lot to be mad about - she recently broke up with her fiance, her friend dumped her right before a planned vacation, another friend is being abused by her husband, and she hates the principal at her school (she's an art teacher).
The main plot of the book is dealing with the abusive husband situation, although there are plenty of subplots. I was surpsied to learn that the book is not part of a series, since that's certainly how it reads (per the InterWebs, it's apparently a super-popular self-published e-book that was later made into a dead-tree version). There's nothing that happens in the last 20 pages that you don't predict in the first 10, but it's a good ride. Ace and her friends are funny, and the misadventures are wacky without being over-the-top. Then, of course, the good and bad guys get what they deserve and everyone lives happily ever after.
Does it pass the Bechdel test: Yes. Ace and her friends spend A LOT of time talking about men, but they do also discuss other things - fat, work, money, and Ace's chiweenie, Buster Loo.
Stephanie McAfee
Paperback
Diary of a Mad Fat Girl is the story of Graciela "Ace" Jones. Ace is in fact a fat girl (although the descriptions of her in the book sound more like chubby) who has a lot to be mad about - she recently broke up with her fiance, her friend dumped her right before a planned vacation, another friend is being abused by her husband, and she hates the principal at her school (she's an art teacher).
The main plot of the book is dealing with the abusive husband situation, although there are plenty of subplots. I was surpsied to learn that the book is not part of a series, since that's certainly how it reads (per the InterWebs, it's apparently a super-popular self-published e-book that was later made into a dead-tree version). There's nothing that happens in the last 20 pages that you don't predict in the first 10, but it's a good ride. Ace and her friends are funny, and the misadventures are wacky without being over-the-top. Then, of course, the good and bad guys get what they deserve and everyone lives happily ever after.
Does it pass the Bechdel test: Yes. Ace and her friends spend A LOT of time talking about men, but they do also discuss other things - fat, work, money, and Ace's chiweenie, Buster Loo.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Books: Defending Jacob
I'm trying something new here ... I hope it sticks, so bear with me.
Defending Jacob
William Landay
Hardcover, 421 pages
I picked up this book on the recommendation of my mother. She described it as a good story with a twist, similar to Gone Girl.
I found it to be more of a legal thriller, as it's told from the point of view of Jacob's father - a lawyer. No spoilers here: Jacob is accused of a crime, and he needs defense. In the beginning of the story the narrator believes nothing but his son's innocence, though some evidence that causes doubt appears throughout the course of the book. Lots of the plot focuses on nature vs nurture -- genetics, daycare, parenting style, what parents don't know about their teens. As a new mom, I admit it freaked me out a bit to think about still more things that can go wrong with my child. Some of the plot points I found a bit unbelieveable.
As for the twist: I won't spoil it. I did think I had it figured out about halfway through the book (and it was kind of obvious that there would be some sort of twist), but I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. (On the right track, but wrong.)
Does this book pass the Bechdel test: Yes. The narrator's wife and a court-appointed psychologist have a conversation that's not about men. Lots of it is about the son, but that's to be expected. Not a lot of named female characters in the book, but it's a pretty small cast and a male narrator.
Defending Jacob
William Landay
Hardcover, 421 pages
I picked up this book on the recommendation of my mother. She described it as a good story with a twist, similar to Gone Girl.
I found it to be more of a legal thriller, as it's told from the point of view of Jacob's father - a lawyer. No spoilers here: Jacob is accused of a crime, and he needs defense. In the beginning of the story the narrator believes nothing but his son's innocence, though some evidence that causes doubt appears throughout the course of the book. Lots of the plot focuses on nature vs nurture -- genetics, daycare, parenting style, what parents don't know about their teens. As a new mom, I admit it freaked me out a bit to think about still more things that can go wrong with my child. Some of the plot points I found a bit unbelieveable.
As for the twist: I won't spoil it. I did think I had it figured out about halfway through the book (and it was kind of obvious that there would be some sort of twist), but I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. (On the right track, but wrong.)
Does this book pass the Bechdel test: Yes. The narrator's wife and a court-appointed psychologist have a conversation that's not about men. Lots of it is about the son, but that's to be expected. Not a lot of named female characters in the book, but it's a pretty small cast and a male narrator.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)