The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/books/chi-monster-of-florence-review-080612-ht,0,6714696.story
Nonfiction
Mario Spezi is a reporter for La Nazione, one of the most respected newspapers in Florence, Italy. In 1981, he became intrigued with the brutal murder of two young people. Soon this murder was connected to an earlier crime. Murders in 1982, 1983, 1984, and 1985 made the Monster of Florence THE topic of conversation and the most notorious criminal of the day. Although many lives were ruined by scandal and rumor and several people were put on trial and even imprisoned, the murders were never solved and the Monster of Florence is still among us.
What I didn’t like:
I wish the author had waited just a little while before publishing the book so that the reader would know the outcome of the final accusations against Mario Spezi.
What I liked:
The book has the feel of a novel. It’s hard to believe that this could have really happened – especially the comedy of errors created by the Italian justice system. I liked knowing a bit about the city and the surrounding country-side. I wish I had known about the Monster when I visited Italy. I would have paid more attention to the various sites where the vicious murders occurred.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Charming Billy
Charming Billy by Alice McDermott
http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_C/charming_billy1.asp
Contemporary Fiction New York The years following World War II with insights and flashbacks two generations before the war.
Billy and Dennis, cousins and close friends, return from the war, meet two sisters and fall in love. Billy’s girlfriend becomes an obsession for him. The entire family and his circle of friends are told over and over again how wonderful Eva is and how much in love they are with each other and how happy they will be once they can be married. However, before the wedding can take place, Eva must return to Ireland to visit her family.
Dennis, knowing Billy’s desperation to send her money for a return ticket, arranges a loan with his step-father which Billy agrees to repay by working in the step-father’s shoe store at the rate of $1.00 per hour. The money is sent along with shoes for her and her mother and sisters. Billy receives no acknowledgement of the money or the shoes and is beside himself with worry.
Meanwhile, Eva’s sister, Mary and Dennis are still dating. Mary receives a letter from her sister telling her that she has married Tom, her old flame in Ireland. Mary tells Dennis knowing how devastated Billy will be when he hears the news. Dennis is left to tell Billy.
Thinking of the shame and humiliation that Billy will face when his friends and family discover Eva’s disloyalty, Dennis decides to protect Billy by telling him that Eva has died. Of course, the moment the words are out of his mouth, he realizes how fraught with disaster his lie is. There are so many ways to be found out, but the lie has been told and there is nothing to do but carry on, fleshing out the story as new details are required.
Billy is never able to put Eva’s death to rest. His drinking problem escalates into full blown alcoholism. He eventually marries, but he is never able to develop a true marriage with Maeve. The rest of his life is stained with tears shed over a love that could have been, should have been, would have been had it not been for her untimely death.
You may think that I have told the entire story, but actually, the reader learns all this within the first twenty-four pages. The rest of the book is the story of Dennis and how he came to be the kind of person who could tell such a lie; the story of Billy and how he came to be the kind of person who could never let go; and the story of their families and the kind of interdependence that was so much a part of their lives.
What I didn’t like:
It was impossible for me to believe that Billy would not have followed Eva to Ireland. I know times were hard, but in real life, he would have gone.
What I liked:
I enjoyed this compelling insight into life in Irish Catholic families. The book certainly provides an opportunity for some soul searching into the value of friends, relatives to say nothing of the value of truth in relationships. How much misery do we create when we fail to tell the truth?
http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_C/charming_billy1.asp
Contemporary Fiction New York The years following World War II with insights and flashbacks two generations before the war.
Billy and Dennis, cousins and close friends, return from the war, meet two sisters and fall in love. Billy’s girlfriend becomes an obsession for him. The entire family and his circle of friends are told over and over again how wonderful Eva is and how much in love they are with each other and how happy they will be once they can be married. However, before the wedding can take place, Eva must return to Ireland to visit her family.
Dennis, knowing Billy’s desperation to send her money for a return ticket, arranges a loan with his step-father which Billy agrees to repay by working in the step-father’s shoe store at the rate of $1.00 per hour. The money is sent along with shoes for her and her mother and sisters. Billy receives no acknowledgement of the money or the shoes and is beside himself with worry.
Meanwhile, Eva’s sister, Mary and Dennis are still dating. Mary receives a letter from her sister telling her that she has married Tom, her old flame in Ireland. Mary tells Dennis knowing how devastated Billy will be when he hears the news. Dennis is left to tell Billy.
Thinking of the shame and humiliation that Billy will face when his friends and family discover Eva’s disloyalty, Dennis decides to protect Billy by telling him that Eva has died. Of course, the moment the words are out of his mouth, he realizes how fraught with disaster his lie is. There are so many ways to be found out, but the lie has been told and there is nothing to do but carry on, fleshing out the story as new details are required.
Billy is never able to put Eva’s death to rest. His drinking problem escalates into full blown alcoholism. He eventually marries, but he is never able to develop a true marriage with Maeve. The rest of his life is stained with tears shed over a love that could have been, should have been, would have been had it not been for her untimely death.
You may think that I have told the entire story, but actually, the reader learns all this within the first twenty-four pages. The rest of the book is the story of Dennis and how he came to be the kind of person who could tell such a lie; the story of Billy and how he came to be the kind of person who could never let go; and the story of their families and the kind of interdependence that was so much a part of their lives.
What I didn’t like:
It was impossible for me to believe that Billy would not have followed Eva to Ireland. I know times were hard, but in real life, he would have gone.
What I liked:
I enjoyed this compelling insight into life in Irish Catholic families. The book certainly provides an opportunity for some soul searching into the value of friends, relatives to say nothing of the value of truth in relationships. How much misery do we create when we fail to tell the truth?
The Gargoyle
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
http://doubleday.com/thegargoyle/praise.html
Contemporary Fiction with Strange and Wonderful Insights to the Past
A horrible wreck. Savage burning. A recovery that seemingly has no end. A bitter, bitter man who has, among other interesting characteristics, a snake living in his spine – a snake who loves to tell him repeatedly that his past was not redeemable, his present is too grotesque to endure and he has absolutely no future.
Enter the lovely, mysterious woman with fanciful stories of a past life and an unforgettable love. The reader must decide for herself how much of her story is the product of schizophrenia and how much is the truth as only she would know it.
No matter what judgments the reader makes, she must see that this is a powerful love story. Even if Marianne’s modern-day relationship with our burn victim is the only part of this story that is true, she gets my vote for “Most Passionate Lover.” And if she made up all the rest, she certainly gets my vote for “Most Creative Lover.”
As the author introduces us to spirits from around the world, we see love in the context of various cultures over a period of several centuries – always unashamedly pure and total.
What I didn’t like:
There was nothing about this book that I found wanting.
What I liked:
Marianne is a master storyteller. I loved each of her stories and every one of her characters was better than the one before. I was amazed at the end of the book when I could not think of one loose thread in this complex tale.
I have developed a new compassion for burn victims and a new level of respect for the medical staff who treat them. The research required to create this part of the story must have been massive.
I loved the parts of the story that occurred in medieval times. It reminded me of Name of the Rose.
I liked the diversity of Mr. Davidson’s characters in the present day.
I liked the story flow. The transition from present day to the past was seamless.
What a delight!
http://doubleday.com/thegargoyle/praise.html
Contemporary Fiction with Strange and Wonderful Insights to the Past
A horrible wreck. Savage burning. A recovery that seemingly has no end. A bitter, bitter man who has, among other interesting characteristics, a snake living in his spine – a snake who loves to tell him repeatedly that his past was not redeemable, his present is too grotesque to endure and he has absolutely no future.
Enter the lovely, mysterious woman with fanciful stories of a past life and an unforgettable love. The reader must decide for herself how much of her story is the product of schizophrenia and how much is the truth as only she would know it.
No matter what judgments the reader makes, she must see that this is a powerful love story. Even if Marianne’s modern-day relationship with our burn victim is the only part of this story that is true, she gets my vote for “Most Passionate Lover.” And if she made up all the rest, she certainly gets my vote for “Most Creative Lover.”
As the author introduces us to spirits from around the world, we see love in the context of various cultures over a period of several centuries – always unashamedly pure and total.
What I didn’t like:
There was nothing about this book that I found wanting.
What I liked:
Marianne is a master storyteller. I loved each of her stories and every one of her characters was better than the one before. I was amazed at the end of the book when I could not think of one loose thread in this complex tale.
I have developed a new compassion for burn victims and a new level of respect for the medical staff who treat them. The research required to create this part of the story must have been massive.
I loved the parts of the story that occurred in medieval times. It reminded me of Name of the Rose.
I liked the diversity of Mr. Davidson’s characters in the present day.
I liked the story flow. The transition from present day to the past was seamless.
What a delight!
Friday, November 7, 2008
The Tenderness of Wolves
The Tenderness of Wolves
http://www.bookbrowse.com/reading_guides/detail/index.cfm?book_number=1992
by Stef Penney
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stef_Penney
Historical Fiction Fall, 1867 Canada
A man is dead. An adolescent child is missing. A mother comes to the realization of her many failures as a parent and she is ravished with pain. A father faces his shortcomings and turns his pain into anger. The community is atwitter with suspicion. Enter the intrigues of the fur trade complete with enough corruption for several men. Add the loneliness and cold of the artic, a dash of secret homosexuality, a seventeen year old unsolved murder, and rumors of an ancient civilization. What a tale!
As the mother braves the frozen north in the company of men she doesn’t know, she learns about herself, her relationship with her husband and the complexities of motherhood. She learns trust under the most cruel of circumstances. In many ways, this is her story.
What I didn’t like:
I can’t think of a thing that I didn’t like. It was an intense page-turner for me.
What I liked:
I was intrigued by the story format. The story was told in turns from various points of view, but only the mother was allowed first person status.
I enjoyed the subplot of the ancient American Indian civilization.
I thought the homosexuality theme was handled with grace. It was not an add-on; it was central to the story.
The author made the setting and time come alive. Although she says that she has never visited Canada, she certainly understands cold and loneliness on a deep level.
http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/encyclopedia/FurTradeCanada.htm
http://www.bookbrowse.com/reading_guides/detail/index.cfm?book_number=1992
by Stef Penney
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stef_Penney
Historical Fiction Fall, 1867 Canada
A man is dead. An adolescent child is missing. A mother comes to the realization of her many failures as a parent and she is ravished with pain. A father faces his shortcomings and turns his pain into anger. The community is atwitter with suspicion. Enter the intrigues of the fur trade complete with enough corruption for several men. Add the loneliness and cold of the artic, a dash of secret homosexuality, a seventeen year old unsolved murder, and rumors of an ancient civilization. What a tale!
As the mother braves the frozen north in the company of men she doesn’t know, she learns about herself, her relationship with her husband and the complexities of motherhood. She learns trust under the most cruel of circumstances. In many ways, this is her story.
What I didn’t like:
I can’t think of a thing that I didn’t like. It was an intense page-turner for me.
What I liked:
I was intrigued by the story format. The story was told in turns from various points of view, but only the mother was allowed first person status.
I enjoyed the subplot of the ancient American Indian civilization.
I thought the homosexuality theme was handled with grace. It was not an add-on; it was central to the story.
The author made the setting and time come alive. Although she says that she has never visited Canada, she certainly understands cold and loneliness on a deep level.
http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/encyclopedia/FurTradeCanada.htm
The Memory of Water
The Memory of Water by Karen White
http://www.karen-white.com/
Contemporary Fiction The estuaries and creeks of the South Carolina Low country
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina_Low_Country
Two sisters face the death of their mother in a battle of ultimate sibling rivalry. The book gives the reader ample opportunity to examine the issue of truth. There are several versions of the truth in this book and each one is as valid as the next. And death? There are lots of versions of death, too. And love? Just exactly what is love and where does it come from?
What I didn’t like:
Not much. The book dealt with painful issues so it was not exactly enjoyable, but I felt that the author wrote with candor. It made me think. What more can a reader ask?
What I liked:
The characters were well drawn. The sisters were especially interesting because of their similarities and their striking differences.
I learned about sailing, South Carolina, and family relationships.
The underlying lesson is that we always profit from a position of tolerance and appreciation for the values of others.
http://www.karen-white.com/
Contemporary Fiction The estuaries and creeks of the South Carolina Low country
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina_Low_Country
Two sisters face the death of their mother in a battle of ultimate sibling rivalry. The book gives the reader ample opportunity to examine the issue of truth. There are several versions of the truth in this book and each one is as valid as the next. And death? There are lots of versions of death, too. And love? Just exactly what is love and where does it come from?
What I didn’t like:
Not much. The book dealt with painful issues so it was not exactly enjoyable, but I felt that the author wrote with candor. It made me think. What more can a reader ask?
What I liked:
The characters were well drawn. The sisters were especially interesting because of their similarities and their striking differences.
I learned about sailing, South Carolina, and family relationships.
The underlying lesson is that we always profit from a position of tolerance and appreciation for the values of others.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Contemporary Fiction United States
As the story begins, Susie is already in heaven relating her murder step by step. As she watches the investigation proceed, she witnesses not only the murderer covering his tracks and presenting a face of innocence to the police, but she also sees the pain and suffering of her family and friends. Susie’s heaven is very different from the one we read of in the Bible. In her heaven, Susie is aware of pain on earth and she experiences her own pain. She regrets not having grown up. She misses her family. She feels cheated not having had the chance to experience love with a man. Her heaven adjusts to each of her wants except what she wants most – going back to earth to reclaim her life.
As the story progresses, her mother falls apart, her friends grow up, and everyone finds a way through life without her and then – miracle of all miracles – it happens!
What I didn’t like:
Oh, how I wanted someone to find Susie’s body and give her family and friends closure. Would it have made things easier? Maybe . . . maybe not.
What I liked:
Susie can’t influence the investigation of her murder, but she is hell on wheels with an icicle.
The author told the story of the mother’s pain with compassion, understanding, and without excuses for her failures.
I loved the grandmother. What a wise woman!
The father was the very best man imaginable but there wasn’t quite enough of that to go around – to grieve for Susie, to be the husband he needs to be for his wife and the father he needs to be for the other children.
The sister – what a jewel. A beautifully developed character.
Ruth – what an imagination it took to invent a character like Ruth.
The story is an original take on the whole murder mystery theme. I loved it.
Contemporary Fiction United States
As the story begins, Susie is already in heaven relating her murder step by step. As she watches the investigation proceed, she witnesses not only the murderer covering his tracks and presenting a face of innocence to the police, but she also sees the pain and suffering of her family and friends. Susie’s heaven is very different from the one we read of in the Bible. In her heaven, Susie is aware of pain on earth and she experiences her own pain. She regrets not having grown up. She misses her family. She feels cheated not having had the chance to experience love with a man. Her heaven adjusts to each of her wants except what she wants most – going back to earth to reclaim her life.
As the story progresses, her mother falls apart, her friends grow up, and everyone finds a way through life without her and then – miracle of all miracles – it happens!
What I didn’t like:
Oh, how I wanted someone to find Susie’s body and give her family and friends closure. Would it have made things easier? Maybe . . . maybe not.
What I liked:
Susie can’t influence the investigation of her murder, but she is hell on wheels with an icicle.
The author told the story of the mother’s pain with compassion, understanding, and without excuses for her failures.
I loved the grandmother. What a wise woman!
The father was the very best man imaginable but there wasn’t quite enough of that to go around – to grieve for Susie, to be the husband he needs to be for his wife and the father he needs to be for the other children.
The sister – what a jewel. A beautifully developed character.
Ruth – what an imagination it took to invent a character like Ruth.
The story is an original take on the whole murder mystery theme. I loved it.
Palace Council
Palace Council by Stephen L. Carter
Historical Fiction 1954-1975 United States
Eddie, a budding novelist, combines his unrequited love for Aurelia, his obsession for his sister Junie whose disappearance is intertwined with Civil Rights violence, and his writing. Peopled with some of the most interesting characters I’ve seen in a while and set against a Harlem I never knew existed, the plot has a texture rich with twists, turns and more than one coincidence that while vital to the story seemed a bit hard to accept. After all, how often does a man, walking alone through Central Park, stumble over the body of a man grasping a cross in his had – a cross that we soon discover is a symbol of a secret conspiratorial group whose membership even includes Richard Nixon.
As the author relates in his notes, the story is mostly about the 60’s. All the movers and shakers of the Civil Rights movement are included; political intrigue in the highest levels of government is examined; and there is more conspiracy than I could keep track of. More than once, I reread sections and even whole chapters to make sure I had the right character in the right place at the right time. Even with all the attention I paid to the details of all the layers of the plot, I was surprised at the ending.
Reading the book during the heat of the 2008 presidential campaign was a special treat. All the dirty politics fit right in with the greed and struggle for power I found in the book.
What I didn’t like:
The multiple layers of plot and the huge cast of characters required way too much patience.
Some components of the plot seemed more contrived than believable.
What I liked:
Even the most minor characters were interesting. The author made me care about them.
The author used this entertaining story to teach about Harlem of the 50’s and 60’s, the Civil Rights movement and the many levels of our government that lay open to corruption.There was the underlying reminder that democracy is only as good as its people. It is our responsibility to hold our elected officials responsible for their actions.
Historical Fiction 1954-1975 United States
Eddie, a budding novelist, combines his unrequited love for Aurelia, his obsession for his sister Junie whose disappearance is intertwined with Civil Rights violence, and his writing. Peopled with some of the most interesting characters I’ve seen in a while and set against a Harlem I never knew existed, the plot has a texture rich with twists, turns and more than one coincidence that while vital to the story seemed a bit hard to accept. After all, how often does a man, walking alone through Central Park, stumble over the body of a man grasping a cross in his had – a cross that we soon discover is a symbol of a secret conspiratorial group whose membership even includes Richard Nixon.
As the author relates in his notes, the story is mostly about the 60’s. All the movers and shakers of the Civil Rights movement are included; political intrigue in the highest levels of government is examined; and there is more conspiracy than I could keep track of. More than once, I reread sections and even whole chapters to make sure I had the right character in the right place at the right time. Even with all the attention I paid to the details of all the layers of the plot, I was surprised at the ending.
Reading the book during the heat of the 2008 presidential campaign was a special treat. All the dirty politics fit right in with the greed and struggle for power I found in the book.
What I didn’t like:
The multiple layers of plot and the huge cast of characters required way too much patience.
Some components of the plot seemed more contrived than believable.
What I liked:
Even the most minor characters were interesting. The author made me care about them.
The author used this entertaining story to teach about Harlem of the 50’s and 60’s, the Civil Rights movement and the many levels of our government that lay open to corruption.There was the underlying reminder that democracy is only as good as its people. It is our responsibility to hold our elected officials responsible for their actions.
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