Slaughterhouse-Five- Kurt Vonnegut

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1969
Pages:  215
ISBN:  9780440180296
Genre:  Satire/Sci-Fi

Start Date:  Jan. 19, 2011
Finished Date:  Jan. 21, 2011 (DNF, 53 pages in)

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  On TBR list

Read For:  Back to the Classics Challenge & What's in a Name 4 Challenge (will be changing titles)

Review:

I won't go into much detail here because it's difficult to explain but I simply had enough of the book by Chapter 3.  I liked the previous pages and the stream-of-consciousness type style, but once the story became about Billy, I just lost interest.  It's not a confusing or difficult read, and I don't find anything about it offensive or antagonistic, but in this case, it's simply a matter of taste.  I don't dislike the book, but it's just not for me.  I'm not much for books about war.

As for its double entry in my 2011 challenges (ouch, it's too bad that it had to be this book that has to go), which of course no longer counts in my challenge totals, I will be replacing this with these books:

Back to the Classics Challenge--Banned Book:
Cujo by Stephen King (overlaps with Stephen King challenge)

What's in a Name 4 Challenge--Book With a Number:
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury


Rank:  (DNF)- Did Not Finish, Don't Recommend

Friday Fuhgettaboutit

An occasional meme created by & for me in which I recall a book that I gave up on and why.  Since I haven't posted about this in a while, I'll present you with two books, and these are the last two I can remember giving up on.  Any others that come up will be newer reads.  Hopefully this won't happen very often.  It really doesn't as I try very hard to finish what I start (in all its forms, reading & beyond) but sometimes it becomes unbearable.

The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard

I could not get past the shallow coldness of Beth and how rigidly the book was written. I gave up after about 20-30 pages.

I had seen the movie with Michelle Pfeiffer prior to reading the book and thought it was just okay. Pfeiffer’s take on the character made her much more sympathetic than the book made her out to be.  It was along the lines of a Lifetime TV movie, if you catch my drift.

Rank:  (DNF)- Did Not Finish, Don't Recommend

 

 

Speedbumps by Teri Garr

I enjoy Teri Garr as a comedic actress, especially in Tootsie and Young Frankenstein.  She can come across as a tad annoying but her ditzy image is a quality you can’t help but laugh at in spite of herself.
 
I tried my best to like her memoir and she writes one-liners as well as she delivers them on screen, but I could not get into the rest of it. The centerfold of pictures is a nice treat and skimming a couple of anecdotes is breezy fun, but overall, it just fell flat for me.
 
Rank:  (DNF)- Did Not Finish, Don't Recommend

John Grisham Book Reviews

I got some great responses to my James Patterson book reviews post that I decided to go ahead with my plan to do a similar post on John Grisham. In high school, I read The Firm and The Pelican Brief for a senior English project, and became hooked on his popular legal fiction.

Do you remember a time in your adolescence when you made a transition to adult reading material? This was mine. I felt proud to have finished the adult level books & actually understand them! Now, like with James Patterson's novels, I’ve mostly exhausted reading Grisham's books as his quality of writing has since peaked (in my opinion).

Without further ado, here are the John Grisham novels I have read with short reviews & rankings.

Genre:  Legal Fiction
Start Date:  From 2003-2008
Finished Date:  From 2003-2008

Where Found:  Used bookstore & Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  Mostly for interest in popular adult fiction

My 3 Favourite John Grisham Novels

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1991

Length:  501 pages

ISBN:  044021145X

Summary:  A top-ranking, recently graduated law student is initially charmed by a small Memphis law firm that pays in spades until he discovers their corrupt Mafia dealings.

Review:
 
An intricate, increasingly complex plot makes for a constant thrill ride.  You never know who to trust and what direction the impressionable Mitch McDeere will take to uncover the truth without losing his law license or his life.  This is the very best of John Grisham, and if you are not much for his brand of fiction or don't care to read any of it, this is the one exception I beg you to take!  The movie version is good in its own right, but has a different ending & makes considerable cuts to the book's plot.  I would say read the book, then see the movie, as you should do most of the time :o)
 
Rank:  (A+)- One of my all-time favourites!
 

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1989
Length:  515 pages
ISBN:  0440211727

Summary:  A young, justice-seeking attorney in KKK-ridden Mississippi defends a black client who killed the two white men who raped & left his young daughter for dead.

Review:

Grisham's first book is one of his greatest and most powerful in its criticism of the U.S. South and its racially provoked legal system, the ethics of taking the law into your own hands, the means of acquiring justice with political & criminal repercussions that spill over into the personal lives of the defense.  Once you get past the legal jargon that Grisham eventually simplifies with his more current novels, A Time To Kill is a morality tale that still rings true and is still being contemplated today.  The movie version is all right, though doesn't quite stand up to the novel.

Rank:  (A+)- Excellent, A Must-Read

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1992
Length:  436 pages
ISBN:  0440214041

Summary:  An ambitious law student works with a resourceful journalist to uncover a government conspiracy that unravels after the killing of two Supreme Court justices.

Review:

Most of Grisham's novels involve male lawyers fighting injustices, making The Pelican Brief unique in the sense that a young woman with as much brains & sass as any male lawyer can have takes the reins in this sparkplug of a mystery with the assistance of a prominent newspaper reporter with the senses of Woodward & Bernstein.  Many risks are taken to protect a burdensome secret and expose a dangerous truth all for the sake of legal justice & journalistic integrity.  The movie version is also worthy, staying true to the novel & has just as much pop in its storyline.
 
Rank:  (A+)- Excellent

Other John Grisham Novels Read

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1993

Length:  496 pages

ISBN:  9780385339087

Summary:  After a young boy witnesses the suicide of a lawyer who confesses that his Mafioso client murdered a Senator and reveals where the body is buried, he hires a lawyer to protect him & his family from being found out.

Review:

Grisham creates compelling characters in young Mark and his relationship with his lawyer, Reggie Love, who puts up a hard shell that eventually breaks to reveal a soft centre at her core with a tumultuous past.  It is an engaging, worthwhile read, yet not quite a favourite of mine.  There is something about the previous three books that were more fulfilling than The Client.  The movie version is about equal to the book, not any better or any worse, and is worth a viewing if it happens to come on TV or a rental.

Rank:  (A)- Very Good



Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1994
Length:  640 pages
ISBN:  9780385339667

Summary:  A former KKK member is on death row facing the gas chamber unless his estranged lawyer grandson, who has since been sheltered from his family's dark history, can set aside personal differences and defend what may be an innocent man.

Review:

I did not finish this book, only getting about 1/4 of the way through as I found the buildup to be dull and uninteresting.  I wasn't that taken with the characters and have read better Grisham novels.  This is one of his duds.  A movie version with Gene Hackman and Chris O'Donnell didn't fare much better as Grisham himself called it "a dreadful movie."

Rank:  (DNF)- Did Not Finish.  Don't Recommend

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1995
Length:  576 pages
ISBN:  9780385339605

Summary:  A young, down-on-his-luck law school graduate works alongside a sleazy "ambulance chaser" lawyer to defend a poor family seeking a wrongful death suit against an insurance company who failed to cover treatment for their cancer-ridden son.

Review:

A solid read with a strong ethical case that brings back themes of A Time to Kill with classcism in place of racism.  I enjoyed it thoroughly, even moreso than the often overpraised The Client, with its sense of humour sprinkled throughout, offering comic relief to the dark subject matter of preventable death due to corporate greed.  The movie version is also a good companion to the book, quite true to the plot and worth a look.

Rank:  (A)- Very Good, Really Liked It

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1996
Length:  550 pages
ISBN:  9780440221470

Summary:  During the trial of a wrongful death suit in which a widow is suing four major tobacco companies for her husband's death from lung cancer, a corrupt jury consultant and a mysterious undercover jury member are manipulating the verdict in two distinctly different ways.

Review:

Fascinating read with lots of conflicting viewpoints on the responsibility of rich companies peddling dangerous products, the influence of those companies on the general public, the selection of juries, their hidden agendas & those of the lawyers on both sides of the case, the biases of all involved, and the reworking of the justice system from inside sources.  A compelling story throughout if you ignore the complete absurdity of some aspects and the huge security breaches most of the novel entails.  The movie version was even sharper and insightful, despite changing the focus during early pre-production from the tobacco industry to the gun industry due to the acute coverage of the former's subject matter in the 1999 film The Insider.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1997
Length:  416 pages
ISBN:  9780385339100

Summary:  After a lawyer gets wind of a fraud scheme being run by his firm without him, he fakes his own death and flees to Brazil with a large chunk of the firm's money and as much evidence as he can collect.

Review:

I vaguely remember reading this but it was forgettable and a tad predictable as the plot wasn't as exciting or complex as previous Grisham novels have been.

Rank:  (C)- Just Okay

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1998
Length:  384 pages
ISBN:  978-0385339094

Summary:  After police kill a homeless man who took hostages at a law firm, one lawyer discovers shocking evidence against his former employer in an eviction of a homeless family that leads him to advocate for their rights.

Review:

Interesting subject matter, but like The Partner, blended too far into the background and is also forgettable.  A 2003 TV pilot was filmed but never came to fruition.
Rank:  (C)- Just Okay

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1999
Length:  480 pages
ISBN:  9780385339582

Summary:  A lawyer serves to protect the wishes of a billonnaire who commits suicide shortly after changing his will to leave everything to an illegitimate daughter over his contesting children, who is traced to a missionary in Brazil.

Review:

Great lead-up, building to some exciting plot twists, though the ending rings false and seems too pat for my liking.

Rank:  (C)- Just Okay

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2000
Length:  384 pages
ISBN:  9780385339674

Summary:  Three imprisoned ex-judges run a blackmailing ring that soon targets a Presidential candidate whose election is being fixed by a corrupt CIA director.

Review:

This is a return to form for Grisham.  You love to hate the villain and actually root for the anti-heroes that are arguably even more crooked!  I laughed out loud at the ending, finding it incredible how things come around perfectly in full circle.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2002
Length:  304 pages
ISBN:  9780385339599

Summary:  A law professor with an estranged drug addict brother discovers a large sum of money in his father, a former judge's, house upon his death that is not part of his will and tries to keep it without being traced by its owners.

Review:

As you can tell by the summary, the plot is a bit weak from the start and involves a cat-and-mouse game that is not all that different from a routine suspense movie, but lacks the spark such a plot needs to sustain to keep from falling flat.  Don't bother.

Rank:  (D)- Didn't Like, Don't Recommend

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2003
Length:  400 pages
ISBN:  9780385339650

Summary:  A disgruntled public defender learns through his client accused of a street murder that a pharmaceutical company is testing on recovering drug addicts with side effects occuring in rare cases, leading to him ruthlessly cashing in on large settlements.

Review:

Not a bad return to legal thrillers after a brief foray into more sentimental fiction.  It's sometimes hard to relate to the main character as he is also the villain, but watching how he digs himself into a giant hole is more interesting than if the protagonist was the one chasing him down.

Rank:  (B)- Good, Recommend

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2004
Length:  416 pages
ISBN:  9780385339681

Summary:  Told through the perspective of a local newspaper man, a recently paroled murderer seeks revenge on the jurors who convicted him in a racially motivated trial.

Review:

Returning to interwoven themes of racial hatred & justice in A Time to Kill, Grisham creates a different perspective on a similar story.  While it doesn't quite measure up to the power of the older book, it is good in its own right and is worth a read.

Rank:  (B)- Very Good, Recommend

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2005
Length:  384 pages
ISBN:  9780385340540

Summary:  A power broker recently released from prison is being targeted for assassination by the government and countries of interest in a deal he attempted to make for the highest bid on the world's most intricate surveillance system.

Review:

A different take on Grisham's typical legal fiction that steps on the gas with more action sequences and plenty of page-turning fun.  Worth a read.

Rank:  (B)- Very Good, Recommend


I have not read these books by John Grisham (not including nonfiction or children's books):
A Painted House (2001)
Skipping Christmas (2001)
Bleachers (2003)
The Appeal (2008)
The Associate (2009)
The Confession (to be released in 2010)

Freedom- Jonathan Franzen

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2010
Length:  562
ISBN:  9781554688838
Genre:  Literary Fiction

Start Date:  Oct. 6, 2010
Finished Date:  Oct. 13, 2010 (up to page 204)

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  Heard good reviews, thought The Corrections was interesting, and was willing to try another Franzen book.

Summary:  The disintegration of a dysfunctional family is analysed from events occuring prior to the marriage of the basketball player turned housewife Patty and the meek, politically correct Walter, and "mistakes made" during their marriage with their prodigy daughter and Young Republican son, with neighbors, former lovers, and friends all playing a role.

Review:

I give up.  I reached a breaking point and decided enough is enough.  I only have so much patience with a book, despite its impressive array of reviews, that I simply cannot withstand another word.

If you did not like The Corrections, do not try Freedom.  It is barely discernable in style and in substance.  I finished The Corrections because it was for a university course and I felt obligated to see it through.  At first, I felt the same about Freedom, but could not keep from feeling utter disdain and contempt for the most unlikable characters I've ever read.  There is no liking them--not a single one.  How can you read a book without feeling a modicum of sympathy, delight, or friendship, unless it's Macbeth (and I honestly didn't like that much either!)

What's interesting is the mixed reviews on Amazon (not a reliable source, mind you, but a snapshot of the general public's reception to the novel)--as of now, there are 107 5* reviews and 83 1* reviews, the others falling lower in numbers.  Quite the polar opposites of opinion, wouldn't you say?  It strikes me as odd that a novel can fall into either the "love it" or "hate it" category with no option for in-between.

I'm hoping to get a refund or exchange at Chapters as this is a "Heather's Pick."  Hope so...  I've always been reluctant to buy a brand-new hardcover book, but now I'm convinced that it's not worth it.  I'm going to wait for paperbacks from now on.  Why risk it?

Rank:  (D)- Did Not Finish, Don't Recommend

Friday Fuhgettaboutit

Sorry it's a day late, but I've been meaning to post this...

Friday Fuhgettaboutit is a meme of my own creation on occasional Fridays to discuss a book I've given up on in the past or present.

She's Come Undone- Wally Lamb

I know this is some people's favourite book and for this, I apologize.  I tried to like this.  I really did.  I had heard good things about the book and it was an Oprah’s book club choice, so I took a chance on it.  I heard that Wally Lamb’s work can be like a love/hate relationship.  I read up to the end of Part 1 (of 3) and while I found a couple of choice scenes amazing, it took me a while to get used to the style and wasn’t all that impressed to be honest.  There is so much buildup to the predictable end of Part I that I thought everything else was just an excuse to get to this turning point.  The theme is typical of Oprah’s book club selections.  I think Tori Morrison writes equally challenging but stronger stories of marginalized women.

I'd like to know if anyone felt the same (just I don't feel alone in this!), or if you did stick with it and/or like it, is it worth plowing through?  I still have a copy tucked away somewhere and remember enough of Part I to not have to reread it...It's something I debate every once in a while and I'd like to know what you think.

Rate:  (D)- Did Not Finish, Don't Recommend (at the moment)

Harking Back...Part III: University (Year 4)- The Last Frontier

This is the end

Beautiful friend

This is the end

My only friend

The end

~ The Doors, "The End"

As the song says, this is the end of my university reading career and the last post on the series "Harking Back" in which I recount & review books from the courses that, for the most part, I felt privileged to be a part of.  So, here's the last of them:

17th Century Literature
We mostly read poetry and I grew to love Ben Jonson. The only book we read is below.

Paradise Lost- John Milton
Considered the most long-winded poem in literary history! Being an agnostic, it’s difficult for me to weigh in on this. Let’s just say most people who read it sympathize with the devil, who has much more fun (as the saying goes) and Milton’s god is highly vengeful, Old Testament style. Interesting that the movie The Devil’s Advocate, which has some killer special effects & a great end twist was inspired & very, very loosely adapted from PL. So while I read this, I had Al Pacino in mind as the devil all the way through…if I finished this, that is. Which I probably didn’t.

Rate: (C)- Just Okay


Modern British Literature
Very few books on the reading list, which left a lot of room for discussion and less scrambling to finish them on time for the lectures!

A Room With a View- E.M. Forster
Forster creates pleasant, if hilariously dull, characters amid quaint, delicate Italian surroundings in this enjoyable novel that was his first foray into the early 20th century British literary canon. Room is like Jane Austen meets Oscar Wilde: a cherubic romance embedded in social satire and laced with opinionated views of upper class society. His follow-ups, Howards End and A Passage to India are perhaps more popular & recognizable, but Room is like the appetizer before the entrée: it services the meal by allowing you to enjoy a small but tasty introduction to the chef. I’m sorry to end this with a clichéd conclusion, but I can’t resist: bon appetit.

Rate: (A)- Highly recommend

Brighton Rock- Graham Greene
Firstly, the cover is rather striking—it seems appropriate & yet somehow out of place. The portrait of the protagonist, Pinkie (wow, unintentional alliteration…try saying that 5x fast!) is drawn like a cartoon, but look closer: ragged scratches on his skin, oversized ears, and especially his muddy eyes with the evil, pinprick gaze. Despite the odd style choice that makes him appear like a caricature (but then again, aren’t all characters a caricature?), this is Pinkie, the darkest fictional reflection of a dictator figure I’ve ever read. You cannot possibly sympathize with him, and you become used to that. Like the character of Col. Hans Landa (brilliantly played by Christoph Waltz) in Inglourious Basterds, he is cold, calculated, and the most interesting character in the story (to explain the reference, I have just recently seen the movie and noticed the connection).

It’s hard for me to recount the events of the story, as its mystery is as complex as a Raymond Chandler yarn and even makes a number of references to these types of films, as well as Alfred Hitchcock and Howard Hawks. The reasons for Pinkie’s disturbing behaviour are a mix of alienation, misogyny, distrust, and downright hatred of any living being, including himself, and especially of women. As mentioned earlier, it sounds difficult to read from the perspective of such a despicable character, but it is highly possible to become absorbed by Graham Greene’s rich language and inventive dialogue.

I highly recommend trying it (at least). If you start to think twice about continuing, I urge you to keep at it. If you’ve read Greene before, you won’t be disappointed by (arguably) his greatest novel.

Rank: (A+)- Excellent

Regeneration- Pat Barker
This novel is the first in Barker’s historical fiction trilogy about shellshocked British soldiers during WWI being treated by psychiatrists at an Edinburgh hospital. Many characters are based closely on real people, however like most novels of this nature, events are altered for optimal artistic integrity. Barker’s writing is sharp, sometimes bitter, especially with regards to the public’s misconception of psychological damage caused by warfare to soldiers, often young men whose mental health is compromised to the breaking point. I haven’t read the two follow-up novels, but from my perspective, Regeneration stands alone as the best novel about the detrimental effects of war since All Quiet on the Western Front.

Rank: (A)- Highly recommend


Contemporary Fiction
A terrific book-per-week seminar that unfortunately I couldn’t keep up with, except to read two for my seminar & essay assignments. There are several I haven’t yet read but kept for interest’s sake, and I’ve listed them below. I welcome any insights on these books for those that have read them.

Flaubert’s Parrot- Julian Barnes
I absolutely love this novel. It is unbearably unique, in that there isn’t a single piece of work I’ve read or even heard of that resembles it. I remember in the seminar I gave on the novel that it borrows from a number of genres, making it impossible to bracket it into any one category. A Flaubert scholar vainly explores museums in France to find a stuffed parrot that was an inspirational symbol during the writing of Un Coeur Simple. It sounds preposterous, but the story is embedded with facts, anecdotes, and biographical tidbits on Flaubert, who is defended and admired unconditionally by the protagonist. I knew absolutely nothing about Flaubert when I read this novel (and I still don’t have much knowledge about him that stuck with me since reading this), but I admired the character’s appreciation for him and sympathized with his quest to learn an impossibly hidden truth. I highly, highly recommend reading this, even if you are far from a Flaubert aficionado.

Rank: (A+)- A must-read!

Funny Boy- Shyam Selvadurai
Here’s a sad fact: I read this in a week just in time to call in sick on the one day that our class would be discussing this. My immune system’s lack of timing could not have been worse, because I spent a lot of my commute to school during the week reading this over all my other course materials, only to miss discussing it. The author’s debut novel is a coming-of-age tale (a genre I really enjoy reading & experienced quite a lot of in university English courses) set in Sri Lanka through the eyes of a young, privileged Tamil boy maturing and recognizing his gay sexual identity amidst parental discouragement in the few years prior to the 1983 riots against the Sinhalese in the capital of Colombo. The novel is somewhat based (it’s always hard to know how much in these types of novels) on Selvadurai’s childhood & his family’s eventual immigration to Canada.

Rank: (A)- Highly recommend

Balzac & the Little Chinese Seamstress- Dai Sijie
A coming-of-age story with a gentle, gradually developing plot that changes in point-of-view between two boys growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution (Mao Zedong dictatorship) where they are “re-educated” in the Phoenix mountainside and fall in love with a treasure trove of classic (translated) literature, which they share with their competing love for the tailor’s daughter. There are many visually impressive moments that translate well to the film version, directed by Dai, who made films before novels. His own experiences with “re-education,” in which professionals, such as businesspeople, lawyers, doctors, and teachers, were sent to a form of rural prison camp where they did hard labor in farming, mining, and other such industries, are represented semi-autobiographically. Dai doesn’t shirk from posing tough historically-based questions about the political climate of China and experiences during the Cultural Revolution, which ended only to be followed by the Tiananmen Square massacre.The novel is a gem, weaving romance, literary culture, mysticism, medicine, and theatre/film performance.

Rank: (A+)- A must-read!


These are the unread novels from the course that are currently on my TBR shelf. Please let me know if you’ve read any & how you felt about them.

Tales From Firozsha Baag- Rohinton Mistry

The Woman Warrior- Maxine Hong Kingston

The White Hotel- D.M. Thomas

Moon Palace- Paul Auster

Small Island- Andrea Levy

Canadian Literature

Huge reading list, but insightful (albeit short) discussions on a variety of works over a broad history.

Wild Geese- Martha Ostenso
Told through the perspective of a visiting teacher staying with a farming family during the 1920s in the Manitoba prairies, this stark, absorbing tale of complex relationships against the backdrop of peaceful simplicity broke away from overly sappy popular literature of the time with themes of blackmail, familial detachment, fiery sexual awakening, growing into adulthood, shirking forced responsibility, and ultimately being freed from burdensome chains that withhold necessary truths to be spoken. I found the depth of Ostenso’s language breathtaking, to the point where I was so taken with the novel, not a single page was underlined or highlighted—in hindsight, I think that is the sign of not overanalyzing what is read, but simply enjoying the experience of it.

**SEMI-SPOILER—YOU’VE BEEN WARNED**
There is an amazingly vivid scene in which the oldest daughter Judith, a maturing, fiercely independent young woman, who I should note is so anti-stereotypical that I was impressed by the complexity & realistic (yet still interesting nature) of the character (whew…that’s a run-on sentence if ever I wrote one, LOL!), makes love to Sven amidst a small oasis of reeds, blooming flowers, and rushing water. While I’ve probably made it sound like an atypical scene from a romance novel, I have never read a better love scene, or even watched a better movie love scene as I had pictured in my mind when reading this novel.

Rank: (A+)- A must-read!

Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder- James De Mille
Oof…this one was an old clunker, somewhat out of place in the course as most of our reading selections were modern. It even seems to precede its published date (1888) in style & language. It was serialized, which would have made the book more digestible as it’s quite a read at nearly 300 pages (keep in the mind that the font is small & white space is limited). The concept is a story within a story: a shipwrecked sailor finds & begins narrating a [insert title here]. I was never sure if the story was meant as a Tolkienian fantasy or, as most critics see it, a satirical adventure tale reminiscent of Robinson Crusoe, yet after a fantastic voyage excitedly written, the tale falls flat and I could not be seduced to finish it. It’s been taught & re-taught according to my alma mater’s course calendar, but it’s not a quintessentially Canadian work, so why it seems to be a favourite text is beyond me. It was only one of two texts in this course that I didn’t like, so that’s an impressive batting average.

Rank: (DNF)- Did not finish, Don’t Recommend

Roughing it in the Bush- Susanna Moodie
Here’s the other text I couldn’t get into. Moodie is a Canadian pioneer novelist who wrote several diaries that translated into several novels and memoirs about adjusting to the culture of Canada. Moodie comes across as privileged and often snooty in her observations of Native culture in what she calls “the bush,” echoing reflections of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. It is hard to swallow her writing when she makes harsh comments about a race she barely knows or has been exposed to. Ironically, she seems to think less of them than the Natives do of her, but like Conrad, her perspective is the only one presented. Unlike Strange Manuscript, Moodie is not out of place in the course, but was the equivalent of reading Heart of Darkness in my postcolonial lit course: somewhat disturbing & quite one-sided.

Rank: (DNF)- Did not finish, Don’t Recommend

Obasan- Joy Kogawa
Part epistolary novel, part semi-fictional memoir, and part children’s book, this is the story of Naomi, a young Japanese-Canadian girl separated from her mother during WWII as she is imprisoned in an internment camp, remembering that time now as an adult. The events are recalled through a box of letters & diary entries where Naomi learns some sad truths about her mother’s death as she cares for her ailing aunt after the death of the uncle who helped raise her.

Rank: (A)- Very good

The Diviners- Margaret Laurence
The beautiful opening line “The river flowed both ways” is a metaphor for the ebbs & tides experienced by the 1st person protagonist, Morag Gunn, a writer approaching a calm period of her life, contemplating how to address her autobiographical novel, much like Laurence did while writing this one, and piecing together a sketchy past in order to set the story she wants to tell.

There are so many themes in this novel that intertwine seamlessly: family history & genealogy, Native culture, self-identity, marriage, and coming to terms with change at all stages of life. Supporting characters play pivotal roles in Morag’s life and reappear either in person or mind at various turning points—the garbage “scavenger” who adopts & raises her, a Metis lover whom she cannot admit to truly loving, the runaway daughter also trying to find a sense of identity, a patriarchal husband, neighbours devastated by a tragic fire, and a roommate with a pet python (!). All become the partial subjects of three semi-autobiographical novels (within the novel), a living that Morag uses as the medium to both express & ultimately pinpoint her self-identity with forays into Montreal for college and Scotland for family history searching, but finding her home is the diverse rural town of Manawaka, Manitoba.

Reading a nearly 500 page novel in my honours year when I was overloaded on English courses wasn’t the most practical time to finish it, but I was adamant to, because I had never been so absorbed by a story that told so much about a single person. This was Laurence’s final novel, often a sacrificial lamb at the stake of Canadian censors who banned the book from many high school libraries for being “obscene” and “vulgar” (likely due to one sex scene that is tame by even older standards). I, for one, could not have appreciated this book in high school and will need a long period of time if I decide to reread it, but it is a remarkable, involved journey that took Laurence a lifetime to experience and four years to set on paper. It is a work that any author would wish to finish their career with writing.

Rank: (A+)- Instant favourite

In the Skin of a Lion- Michael Ondaatje
There is no doubt that Ondaatje is a fascinating writer, telling novels as if they were extended poems and creating unforgettable images. The plots are often mazes that even a strong reader can get lost in, but Ondaatje gives us permission to. Perhaps it’s even his wish. Set in Toronto during the 1920s & 1930s, a number of characters, the most stunning being Patrick, the anti-hero protagonist. Ondaatje presents a criticism of the city’s development and how the minority builders who contributed to its construction were eliminated from the history books. Patrick’s work as a dynamiter offers amazing descriptions of his work, coupled with a lingering sadness of his father’s death and memories of the logging & milling workers he witnessed in his youth. I’m finding it difficult to recount the story precisely, but the symbolic imagery of the story will stay with you long after reading.

Rank: (A)- Highly recommend

Truth & Bright Water- Thomas King
Had to skip reading this, but kept my copy so it’s TBR.  Any experiences with this one, readers?








My Best Friend is White- Klyde Broox
Odds are you haven’t heard of this one. Broox is a Jamaican-born “dub poet,” who writes, rhymes, and performs like a politically, racially & culturally-charged material in the style of Bob Marley meets Allen Ginsberg. My Best Friend is White is a compilation of dub poems that ring even truer in performance with his smooth voice and exciting tempo. I had the privilege of seeing him perform in university, and got his autograph on my copy, with the cool inscription: “To Megan, Your name rhymes with ‘vibration.’ Keep the vibes flowing!” Broox, being a former teacher, was also generous enough to perform for a class of grade 7 & 8 students in my student teaching practice, and even taught a poetry workshop with them! We had read & practiced “A View Beneath a Hard Hat,” a poem that I felt they would best relate to about the tiring effect constant hard labour has on “hard hat” workers. But seeing & hearing him perform in person captivated the students, and made me feel like I had provided them with an experience they had never seen or felt before. Broox made that happen & I could not thank him more for it.

Rank: (A)- Highly recommend


Children’s Literature
A disappointing, harsh lecturer but you can't complain about this list of classics.

Anne of Green Gables- L.M. Montgomery
Every young reader, especially girls, have heard of this book for many generations. If you’ve never read it, it is a timeless classic that still creates a feeling of nostalgia for childhood. That being said, reading the series as a child is very different from reading it as an adult. Anne Shirley was my favourite literary character, forever pictured in my mind as Megan Follows who played Anne in the equally adored Canadian TV movie adaptation. Additional characters, such as Rachel Lynde and Marilla Cuthbert, were supporting players in the Canadian TV series Road to Avonlea, which expanded further into the Ontario town, often through the eyes & experiences of young Sara Stanley, who is similar in nature to Anne.

My favourite memories of the story are Anne’s imaginative naming of the fields surrounding Green Gables, her defensive reaction to Mrs. Lynde’s initial judgment, her dress with puffed sleeves, and breaking the slate over Gilbert Blythe’s head.  This beloved classic makes me proud to be Canadian :o)

Rank: (A+)- A must-read!

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- Mark Twain
An epic adventure of childhood escapism and an unwillingness to grow up in the late 19th century American south. Mark Twain is a classic humourist and social satirist who has an accurate read for childhood hopes, dreams & fears. The plot is not too important—the characters are the story, especially young Huck’s tense, tested relationship with the slave Jim and their travels along the Mississippi river on an idyllically pictured raft on the glowing front cover of the Bantam edition. This is a relaxing read that will allow you to escape right with the characters. If you were wondering, I haven’t read the follow-up, Tom Sawyer, yet, but it’s on my TBR list.

Rank: (A)- Highly recommend

House on Mango Street- Sandra Cisneros
A series of short vignettes set in a poor Latino neighbourhood told by a young girl witnessing & experiencing a number of hardships as she learns the truth of growing up, persevering & coming to terms with one’s home turf. It’s a short, digestible read that broke ground for Cisneros and other Latin-American writers who were grossly underrepresented in the literary world.

Rank: (B)- Recommend

Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang- Mordecai Richler
An often hilarious, always honest portrayal of childhood as an adventure in which stereotypes of villains are turned on their head and revealed as simply misunderstood people who can be reformed if the right person charms them. I had never read this book as a child and the TV movie version was too scary for me (I was very averse to even the mildest form of fright), but I fell in love with this cute story and I have saved my copy to read to my class some day.

Rank: (A)- Highly recommend

The Giving Tree- Shel Silverstein
A classic children’s book written by Silverstein, the king of kid lit who makes poetry fun and less intimidating. The black-and-white pictures (who someone in this class brilliantly suggested may be deliberately blank so children may colour them in to become the illustrator) frame a simple morality tale of true love, sacrifice, childhood innocence, adult greed & selfishness, and even environmentalism that children of all ages can relate to, appreciate, and see beyond to the bigger message. Read & reread this to your children, your grandchildren, and yourself—you won’t regret a second of it.

Rank: (A+)- A must-read!


The Oprah Effect
Yes, that Oprah (who else?). This seminar covered some novels from Oprah’s book club and academic criticism about her show, her image, and her effect on pop culture, business, journalism (is she even considered one anymore?), media, and self-help therapy. This course was far more challenging than the content it suggests, but because everyone has heard of her, it was impossible to not contribute to the discussions.

Song of Solomon- Toni Morrison
Like many postmodern novels, this book is written with a loose structure, focusing instead on character development and descriptive language, allowing the cards to fall where they may. Morrison, known for writing themes of black identity and post-slavery dysfunction, pens a story about a family with (sometimes ironic) Biblical names and the oldest son’s struggle to identify himself amidst the violence between his parents, an obsessive great-niece, and a best friend jealous of a hidden family fortune that promises him freedom. It was a tangled read, full of mysterious characters and messy truths. It may not be for everyone, but I suggest attempting it, especially if you have read Morrison’s novels before (I haven’t, by the way), such as Beloved and The Bluest Eye.

Rank: (B)- Recommend

The Corrections- Jonathan Franzen
It’s hard to like a book with such unlikable characters, but it is proven possible. I feel uneasy ranking this book as merely “okay,” because it is an impressive tome that Franzen and some of his male counterparts deemed too good for Oprah’s book club (granted, they were probably right as Oprah’s choices are popular but rarely the critical best of contemporary literature). It portrays family dysfunction in the queasiest of details that often made me physically squirm in my seat. Judging by its press releases, Franzen’s hopes of reaching a male audience were successful as the women of the story had a certain offbeat tone that can subsequently be attributed to a male author (arguably repeated in Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina). It has been some time since I read this novel, so my arguments may not be wholly justified (and without a copy, even backed up…ahem), but I am merely recanting my feelings at the time of reading this novel for the course.

Rank: (C)- Just okay

A Million Little Pieces- James Frey
There was a lot of intrigue about this novel, but frankly, I didn’t catch onto it. It’s (ironically) addictive to read, much like watching a bad movie, but needing to know how it ends. This was only half that experience as I didn’t finish it. The style was jarring and very scattered, which perhaps was deliberate, but The Basketball Diaries covered a similar experience coherently, didn’t it?

Frey received a lot of flak (mostly from Oprah) for his dishonesty surrounding how much of this memoir actually happened to him. To me, it doesn’t really matter. Lots of memoirs tell falsehoods or hyperbolize about events that weren’t as significant as the author writes. On the same note, lots of fiction comes off as autobiographical when it scarcely is. Okay, so he lied. But, you might counter, he lied to Oprah. Well, so did Mike Tyson, but she didn’t have him back to say “shame on you.” Does the follow-up make Frey’s novel any worse? If anything, it draws more publicity to it. And to Oprah.

Rank: (DNF)- Did Not Finish, Don’t Recommend