Review: Life and Times of Michael K

I just cross-posted my review of Life and Times of Michael K by Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee on Rose City Reader and Read the Nobels:



Despite the credentials, I did not like this book and I do not see the point of it. Near the end, the main character, Michael K, questions whether the moral of the story is that there is time for everything. But if that is the moral of this story, then it was not clear at all. Michael K has nothing but time, but he does not do anything. He seems incapable of doing anything. He cannot cope with living in any kind of society; nor does he succeed in living on his own in the wilderness.

Read literally, the book is horribly depressing, because Michael seems to be mentally ill or mentally deficient (because he cannot provide for himself and he has no will to survive), but no one is able to help him. Read symbolically, I just do not get it. If Michael is supposed to represent some greater meaning, as the doctor/narrator suggests in the second part of the book, what is that meaning? The book does not answer that question and I am at a loss to understand how Michael's numbing, endless suffering has meaning.

Jackie's Review of 'The Famished Road'

'The Famished Road' is the moving story of African, the spirit child, who is constantly jumping between the two worlds. The spirit world is described so vividly that I was almost convinced it exists!

I know very little about African mythology, and so was worried that I would become lost in this book. There were probably lots of references that I did not pick up on, but at no point did I feel overwhelmed by the plot. In fact I found it very easy to read. Even though it was nearly 600 pages long, it felt like a much shorter book. That said, it is probably not a book to be dipped into casually over a period of time. I think that you need to devote a few large amounts of time, in a short period, in order to immerse yourself in the world.

The characters were well drawn, and I felt real empathy for their plight by the end. The plot was also very well planned, and the moral of the book became hard to ignore as the book came to a close. I loved the book and recommend it to anyone with a large amount of free time on their hands!

4 out of 5 stars

Purple Hibiscus - J's Review

Kambili is a 15 year old girl, growing up in Nigeria with her older brother, Jaja, and their parents, Eugene and Beatrice. Eugene is a very wealthy, influential man, one of the few who dares to stand up and tell the truth about the local government by means of the newspaper he owns. Theirs is a charmed life, with Eugene donating richly to the poorer neighbors, to the church, and to the many charities he supports. They live in a compound surrounded by high walls, and they have servants to cook and clean and drive for them. They have cable television and luxurious cars, plenty of meat to eat, and the respect of the community. Kambili and her brother are consistently first in their class, and are well regarded by their teachers.

Of course, when you scratch the surface, things are not as wonderful as they seem. The family lives in fear of Eugene, who is known to fly into rages, and dishes out extreme punishments for any infraction against his strict schedules and his unattainable standards. He is a religious fanatic, and fears that his family might become possessed by demons if they do not keep their minds and bodies clean, work hard and worship along with him, and follow his ever directive with no questions asked.

Eugene's sister, Ifeoma, convinces Eugene to let Kambili and Jaja come and visit her family for a few days, a visit which opens their eyes to the world around them. Ifeoma is a widowed University Professor in a time of turmoil, when the Universities did not have the money to pay the salaries of their staff. She and her children live a very meager existence, constantly trying to figure out how to make ends meet. Ifeoma's daughter, Amaka, is very jealous of the luxuries that her cousins enjoy, while they marvel at her easy relationship with her mother, and begin to unclench their muscles and thrive in this house, which is full of laughter and genuine respect. Kambili, in the mean time, falls in love with Ifeoma's friend, a young priest named Father Amadi.

As the two households become closer, Nigeria falls under a military junta, and events begin to spiral out of control.

Purple Hibiscus is beautifully written, with glimpses of fanaticism, the effects of colonialism and missionary dominance, and a culture fiercely subdued but not completely mastered. The narrative was a bit more straightforward than Adichie's other wonderful novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, and I would happily recommend either of them. She is obviously a gifted writer, and I look forward to her next book.

On Chesil Beach - Wendy's Review

They were young, educated, and both virgins on this, their wedding night, and they lived in a time when a conversation about sexual difficulties was plainly impossible. -From On Chesil Beach, page 3-

Ian McEwan’s On Chesil Beach is the story of two people - Edward and Florence - who marry in 1962, on the cusp of the sexual revolution. They come from starkly different pasts. Edward is the son of a poor farmer, while Florence comes from a wealthy background. Florence is a gifted musician who loves classical music, and although Edward loves to watch Florence play the violin, his musical interests lie in rock and roll. But it is not only their pasts and interests which diverge in this slim novel, but their expectations of intimacy. Early on the reader feels a sense of unease about Florence, that there is a secret she clasps close to her heart while emotionally isolating herself from others.

All these years she had lived in isolation within herself and, strangely, from herself, never wanting or daring to look back. In the stone-floored echoing hall with the heavy low beams, her problems with Edward were already present in those first few seconds, in their first exchange of looks. -From On Chesil Beach, page 76-

On Chesil Beach takes place mostly on the eve of Edward and Florence’s wedding where the expectations around consummating the marriage create the tension in the novel. Each character brings with them a past which shapes the present…and ultimately their future.

McEwan is a precise writer who has sharpened his prose to a fine point in this stunning book about intimacy and empathy. Inaction can be more tragic than action - and On Chesil Beach demonstrates this idea vividly. McEwan is brilliant in the development of his characters - compressing their lives and drawing their motivations toward one moment in time which becomes irretrievable. The writing is absorbing and riveting and no word is wasted.

Many readers may find the subject matter uncomfortable, which I believe was McEwan’s intent. But those readers who overcome their discomfort will uncover a gem of a book which is sharply observed and compassionate.

On Chesil Beach was short listed for the Booker Prize in 2007.

Highly recommended.

Crossing the River - Wendy's Review

For two hundred and fifty years I have waited patiently for the wind to rise on the far bank of the river. For the drum to pound across the water. For the chorus to swell. Only then, if I listen closely, can I rediscover my lost children. A brief, painful communion. A desperate foolishness. The crops failed. I sold my children. -From Crossing the River, The Prologue-

Crossing the River begins in the 1700’s as an African man is forced to sell his three children - Nash, Martha and Travis - into slavery. The novel then assumes a three part structure - a snapshot in time during the 1820s, the latter part of the 19th century, and finally the late 1930s-early 1940s. The three children from the beginning are symbolically represented throughout the novel with each of their voices distinct and individual as the reader follows the history of blacks from Africa, to the American West, and to Europe.

A slave named Nash Williams is freed from bondage and sent to Liberia to convert native Africans to Christianity in the late-1820s. Narrated partly through Nash’s letters back to his white master, the reader gains an appreciation of not only the brutality and desolation of slavery, but the power of freedom even when it means living in poverty.

Martha, an elderly black woman, is abandoned in Colorado while trying to travel with a group of black Pioneers to California. She grieves her lost child, and remembers the love of a man.

Finally, Travis - a black American GI - falls in love with a white English woman named Joyce during WWII. This section is narrated in a non-linear fashion from Joyce’s point of view and exposes the bigotry and obstacles to mixed marriage and relationships during that time in history.

Phillips’ prose is constructed beautifully - haunting and filled with alluring imagery.

The river wore a rutted frown where their slow progress had disturbed her sleep. To either side the somber banks, cluttered with trees, shrubs and vines, were pressed by a thick, brooding undergrowth that was heavy with years. As dusk approached, the heat still hung low like a ceiling above their heads. -From Crossing the River, page 66-

The novel’s plot is elusive because the story is not about these three characters really. Instead Nash, Martha and Travis are representative of a people as a whole. Phillips reveals the tortured search for home by a people whose lives were torn from their homeland. He doesn’t spare the reader the horror of slavery or the grief of those whose families were destroyed by it.

Then the auctioneer slaps hs gavel against a block of wood. I fall to my knees and take Eliza Mae in my arms. I did not suckle this child at the breast, nor did I cradle her in my arms and cover her with what love I have, to see her taken away from me. As the auctioneer begins to bellow, I look into Eliza Mae’s face. He is calling out the date, the place, the time. Master would never have sold any of us. I tell this to my terrified child. Slaves. Farm animals. Household furniture. Farm tools. We are to be sold in this order. -From Crossing the River, page 76-

Caryl Phillips is a gifted writer and in Crossing the River his talents are clearly on display. The novel is vivid and unique. It is largely symbolic, and so is not always an easy story to understand. This is a book which needs to be read two or three times, I think, to gain full appreciation of its message.

Crossing the River was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1993. Phillips has authored numerous other works - his latest in 2007 is a novel titled Foreigners.

Recommended.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Almost a week after the publication of the Booker Longlist I have completed reading the first in my chosen list of six. The White Tiger is Adiga's debut novel and is a book I was unaware of until its appearance in the list.

The story is narrated by Balram Halwai, born into the "Darkness" of Northern India, Balram becomes a servant to the wealthy Mr Ashok. The novel is constructed as a series of letters in which we come to learn how Balram maneuvers his way from servitude to entrepreneurship in India's "new economy". 

This book is a tough one for me to review. I feel relatively ambivalent about it. The first half of the novel is solid and engrossing - we learn about Balram's family, his struggle to escape life in the village. It is powerful stuff, well written and amusing. However approaching the final 3rd I found myself wearying of Balram's story and the inevitability of the ending. We learn early on that Balram will murder his master Mr Ashok. I was finding myself just wanting him to get on with it...It is a shame because I think the premise had plenty of potential for some real insights into modern India.

My main problem with The White Tiger, was a lack of subtlety. There is a very dark and vicious edge to this story which I found unsettling.  Everyone has an angle, is on the take, or has a scheme of some kind. I got a little depressed by this view of humanity by the end of the novel. There was a kind of ugliness to this world which really jarred with me. I guess I was looking for a tiny hint of light mixed with the shade.

On the positive side, there is certainly humor in this novel and a lightness of tone which makes it quick and entertaining to read. I can't deny that this is like no other Indian novel I have read - Adiga certainly has a distinctive voice and perspective. Balram is an interesting character, amusing and mischievous. As he reveals his life story you do get pulled in. Life in the Darkness is hard, few make it out, the bonds of servitude and family are hard to break.  You want Balram to succeed but does the end justify the means?

In summary, I think this is a good debut novel from an author with potential, but I would not back it for the shortlist at this point.

I think my feelings for the novel are encompassed by these reviewers ....

"The White Tiger resembles the stories in Murder Weekly. It is quick, entertaining and full of vividly drawn types: the scheming servant, the corrupt businessman, the spoilt wife. Its lack of subtlety can be wearying, as can its cynicism. But it is a useful counter to optimistic tales of India's roaring economy." -Times Literary Supplement

"Yes, it's fresh, funny, different, and it will please those looking for insights into contemporary India, but The White Tiger offers something less than it might have achieved." - The Washington Post

Headlong by Michael Frayn (Jackie)

Headlong by Michael Frayn was shortlisted for the Booker prize in 1999.

Headlong is the story an art historian who spots a lost painting by Breugal in his neighbour’s house. He sets out to obtain the painting by any means possible, in order to bring himself fame and fortune.

As I know next to nothing about art, I was worried that I would find this book difficult to read, but the technical terms are explained simply and the descriptions of the paintings are so wonderful that I almost felt I knew what they looked like.

The plot is fairly fast paced, and I love the many moral dilemmas concerning the value of love, friendship, trust and wealth. I got slightly bored by the sections on the history of Breugal, but the rest of the book made up for these, and I loved the ending.

As so much of the plots hinges on parts of Breugal’s paintings I feel that it would have been beneficial to have some pictures of the paintings in the book. I ended up looking for them on the internet, and as a result of seeing the pictures I felt I had a much better understanding of what was going on.

It’s a great book, with well researched content and realistic characters. I recommend it, as long as you can put up with the history!

3.5 out of 5 stars

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (Jill)

The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai
Completed July 27, 2008

It’s hard to review The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. Overall, it was a good story – not spectacular but not horrible. It certainly appealed to the critics, but for an average reader like me, I was slightly disappointed with parts of this award-winning novel.

The Inheritance of Loss was the story of a judge living with his granddaughter, Sai, at the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. The judge was cold-hearted and demanding, and Sai found more fatherly comfort for their cook. The cook told her stories of grandeur from the judge’s past life (as well as his own). The cook dreamed of the day when his son, Biju, settles successfully into New York City so the cook could live with him. Interwoven with this story were commentaries on colonialism, Indian culture (particularly their caste system), immigration and nationalism.

Where The Inheritance of Loss excelled was in the illumination of Indian culture and the treatment of Indian immigrants in the U.S. I learned tremendously about both themes from this book. I often interact with Indians at work, and I discovered a newfound appreciation for their culture and how hard it is to acculturate into my country.

However, there were parts in this novel that just dragged for me. Perhaps the plot and character development were too subtle for my reading taste. In areas where the story didn’t seem to advance, I found myself skipping pages. I don’t think I missed much by doing so either.

I believe that The Inheritance of Loss is one of those books people either gush over or shrug at. I enjoyed Desai’s writing style, her humor and her subtle touches, and I would read another novel by her. I would recommend this novel to fans of Booker Prize winners with one piece of advice: bring your patience when you read this novel.( )