Funny in Farsi was assigned to me for a class that I am currently taking. Since I generally enjoy almost everything that I read, I decided that for my purpose of reading 100 books in the year 2010, I would include any assigned reading (excepting short stories and text book reading) that is given to me.
However, I can say that Funny in Farsi took me much longer to read than it should have. It is supposed to be a very light, easy read however it just wasn't my kind of book and it was really hard for me to get into reading. For one thing, I thought that the stories started to get a little bit redundant. She poked fun at basically the same things throughout the entire novel. Her mother and father, their accents, the silly things that they did because they were not familiar with American culture, etc. It got boring and it got predictable about halfway through. I also didn't like that her memoir talked mostly about her father and mother. As a reader, I did not get to know very much about Firoozeh Dumas. I couldn't tell you a thing about her personality, aside from the fact that she is somewhat condescending to her parents.
There is also a positive side to Funny in Farsi, despite the fact that it was not my favorite read so far this year. The immigrant experience detailed by Firoozeh Dumas is unique. She was young enough to assimilate well to the culture, while her parents were not able to do so as easily. She therefore offers a view of two different immigrant experiences. She also did not come from a family that was very poor or that was persecuted. Her family simply immigrated because her father, who was an educated man, had a good job offer and though that it would be nice to live the American dream. Firoozeh also married a French immigrant, which adds some spice and makes her story even more unique. She is witty and sharp and comes off as being a genuinely nice person.
In short, just because Funny in Farsi was not the kind of book that I generally love, does not mean that I am going to give it a bad review. It was a good book and I anticipate that a great many people will very much enjoy it. It is unique, funny, and well written. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a lighter, more simplistic reading experience.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
2010, Book 4: Tweak
I absolutely love reading about addiction. My mother is a recovering addict who got clean when I was about twelve and ever since then, I have just really enjoyed reading both fiction and non fiction about addiction. I can say, with ease, that Tweak has just moved into the spot of being my favorite memoir about addiction. I have never been able to relate so well to the author as I was to Nic Sheff. He likes the same music and movies as I do, has the same interests, enjoys the same past times and he happens to be pretty close to my age.
I'm not an addict. But I have a very addictive personality and over the years have had to take a step back (more than once) from drinking, partying, and drugging. However, I have been reading about addiction since I was a very young teen and I always liked it because I could relate to the children or loved ones of the addicts but I was never really able to relate to the addicts themselves, unless I related them to my mother. Reading Nic Sheff's perspective was a breath of fresh air to me.
I think that because my mother was an addict when I was young I have this kind of misconception that addicts and drunks have to be older than me. I still see it as an adult disease, because my mom was the adult. I haven't quite wrapped my brain around the fact that now I am an adult too. I have friends that are addicts, I have experimented with drugs, and I even know people that have died as a result of drug abuse. However, when I was reading Tweak and learning about how Nic Sheff felt, how he saw himself, and what actually drove him to abuse drugs, it was like peering into my own mind.
Nic was always plagued by insecurity, undiagnosed mental illness, doubt, confusion about his parents and step parents, fear of his step parents, a sense that he didn't belong, and a confused desire to imitate the lives of the people he idolized. These are common reasons why addicts use, but for me to read about an addict of a similar age using for the same reasons that I have in the past was completely eye opening. To understand his need for numbness and to understand his need to hurt himself was to gain a better understanding of myself.
I would recommend that any and every one who has been touched by addiction or who has an interest in addiction pick this book up and read it. Walking a mile with Nic Sheff could be invaluable in helping any reader to understand either themselves or their loved ones. I wish Nic the best in his continued battle toward full recovery and I genuinely thank him for sharing his story with me.
I'm not an addict. But I have a very addictive personality and over the years have had to take a step back (more than once) from drinking, partying, and drugging. However, I have been reading about addiction since I was a very young teen and I always liked it because I could relate to the children or loved ones of the addicts but I was never really able to relate to the addicts themselves, unless I related them to my mother. Reading Nic Sheff's perspective was a breath of fresh air to me.
I think that because my mother was an addict when I was young I have this kind of misconception that addicts and drunks have to be older than me. I still see it as an adult disease, because my mom was the adult. I haven't quite wrapped my brain around the fact that now I am an adult too. I have friends that are addicts, I have experimented with drugs, and I even know people that have died as a result of drug abuse. However, when I was reading Tweak and learning about how Nic Sheff felt, how he saw himself, and what actually drove him to abuse drugs, it was like peering into my own mind.
Nic was always plagued by insecurity, undiagnosed mental illness, doubt, confusion about his parents and step parents, fear of his step parents, a sense that he didn't belong, and a confused desire to imitate the lives of the people he idolized. These are common reasons why addicts use, but for me to read about an addict of a similar age using for the same reasons that I have in the past was completely eye opening. To understand his need for numbness and to understand his need to hurt himself was to gain a better understanding of myself.
I would recommend that any and every one who has been touched by addiction or who has an interest in addiction pick this book up and read it. Walking a mile with Nic Sheff could be invaluable in helping any reader to understand either themselves or their loved ones. I wish Nic the best in his continued battle toward full recovery and I genuinely thank him for sharing his story with me.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
2010, Book 3: Assuming the Position
Someone should remind me to take all of Dave's book recommendations and Google them before I actually read them. He's not always recommending bad reads, but this time he really missed the mark. Assuming the Position is a memoir written by a man who was a homosexual prostitute in the 90s.
While it isn't a terrible book, it just was really not my thing. I am a huge supporter of gay rights and I have more than a few gay friends, however I don't even want to read a heterosexual book with that many lewd descriptions. It was definitely overkill. However, I will credit the author with one thing: he didn't glamorize prostitution at all. He made it sound raunchy and disgusting and he was very clear about the fact that he was a prostitute because he was a sex and drug addict.
One of the things that I liked least about this book was the way that the author spoke of his addictions. He clearly has not fully addressed his issues although he seemed to think himself well and recovered enough to write an effective memoir. I personally don't believe that his messages were positive and would be concerned if an addict looking for solitude picked up his novel to read it because I don't think that it passes on a healthy message.
This is probably not a book I would recommend to anyone, unless they were needing something like it for school.
While it isn't a terrible book, it just was really not my thing. I am a huge supporter of gay rights and I have more than a few gay friends, however I don't even want to read a heterosexual book with that many lewd descriptions. It was definitely overkill. However, I will credit the author with one thing: he didn't glamorize prostitution at all. He made it sound raunchy and disgusting and he was very clear about the fact that he was a prostitute because he was a sex and drug addict.
One of the things that I liked least about this book was the way that the author spoke of his addictions. He clearly has not fully addressed his issues although he seemed to think himself well and recovered enough to write an effective memoir. I personally don't believe that his messages were positive and would be concerned if an addict looking for solitude picked up his novel to read it because I don't think that it passes on a healthy message.
This is probably not a book I would recommend to anyone, unless they were needing something like it for school.
Monday, January 11, 2010
2010, Book 2: Fight Club
I'm normally the type of person who reads the book before watching the movie. I actually have a tendency to be kind of obsessive about making sure I read the book first. However, I have owned the movie Fight Club for years now and for some reason the book Fight Club barely made it's way into my home about a year ago. I finished reading Beautiful Boy and needed something to read while I waited for Tweak (the companion book) to come in the mail. So, I picked up Fight Club, since I figured I need to read 100 books this year and it was moderately slim.
I have read two other novels by Chuck Palahniuk and although his novels are not insanely long, his writing style generally still makes them a little bit more intense to read. Maybe, in this case, it was due to how many times I have watched the film version of this novel but I found Fight Club to be immensely easy reading and as a result, I finished it in less than 24 hours. I was shocked at both how quickly I finished it and by how true the movie was to the book.
Fight Club is really a very good read, even for someone who has not seen the movie. Story is about a man who is very unhappy with his life. He has trouble sleeping and he feels very empty. In order to feel more complete, he attends support group meetings every night of the week. He is not ill with anything, so he lies and says that he is so that he can feel accepted in the support groups. This is working for him until he realizes that there is another faker attending groups. Just knowing that she knows he is faking makes it impossible for him to get the satisfaction that he needs from the groups. It is around this time that he meets Tyler Durden.
Shortly after meeting Tyler, his apartment explodes and he ends up moving in with Tyler. Then, the two men decide to start fight club. They meet in a basement. Anyone can come. "The first rule of fight club is that you do not talk about fight club." These clubs become very popular. New ones form and the people in it all look to Tyler and the narrator as heroes for bringing them fight club. However, Tyler has bigger ideas and eventually starts using fight club to enact them. The narrator must decide whether or not he wants to be a part of it and he also must figure out, if he doesn't, how he is going to cut ties with Tyler.
Anyone who has ever read Palahniuk knows that he likes to always add a twist at the end of his novels and that he is very good at it. Fight Club is no different and if the reader has never seen the movie, they will find themselves very shocked at the way that things unfold. I also do not believe that Palahniuk's work is for everyone. He is very dark, has a tendency to be abstract, and can be a little bit hard to read. However, I think that most people would enjoy Fight Club as long as they aren't the type of people who require a happy ending in every story and a straight through, easy to follow storyline. It was definitely a book that I enjoyed reading and would read again.
I have read two other novels by Chuck Palahniuk and although his novels are not insanely long, his writing style generally still makes them a little bit more intense to read. Maybe, in this case, it was due to how many times I have watched the film version of this novel but I found Fight Club to be immensely easy reading and as a result, I finished it in less than 24 hours. I was shocked at both how quickly I finished it and by how true the movie was to the book.
Fight Club is really a very good read, even for someone who has not seen the movie. Story is about a man who is very unhappy with his life. He has trouble sleeping and he feels very empty. In order to feel more complete, he attends support group meetings every night of the week. He is not ill with anything, so he lies and says that he is so that he can feel accepted in the support groups. This is working for him until he realizes that there is another faker attending groups. Just knowing that she knows he is faking makes it impossible for him to get the satisfaction that he needs from the groups. It is around this time that he meets Tyler Durden.
Shortly after meeting Tyler, his apartment explodes and he ends up moving in with Tyler. Then, the two men decide to start fight club. They meet in a basement. Anyone can come. "The first rule of fight club is that you do not talk about fight club." These clubs become very popular. New ones form and the people in it all look to Tyler and the narrator as heroes for bringing them fight club. However, Tyler has bigger ideas and eventually starts using fight club to enact them. The narrator must decide whether or not he wants to be a part of it and he also must figure out, if he doesn't, how he is going to cut ties with Tyler.
Anyone who has ever read Palahniuk knows that he likes to always add a twist at the end of his novels and that he is very good at it. Fight Club is no different and if the reader has never seen the movie, they will find themselves very shocked at the way that things unfold. I also do not believe that Palahniuk's work is for everyone. He is very dark, has a tendency to be abstract, and can be a little bit hard to read. However, I think that most people would enjoy Fight Club as long as they aren't the type of people who require a happy ending in every story and a straight through, easy to follow storyline. It was definitely a book that I enjoyed reading and would read again.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
2010, Book 1: Beautiful Boy
I absolutely tore through David Sheff's Beautiful Boy. It was an absolutely wonderful read. I love to read about addiction. I am the product of two addicted parent. I lived 11 years alone with my severely addicted mother. After she got clean, I was right in the middle of her new sobriety and her AA life. I have met all of her friends, who have both stayed clean and relapsed. And now, as an adult, I have experienced my own peers becoming addicts. Reading about addiction always hits home for me. This time, however, was a little different. This was the first time that I have read about addiction from the perspective of the addict's parent or loved one.
Beautiful Boy is about a man named David and his son, Nic. Nic begins using drugs in his early teens and by the time he goes to college, he is a full blown meth addict. David Sheff tells his story in an amazing way. He includes his own experiences and feelings as well as including research based facts on addiction and crystal meth. In reading this book I learned a lot about meth addiction, which I found very frightening as I have never known much about meth except for street facts.
From hearing about Nic as a child to hearing about him as he wrestles with the meth monster, I began to feel like a member of the family. I began to feel like Nic was my friend and that I was experiencing his addiction first hand. I recognized his behaviors as things I have experienced with other friends and family. I recognized his story as one that I have heard before a thousand times. I recognized Nic as someone I loved and cared about. But most of all I recognized David Sheff as myself.
I remember, as a child, wanting to help my mom. I remember thinking that certain things might cause her to change. And now, as an adult, I know that it would not have helped. I know that letting go was the best thing anyone could have done for her. However, I had to struggle with all of the emotions just like David Sheff did. I had to wrestle with guilt, anger, and sadness. Every addict's family has to find their own path to recovery and healing and reading about David's path in Beautiful Boy was exhilarating and enlightening. By the time I was done I was wishing his family the best and feeling significantly invested in Nic's success in recovery. This is a great book, I would recommend it to almost anyone.
Beautiful Boy is about a man named David and his son, Nic. Nic begins using drugs in his early teens and by the time he goes to college, he is a full blown meth addict. David Sheff tells his story in an amazing way. He includes his own experiences and feelings as well as including research based facts on addiction and crystal meth. In reading this book I learned a lot about meth addiction, which I found very frightening as I have never known much about meth except for street facts.
From hearing about Nic as a child to hearing about him as he wrestles with the meth monster, I began to feel like a member of the family. I began to feel like Nic was my friend and that I was experiencing his addiction first hand. I recognized his behaviors as things I have experienced with other friends and family. I recognized his story as one that I have heard before a thousand times. I recognized Nic as someone I loved and cared about. But most of all I recognized David Sheff as myself.
I remember, as a child, wanting to help my mom. I remember thinking that certain things might cause her to change. And now, as an adult, I know that it would not have helped. I know that letting go was the best thing anyone could have done for her. However, I had to struggle with all of the emotions just like David Sheff did. I had to wrestle with guilt, anger, and sadness. Every addict's family has to find their own path to recovery and healing and reading about David's path in Beautiful Boy was exhilarating and enlightening. By the time I was done I was wishing his family the best and feeling significantly invested in Nic's success in recovery. This is a great book, I would recommend it to almost anyone.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
#19: The Shack
I have a tendency to be very private and shy about my Faith and my spirituality. For one thing, I have yet to actually define it and for another, my beliefs are wholly unique compared to any that I have heard of as yet and I don't wish to debate them. However, recently I have begun to delve a little deeper and I have even been attending church in an effort to make better sense of my relationship with God. During a conversation with a friend about my new efforts, she recommended that I read The Shack and although I kind of brushed the suggestion to the side at first, I eventually saw a copy on sale at Walmart. Since I have a very difficult time controlling my urge to buy books, I went ahead and purchased it. I finally read it this past weekend and I have to say that I have mixed feelings.
First of all, it was kind of slow going for me at points because it is such a mellow, paced type of story. It also delves into things of which I am uncertain, so it did cause me to stop and do some thinking. I was impressed because on most levels The Shack totally reinforced my way of thinking and my confidence in my beliefs. However, on the other hand, I wonder what made the author so confident as to define God the way that he did in his novel. What makes him "know" when so many have to use church to follow? I do agree with him, but if I take a step back from sharing the opinion, I have to wonder if he is being a little presumptuous.
I think it is perfectly fine to have beliefs that have been defined through whatever process the believer has been through. As previously stated, my beliefs are 100% unique. If I ever meet anyone with the same set, I will pass out. However, I am not going to publish a book about my definition of God. For one thing, because this book has influenced so many people and brought insight to so many. What if he is wrong? If I am, at least the only person I have slighted is myself. If this author is wrong, he has slighted a lot of people. The Shack was published as a work of fiction, however that doesn't change the fact that even works of fiction can change or sway people. And I have a hard time just taking this novel, written by an ordinary man, and not finding it a little bit arrogant of him to define God in such a way. Even if I do think he paints a great picture, makes valid points, and reinforces my own opinion.
First of all, it was kind of slow going for me at points because it is such a mellow, paced type of story. It also delves into things of which I am uncertain, so it did cause me to stop and do some thinking. I was impressed because on most levels The Shack totally reinforced my way of thinking and my confidence in my beliefs. However, on the other hand, I wonder what made the author so confident as to define God the way that he did in his novel. What makes him "know" when so many have to use church to follow? I do agree with him, but if I take a step back from sharing the opinion, I have to wonder if he is being a little presumptuous.
I think it is perfectly fine to have beliefs that have been defined through whatever process the believer has been through. As previously stated, my beliefs are 100% unique. If I ever meet anyone with the same set, I will pass out. However, I am not going to publish a book about my definition of God. For one thing, because this book has influenced so many people and brought insight to so many. What if he is wrong? If I am, at least the only person I have slighted is myself. If this author is wrong, he has slighted a lot of people. The Shack was published as a work of fiction, however that doesn't change the fact that even works of fiction can change or sway people. And I have a hard time just taking this novel, written by an ordinary man, and not finding it a little bit arrogant of him to define God in such a way. Even if I do think he paints a great picture, makes valid points, and reinforces my own opinion.
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