I think that it goes without saying that I have a thing for history and a big thing for historical fiction. The Heretic's Daughter was the perfect book for me because it fed into those two tastes. In fact, it painted an extremely vivid picture of one of the darkest chapters of U.S. history, the Salem witch trials.
The characters in The Heretic's Daughter are based on real people who lived in that time. Martha Carrier was one of the first women to be executed as a witch during the trials. The story is told from the perspective of Sarah Carrier, who is Martha's oldest daughter. Sarah and her brothers were all eventually accused of practicing witchcraft as well, so in addition to telling her tale as an observer she tells her tale as a participant as well.
This novel was amazing to me on many levels. First of all, I loved exploring the relationship between a mother and a daughter. Two people who were so alike that they sometimes had trouble getting along. It was very familiar to me and I am sure that most women would be able to relate to it. Secondly, Sarah Carrier's family are outcasts. They do not fit in with the society of the day and the story makes it clear that a person can be an outcast and be different and still be a good person. It is also illustrated that just because a person seems to fit in with society they are not necessarily a good person.
But, above all of the amazing elements of the story, the thing that I liked the best was that Martha and Sarah Carrier were strong, determined females. They were heroes in their own right. They were also examples that a woman can be a wife, a mother, a daughter, and a sister and still have principles. Woman can still have a voice and can still stand for what they believe in even if they chose to take on a "traditional" woman's role in life. I absolutely loved the fact that this book was centered around strong female characters.
While I was reading The Heretic's Daughter I felt compelled to laugh, cry, and cheer (I actually did cry). It is, doubtless, one of the best books I have ever had the privilege of reading. It had factual history, historical fiction, and kick ass women. I believe that any history buff and all women should read it at some point.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
2010, Book 12: Whiskey's Children
I think the best way to start an explanation and review of this book is to start by saying that I absolutely loved reading it. I have said before, and I will likely say again, that I truly enjoy reading books about addiction. I particularly enjoy memoirs written by addicts. It makes sense considering that I am the child of two addicts that I would be able to relate to addiction themed works so easily.
Whiskey's Children is the story of Jack Erdmann (one o f the co-authors) who is a recovering alcoholic. It starts out when he is a young child,in the early 1930s, with his recollections of his life with his father who was an alcoholic as well. He talks about being afraid of his father and trying to gauge his moods based on his behaviors. He also talks about the fact that both his father's father and his father's grandfather were alcoholics.
Young Jack starts drinking alcohol very early in life and his descent into alcoholism occurs fairly quickly. He remains an alcoholic for a great many years and he recounts his experiences with booze vividly and honestly. He never really delves into reasoning or theories about alcoholism, he merely tells his story. He doesn't spare the reader the details of what kind of a person he became amidst his addiction.
Jack Erdmann was a salesman, a husband, a pilot, a son, a brother, and a father. But above all else, Jack Erdmann was an alcoholic. He recounts his life story with detail, honesty, and a very respectable sense of openness. As the product of an addicted home, I felt a very strong connection to his story. Some of the events were very familiar and I found myself understanding him very well. I think that this book would make for an excellent read for any addict, child of an addict, or really anyone looking to get some insight into the mind of an addict.
I cannot praise and recommend this book enough. I can hardly think of anyone who would not enjoy reading it and who would not gain something from the experience.
Whiskey's Children is the story of Jack Erdmann (one o f the co-authors) who is a recovering alcoholic. It starts out when he is a young child,in the early 1930s, with his recollections of his life with his father who was an alcoholic as well. He talks about being afraid of his father and trying to gauge his moods based on his behaviors. He also talks about the fact that both his father's father and his father's grandfather were alcoholics.
Young Jack starts drinking alcohol very early in life and his descent into alcoholism occurs fairly quickly. He remains an alcoholic for a great many years and he recounts his experiences with booze vividly and honestly. He never really delves into reasoning or theories about alcoholism, he merely tells his story. He doesn't spare the reader the details of what kind of a person he became amidst his addiction.
Jack Erdmann was a salesman, a husband, a pilot, a son, a brother, and a father. But above all else, Jack Erdmann was an alcoholic. He recounts his life story with detail, honesty, and a very respectable sense of openness. As the product of an addicted home, I felt a very strong connection to his story. Some of the events were very familiar and I found myself understanding him very well. I think that this book would make for an excellent read for any addict, child of an addict, or really anyone looking to get some insight into the mind of an addict.
I cannot praise and recommend this book enough. I can hardly think of anyone who would not enjoy reading it and who would not gain something from the experience.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
2010, Book 11: The Turn of the Screw
I am generally a huge fan of the classics. However, Henry James' The Turn of the Screw was simply not my cup of tea. It was only 122 pages long, yet it took me almost 2 weeks to read. It was a ghost story, yet it was so tedious to read that I kept dozing off after a page or two of reading. I haven't been so bored while reading a book since I read Moby Dick my senior year of high school.
I'm not sure whether it was the fact that it was the most boring ghost story I have ever read or whether it was the fact that the mere 122 pages could have been cut in half if the book were less verbose. But something about it just did not suit my reading tastes. I picked it up expecting a haunting tale and instead I was just plain bored for two weeks.
The Turn of the Screw is the story of a young governess whose job is to oversee the care of a young girl in an isolated country home. She is given strict orders to never contact her boss, their uncle, for any reason because he cannot be bothered with them. She is also to care for the girl's older brother during his breaks from school. Very soon after arriving to her job she discovers that the children are being haunted by the spirits of the former governess and the former valet.
The governess, who is the narrator and who is also never named, begins experiencing the presences of these spirits and also realizes that the children are drawn to them and are not afraid. She is faced with the challenge of how to deal with both the presence of seemingly malicious spirits, as well as how to deal with the fondness her charges seem to have for them.
I know that all of that seems very exciting, however Henry James managed to make it exceedingly boring. The governess comes off as a simpleton when she is supposed to be the heroine. The children come off as flat characters where, in my opinion, they would have made excellent round characters. All in all, it is one of the most boring books I have ever read.
However, I don't mean to imply that it is not well written. It is very well written and I can see why The Turn of the Screw is a classic, it just happened to be one of two of the classics that I dislike. I'm hoping that number stays at two, as it breaks my heart to give a negative review to a book held in such high literary regard.
I'm not sure whether it was the fact that it was the most boring ghost story I have ever read or whether it was the fact that the mere 122 pages could have been cut in half if the book were less verbose. But something about it just did not suit my reading tastes. I picked it up expecting a haunting tale and instead I was just plain bored for two weeks.
The Turn of the Screw is the story of a young governess whose job is to oversee the care of a young girl in an isolated country home. She is given strict orders to never contact her boss, their uncle, for any reason because he cannot be bothered with them. She is also to care for the girl's older brother during his breaks from school. Very soon after arriving to her job she discovers that the children are being haunted by the spirits of the former governess and the former valet.
The governess, who is the narrator and who is also never named, begins experiencing the presences of these spirits and also realizes that the children are drawn to them and are not afraid. She is faced with the challenge of how to deal with both the presence of seemingly malicious spirits, as well as how to deal with the fondness her charges seem to have for them.
I know that all of that seems very exciting, however Henry James managed to make it exceedingly boring. The governess comes off as a simpleton when she is supposed to be the heroine. The children come off as flat characters where, in my opinion, they would have made excellent round characters. All in all, it is one of the most boring books I have ever read.
However, I don't mean to imply that it is not well written. It is very well written and I can see why The Turn of the Screw is a classic, it just happened to be one of two of the classics that I dislike. I'm hoping that number stays at two, as it breaks my heart to give a negative review to a book held in such high literary regard.
Monday, April 5, 2010
2010, Book 10: The Cider House Rules
I read so much that I think that sometimes it takes an awful lot to impress me. I love a lot of books, but very few stick with me in a way that they run through my mind after I have finished reading them. However, The Cider House Rules absolutely took my breath away. I borrowed it from a friend who loves John Irving. I thought that I had never heard of him before and she swore to me that I had to read some of his work because I would absolutely love him. When I received the book and started examining it, I realized that previously I had read his novel The World According to Garp and had really enjoyed it. This discovery amplified my excitement and helped to placate my concerns about trying out and unknown author.
However, upon beginning to read I got a lot more excited for a very different reason. The Cider House Rules is simply amazing. The story follows a young, orphan by the name of Homer Wells through his life. It also follows the people close to him including the director of the orphanage, Dr. Larch and his childhood friend, Melony. Irving takes great pains to keep these characters important throughout the story, because they are important to Homer Wells and he is important to them.
Aside from being a story, The Cider House Rules is largely a novel about abortion. It takes place in a time when abortion was illegal and many women were obtaining them illegally. Dr. Larch, being the director of an orphanage and the man who delivers most of the orphans sees some of the worst cases of this and makes the decision to become an abortionist. As time goes on, Dr. Larch continually finds himself evaluating his decision to perform abortions as well as defending himself to his associates. The Cider House Rules is about that decision and how personal it is for both the people obtaining them and the people performing them.
The abortion aspect of the story is one of my favorite aspects. Being pro-choice myself, I feel that John Irving has created a wonderful defense for the procedure. He also manages to do it in a rational and non-offensive manner which, let's face it, is hard to come by nowadays in the media. I also enjoy the fact that he takes us through the entire life of Homer Wells without leaving any loose ends and without losing momentum. Homer could never be describes as a character who has adventures and yet his life is still interesting and remarkable from start to finish.
I would definitely recommend this book to any and everyone. I don't think it is light reading, however, and if you are not the type to take interest in heavier, more somber reading materials then it definitely would not be a good fit. I definitely think that every pro-lifer in the world should read it. It's an all around amazing book. It is interesting from start to finish, has a purpose and a meaning, and it is a well written literary work. It's a great book and I think you all should check it out.
However, upon beginning to read I got a lot more excited for a very different reason. The Cider House Rules is simply amazing. The story follows a young, orphan by the name of Homer Wells through his life. It also follows the people close to him including the director of the orphanage, Dr. Larch and his childhood friend, Melony. Irving takes great pains to keep these characters important throughout the story, because they are important to Homer Wells and he is important to them.
Aside from being a story, The Cider House Rules is largely a novel about abortion. It takes place in a time when abortion was illegal and many women were obtaining them illegally. Dr. Larch, being the director of an orphanage and the man who delivers most of the orphans sees some of the worst cases of this and makes the decision to become an abortionist. As time goes on, Dr. Larch continually finds himself evaluating his decision to perform abortions as well as defending himself to his associates. The Cider House Rules is about that decision and how personal it is for both the people obtaining them and the people performing them.
The abortion aspect of the story is one of my favorite aspects. Being pro-choice myself, I feel that John Irving has created a wonderful defense for the procedure. He also manages to do it in a rational and non-offensive manner which, let's face it, is hard to come by nowadays in the media. I also enjoy the fact that he takes us through the entire life of Homer Wells without leaving any loose ends and without losing momentum. Homer could never be describes as a character who has adventures and yet his life is still interesting and remarkable from start to finish.
I would definitely recommend this book to any and everyone. I don't think it is light reading, however, and if you are not the type to take interest in heavier, more somber reading materials then it definitely would not be a good fit. I definitely think that every pro-lifer in the world should read it. It's an all around amazing book. It is interesting from start to finish, has a purpose and a meaning, and it is a well written literary work. It's a great book and I think you all should check it out.
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