I must admit that this is not a new read for me. The Cracker Factory is an old favorite that my mother recommended to me after she first joined AA and got sober. I read it the first time when I was in high school and I have read it several times since then. This reading was probably my fourth or fifth, but it never gets old.
The Cracker Factory is the story of Cassie Barrett. She is a housewife in her late twenties. She has three kids, a husband, a meddling mother, a lover, a twin brother, a shrink, and she is a raging alcoholic. Throughout the book, Cassie is in her second stay on the seventh floor psychiatric ward of her local hospital, which she refers to as The Cracker Factory.
Cassie is tormented by the feeling that she has lost herself to her life and the feeling that she may have possibly chosen the wrong life. Because of this, she drinks. And when she drinks, things in her life get worse. This has led her husband to commit her, even though he and her mother are not entirely sure that psychiatric care will help with her problem.
The wonderful thing about The Cracker Factory is that it is written in the first person, from Cassie's point of view, and Cassie is a wonderful character. She is wonderfully sarcastic and completely honest. If I didn't know any better, I would say that the author who created her was an alcoholic or at least knew one intimately.
All of Cassie's adventures and thoughts are worth reading. You'll find yourself cheering for her and hoping that she makes it out of the psych ward without her drinking but with her personality still intact. I think that every woman who has ever been or loved an alcoholic should read this book. It is truly one of the best I have ever read.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
#15: Public Enemies
Being a history major, I must say that I loved this book. That being said, I don't feel like it is the book for a casual reader or for someone who does not truly enjoy history.
The War on Crime that occurred in the 1930s and spawned the birth of the FBI is an era that has always been of great interest to me. I love crime history and I truly feel that most of the time the truth is much more amazing than fiction. In this case, I think that truer than ever before.
Public Enemies is not a bit of light reading. The author had to have combed through FBI files and historical accounts very thoroughly and for a very long time in order to piece together this work. He does a wonderful job of reporting the true events of the war on crime. The book is written in chronological order. It is broken into certain periods (i.e. September 18, 1933-October 23, 1933), with sections within each period devoted to each gang or set of public enemies. Because of this, it can be hard to keep up and since each gang had multiple members who came and went as well as multiple accomplices and allies it can be hard to keep things straight. I am very historically minded and am very good with chronology but I found myself flipping back many times to clarify previous events and make sure I was correctly understanding which person was a member of which gang.
One of the most amazing things about Public Enemies was that it enlightened me to the fact that several of the criminals whose names we hear today and that we think must have really done something memorable, really didn't. They have the notoriety that they do today because of rumors and movies and not truly because of their own actions. It is also very interesting to read about the mistakes the FBI made and the hard lessons that the agents had to learn in order to grow into the agency that the FBI is today. At points, it is almost laughable that the war on crime went on for so long because of such silly, embarrassing mistakes.
It was obvious to me that Public Enemies was written by someone who truly appreciates history and the roles of the players in the war on crime in this extremely important chapter of U.S. history. This book is written by someone who did not want to further sensationalize, vilify, or glorify anyone. It was written by an individual who is well aware that the criminals and the officials who participated in the events within the book were nothing more than humans, but that being human did not mean that they couldn't be capable of greatness.
The War on Crime that occurred in the 1930s and spawned the birth of the FBI is an era that has always been of great interest to me. I love crime history and I truly feel that most of the time the truth is much more amazing than fiction. In this case, I think that truer than ever before.
Public Enemies is not a bit of light reading. The author had to have combed through FBI files and historical accounts very thoroughly and for a very long time in order to piece together this work. He does a wonderful job of reporting the true events of the war on crime. The book is written in chronological order. It is broken into certain periods (i.e. September 18, 1933-October 23, 1933), with sections within each period devoted to each gang or set of public enemies. Because of this, it can be hard to keep up and since each gang had multiple members who came and went as well as multiple accomplices and allies it can be hard to keep things straight. I am very historically minded and am very good with chronology but I found myself flipping back many times to clarify previous events and make sure I was correctly understanding which person was a member of which gang.
One of the most amazing things about Public Enemies was that it enlightened me to the fact that several of the criminals whose names we hear today and that we think must have really done something memorable, really didn't. They have the notoriety that they do today because of rumors and movies and not truly because of their own actions. It is also very interesting to read about the mistakes the FBI made and the hard lessons that the agents had to learn in order to grow into the agency that the FBI is today. At points, it is almost laughable that the war on crime went on for so long because of such silly, embarrassing mistakes.
It was obvious to me that Public Enemies was written by someone who truly appreciates history and the roles of the players in the war on crime in this extremely important chapter of U.S. history. This book is written by someone who did not want to further sensationalize, vilify, or glorify anyone. It was written by an individual who is well aware that the criminals and the officials who participated in the events within the book were nothing more than humans, but that being human did not mean that they couldn't be capable of greatness.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
#14: The Handmaid's Tale
I had been wanting to read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood for months. I knew that I was going to love it, so I didn't want to borrow or check it out and I couldn't find a cheap copy of it to purchase. Then, about a month ago, divine intervention occurred and I received a copy as a gift.
I must say that this novel was well worth the wait and that I was correct in assuming that I would want to own my own copy. I have a strange, eerie fondness for dystopia novels and this is one of the best ones that I have read. I think that what really gave it the edge is that it is told entirely from the female perspective in a dystopia where females were certainly the greatest sufferers. It's chilling to think of the possibility of Margaret Atwood's fantasy becoming reality.
The Handmaid's Tale is told from the perspective of Offred, a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. Offred is old enough to remember the time when she made her own money and had a family of her own that she loved. She grew up and lived in a world similar to the one that we live in today. However, while Offred was still young enough to bear children things changed very greatly. Offred now has one job. She has sex with her "boss" every month in an attempt to get pregnant so that he and his wife can have children. Women in Offred's new world are not even allowed to read. She is, for want of a better word, nothing more than a sex slave.
One of the things that the book focuses on is Offred's desire for knowledge about the rebellions that are occurring. She is very curious. She believes that maybe her child and her husband are out there somewhere, just a rebellion away from her. However, traitors are arrested and sentenced to death. She must be very careful about her curiosity. She cannot be certain of who to trust and her role is such than she seldom speaks to anyone. So she has to even be careful of being seen talking.
Many things happen throughout The Handmaid's Tale that left me wondering how any society could ever become like the one described. At times it is evident that even her "superiors" are unhappy. The wife of the Commander, who is essentially her boss, seems discontent as does the Commander and many of the other people of lesser status that she encounters throughout the tale. This was a book that definitely left me thinking. The story and the characters haunted my dreams for several days after I finished reading. It is a book that provides much food for thought. I would recommend it to almost anyone.
I must say that this novel was well worth the wait and that I was correct in assuming that I would want to own my own copy. I have a strange, eerie fondness for dystopia novels and this is one of the best ones that I have read. I think that what really gave it the edge is that it is told entirely from the female perspective in a dystopia where females were certainly the greatest sufferers. It's chilling to think of the possibility of Margaret Atwood's fantasy becoming reality.
The Handmaid's Tale is told from the perspective of Offred, a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. Offred is old enough to remember the time when she made her own money and had a family of her own that she loved. She grew up and lived in a world similar to the one that we live in today. However, while Offred was still young enough to bear children things changed very greatly. Offred now has one job. She has sex with her "boss" every month in an attempt to get pregnant so that he and his wife can have children. Women in Offred's new world are not even allowed to read. She is, for want of a better word, nothing more than a sex slave.
One of the things that the book focuses on is Offred's desire for knowledge about the rebellions that are occurring. She is very curious. She believes that maybe her child and her husband are out there somewhere, just a rebellion away from her. However, traitors are arrested and sentenced to death. She must be very careful about her curiosity. She cannot be certain of who to trust and her role is such than she seldom speaks to anyone. So she has to even be careful of being seen talking.
Many things happen throughout The Handmaid's Tale that left me wondering how any society could ever become like the one described. At times it is evident that even her "superiors" are unhappy. The wife of the Commander, who is essentially her boss, seems discontent as does the Commander and many of the other people of lesser status that she encounters throughout the tale. This was a book that definitely left me thinking. The story and the characters haunted my dreams for several days after I finished reading. It is a book that provides much food for thought. I would recommend it to almost anyone.
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