THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL -- Philip Roth

Penguin Books -- tpb
New York -- ©1973 -- 328pp
ISBN: 0-14-007678-6

The Ruppert Mundys, the only homeless big-league ball team in American history .. with drunken home-run sluggers, and a battle of midgets, this story takes a crazy spin on the sport of baseball.

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An American novel...definitely. Great? No so much so.

The writing of this is typical 1970's humor. Think M*A*S*H (yes, I know the book was published in '68, but the movie was released in '70, which helped popularize the book series) or the works of Kurt Vonnegut. It's a sort of intelligentsia humor. Sophisticated. Dry. Not a laugh-out-loud type of humor. And for me, this didn't work.

I have to be up-front. I'm not a huge baseball fan. I enjoy it a little bit more, now as I'm older and can look for some of the strategy, but I still find it a slow and mostly dull game. So...to have a book, full of dry humor around the sport of baseball, probably is not a good choice for me.

In large part, though, I had trouble visualizing anyone from this book. The characters were never real for, and without them being real, or characters that I could picture, I didn't really care anything for them. And for that I blame the author.

This is my second Philip Roth novel, and so far, I'm not particularly impressed.

SON OF LAUGHTER -- Frederick Buechner

HarperSanFrancisco -- hc
San Francisco -- ©1993 -- 274pp
ISBN: 0-06-250116-X

The story of Jacob, son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, told simply, realistically.

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I think that Buechner is an amazing author.

While I was disappointed with THE STORM (and I realize that I'm in the minority on that), this book was quite exceptional.

First, I didn't realize, before reading it, that it would be an historical fiction account of Jabob (of Jacob and Esau notariety). I have to admit that I might not have been as eager to read it, had I been aware of that. There's something about historical biblical fiction that has not held a great deal of appeal to me. That might change now, after reading Buechner.

Buechner's characters are 'real.' You get a sense of people that you can relate to, despite their having lived nearly 3000 years ago. I goute here my favorite passage in the book, which made me laugh and typifies the 'real-ness' of the characters:

I was like a man caught out in a storm with the wind squalling, the sand flailing me across the eyes, the chilled rain pelting me. The children were the storm, I thought, until one day, right in the thick of it, I saw the truth of what the children were.

One boy was pounding another boy's head against the hard-packed floor. Another was drowsing at his mother's teat. Three of them were trying to shove a fourth into a basket. Dinah was fitting her foot into her mouth. The air was foul with the smell of them.

They were (God's) promise. That is what I suddenly saw the children were. I forgotten it. They were the dust that would cover the earth. The great people would spring from their scrawny loins. Kicking and howling and crowing and pissing and slobbering food all over their faces, they were the world's best luck.

I started to weep. ...

What parent can't identify? All children are mankind's best hope for the future ... no matter what stupid, childish thing they might be doing at any given moment.

There is quite a bit of biblical information here, well time-lined, but the way in which Buechner manages to infuse it with a real ordinariness, and yet still hold our interest, is remarkable.

Definitely worth reading.

IN THE LAKE OF THE WOODS -- Tim Obrien

Houghton Mifflin -- hc
Boston -- ©1994 -- 306pp
ISBN: 0-395-48889-3

A man's run for U.S. Senate ends badly and shortly after, his wife goes missing in northern Minnesota.  What are the secrets he harbors?

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This is a book that has caught my attention over and over on the library bookshelf, so I finally decided that I would give it a read. As a Minnesotan, I enjoy reading books set in Minnesota. In that regard, this didn't disappoint.

But over-all, the book DOES disappoint.

O'Brien's writing is crisp and engaging, and I really appreciated his mixing up of styles, but the book does not open up the material well. By page 280 I still had not learned anything new that I didn't know back about page 50. The book takes too much time to reveal nothing.

Others have commented on the ending, and frankly, I didn't mind the ending -- I rather expected it -- but to have read so much, getting so little, and to end with nothing, well...I don't understand the point. There are lots of writers whom I enjoy for their style, but they usually have something to say as well, or at least have a character that you like.

This book just doesn't work. It'll be awhile before I try a Tim O'Brien book again.

HOLY FIRE -- Bruce Sterling

Bantam Books -- hc
New York -- ©1996 -- 294pp
ISBN: 0-553-09958-2

In an era when life expectancies stretch 100 years or more and adhering to healthy habits is the only way to earn better medical treatments, ancient "post humans" dominate society with their ubiquitous wealth and power. By embracing the safe and secure, 94-year-old Mia Ziemann has lived a long and quiet life. Too quiet, as she comes to realize, for Mia has lost the creative drive and ability to love--the holy fire--of the young. But when a radical new procedure makes Mia young again, she has the chance to break free of society's cloying grasp. (Amazon review)

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Ouch. A Bruce Sterling book that didn't work for me.

Like many of the other reviews here for this book, Sterling has some nifty concepts and a strong character and setting, but the follow-through is slow and meandering.

I never got the 'holy fire' aspect. Yes, I understand that it's our heroine's search for her 'holy fire' (art), but it isn't delivered strongly enough to carry on as the theme of the book (and if that isn't the book's theme, then what is?).

This book felt as though Sterling had a pretty good concept, but had trouble finding his own 'holy fire' to accomplish the goal and the publisher was breathing down his neck for a finished product.

Just not fulfilling.

THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN -- Mitch Albom

Hyperion -- hc
New York -- ©2003 -- 196pp
ISBN: 0-7868-6871-6


On his 83rd birthday, a maintenance man tries to save a young girl from a failing ride and meets his demise. He then goes on an afterlife journey, meeting five people in heaven who help him understand his life.

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I was in the library, looking for a 'quick read' and, starting in the 'A' section of the fiction shelves, came across this book. I'd heard about it, seen Albom on Letterman or Ferguson, and decided to give it a try.

First, it IS a quick read. Easy language; short, consecutive, predictable chapters. But these don't necessarily mean 'cheap' writing. Albom still manages to do a nice job getting a message across.

Second, the message. This IS a feel-good, message book. Part of me would sarcastically define this as 'chick-lit' because of the feel-good message, but it defies the label because the hero isn't a young, available, hero. He's an old, dead guy (and that's not a spoiler...if you're meeting people in heaven, as the book title suggests, you kind of have to assume that the person is dead).

So, what is this book? It's two hours of your time, after which you'll likely think "Aw, I hope it's like that."

But will the book stay with you? Will you think about it suddenly while driving in rush-hour traffic, or while cutting up celery to go with a Sunday dinner? Probably not.

Despite the accolades this book has received, it won't be a treasured book in your home or something that you insist everyone read. It will be a book you recommend to people at a party, but that you don't push.

THE WILLIAMSON EFFECT -- Roger Zelazny, editor

Tom Doherty Associates Book -- hc
New York -- ©1996 -- 349pp
ISBN:0-312-85748-9

A collection of short fiction; a tribute to Jack Williamson.

Introduction: A World in Love with Change -- David Brin
"The Mayor of Mare Tranq" -- Frederick Pohl
"Before the Legion" -- Paul Dellinger
"Inside Passage" -- Poul Anderson
"Risk Assessment" -- Ben Bova
"Williamson's World" (poem) -- Scott E. Green
"Emancipation" -- Pati Nagle
"Thinkertoy" -- John Brunner
"The Bad Machines" -- Fred Saberhagen
"The Human Ingredient" -- Jeff Bredenberg
"Child of the Night" -- Jane Lindskold
"A Certain Talent" -- David Weber
"Nonstop to Portales" -- Connie Willis
"No Folded Hands" -- Andre Norton
"Darker Than You Wrote" -- Mike Resnick
"Near Portales ... Freedom Shouts" (poem) -- Scott E. Green
"Worlds That Never Were: The Last Adventure of the Legion of Time" -- John J. Miller

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I have to admit that I am not particularly familiar with Jack Williamson's work. I am aware of his work, but I don't think that I've ever read any of his books. So why buy and read this collection of short stories written in tribute to Williamson? Because it was edited by Roger Zelazny ... whose work I AM familiar with and greatly admire.

It shouldn't come as a surprise then that I found myself really enjoying this stories and now am looking forward to reading some Williamson work.

It has been awhile since I actually finished reading this collection, so the stories are not fresh in my mind, but I don't think that there are any obvious stand-outs for being excellent. Instead, unlike so many collections I read, nearly all the stories piqued my interest, touching on something which I assume is that talent of Jack Williamson.

Fred Saberhagen's story, "The Bad Machines," has made me want to read both Williamson's The Humanoids and Saberhange's 'Berserker' books. Poul Anderson's "Inside Passage" has got me looking for Jack's Darker Than You Think. And I'm very curious to read more of The Legion of Time, and see how much Giles Habibula really is like Falstaff. John Brunner is a fantastic writer, and his "Thinkertoy" was a delight.

All around, this is a fantastic collection. It's a book like this that has me really enjoying short fiction. I've read some great fiction and hopefully discovered a new author or two.

Highly recommended for any sci-fi fan.

TOM CORBETT: SPACE CADET - DANGER IN DEEP SPACE -- Carey Rockwell

Grossett & Dunlap -- hc
New York - ©1953 -- 209pp
Book 2 in the 1950's adventure series
Willy Ley, technical advisor
Louis Glanzman, illustrations

The new space cadets, Tom Corbett, Astro, and Roger Manning, are asked to go on a new adventure, but Roger abandons the team after being found guilty of allowing an accident to happen.

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It surprises me that my boys manage to enjoy these older adventure books, but they do!

What I find when I read these kinds of books is that they are big on exposition, which tends to slow the pace down. However, apparently my boys, ages 10 and 12, seem to have learned how to listen to this kind of exposition.

I read this book aloud to them, at bed time, a chapter a night. They remembered what happened the night before and would often ask for a second chapter each night.

There's just enough plot here to keep the interest. One member of the three-person cadet crew is unjustly accused of allowing an accident, and through the careful conniving of the two men who are actually responsible, the cadet joins forces with them, becoming an outlaw himself. This sets up a nice conflict and obstacle. Cadets and outlaws are racing to the same goal, arrive about the same time, and in typical fashion, square off.

There is some excitement in this adventure, enough to keep us reading, but I still find them generally boring. A little goes a long way, so while we likely WILL read the next book in the series, it will be awhile before we get to it.

MORALITY PLAY -- Barry Unsworth

Nan A. Talese -- hc
©1995 -- 206 pp
ISBN: 0385479530

A troupe of players puts on a new play, the story of a recent murder in a local town, in 14th century England.

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This book was recommended to me based on my interest in medieval theatre. I enjoy reading (and teaching) the old morality plays. I am not generally a fan of the mystery genre ... though I'm certainly not opposed to it, either.

I thought the book seemed well researched, though I also felt it spent too much time setting up the characters and era and style. I also didn't particularly care for the narrator. He seemed generally annoying, though I understand why his vacation was chosen -- it made it possible to do many things that otherwise wouldn't have been open to the people of the time.

Once the actual mystery got going, I was enthralled. A surprise or two for me along the way always makes for a better read than something that I anticipate early.

LOST ON VENUS -- Edgar Rice Burroughs

Ace Books -- pb
New York -- ©1933, 1935 -- 224pp
0-441-49506-4

Second in the Venus series. Carson Napier begins this episode in the Room of the Seven Doors. He can leave any time he wants, but six of the seven doors lead to hideous deaths; only one is the door of life.

After navigating his way out of this logic puzzle, Carson continues his quest to rescue the planet's fairest princess. He pursues this with singlemindedness, even though more terrible dangers lie ahead; even though the princess wishes neither his help or his affection; even though her people will execute him if he enters their country! Such is the honor of an Earthman's pledge. [from Goodread.com]

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While I'm familiar with Burroughs' Tarzan and 'Mars' series', I'd never read any of the Carson/Venus books.

Perhaps this wasn't the right one to begin with as it starts right in the middle of some other action (and I see now that this is book #2 in the series), but it doesn't take much to pick up on the plot and the back story.

What surprised me was how easy it was to read. For whatever reason, I was expecting more flowery prose and plodding story-telling. This was fast action scene after fast action scene.

I did think the 'zombies' where a bit over the top, but the Nazi-like country was frighteningly prophetic.

This makes me want to go back and read the Mars book.

DINOVERSE -- Scott Ciencin

Random House -- hc
New York -- ©1999 -- 282pp
ISBN: 0-679-88842-X

Four junior high students get transported to the Cretaceous Period and inside the bodies of dinosaurs. They have to work together and with the instincts of their hosts' bodies if they are going to have a chance to return to their own time!

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It's sad that there aren't more reviews for this book, because this is really a great book!

I will admit that this has been on my bookshelf for the last decade, and I was never really looking forward to it -- something about the title, and the cover, and the description seemed just a bit less that exciting. But once you crack it open and read a chapter or two, it's totally enthralling.

This book is geared toward the middle school reader. It's four main characters are junior high students [two boys, two girls:] who are transported back in time through a miraculous accident by a machine made by the brainy student of the bunch -- but there's a twist to this time-travel tale ... the students are in the bodies of dinosaurs!

Being written for the student, there are some lessons to be learned, but Ciencin does a fantastic job of weaving the lessons nicely into the plot.

Ciencin is a wonderful writer for youth. I bought this book based on how much I enjoyed his books in the "Dinotopia" series.

When I finished the book, I handed it to my 12 year old son who might be labeled a 'reluctant reader.' He read it through and absolutely loved it. He said that it was "Fantastic!" and that he learned a lot, too! He said, the only bad thing is..."He didn't write a sequel! How can anybody who writes this good NOT write a sequel to it!" He's so upset about there not being a sequel that he's decided to read it again.

THE CAMELOT CHRONICLES: HEROIC ADVENTURES FROM THE AGE OF LEGEND -- Mike Ashley, editor

Camelot Chronicles
Carroll & Graf Publishers -- hc
New York -- ©1992 -- 418pp
ISBN: 0-88184-912-X

A collection of stories in, around, or about King Arthur.

To Camelot -- Theodore Goodridge Roberts
Introduction
Dramatis Personae
"Belle Dame, Sans Merci" - Vera Chapman
"The Winning of a Sword" - Howard Pyle
"The Storming Bone" - Ian McDowell
"The Oath of the Saxon" - Peter Tremayne
"Blueflow" - Don Wilcox
"The Brotherhood of Britain" - Keith Taylor
John, The Knight of the Lion" - Traditional
"Morte D'un Marcheant" - Maxey Brooke
"Sir Lanval" - A.R. Hope Moncrieff
"The True Story of Guenever" - Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
"Sir Borlays and the Dark Knight" - Anthony Armstrong
"Sir Agravaine" - P.G. Wodehouse
"The Romance of Tristan and Iseult" - Hilaire Belloc
"The Coming of the Light" - Phyllis Ann Karr
"Told By Moonlight" - Darrell Schweitzer
"The Quiet Monk" - Jane Yolen
"The Sad Wizard" - John T. Aquino
Appendix: Mountainy Madness - Theodore Goodridge Roberts

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I find that in general, a collection of short stories, based on a theme, will have two or three stories that reach me somehow, with the majority of the stories being mostly forgetable. This collection is no exception.

I've read a fair amount of fiction and non-fiction about the Camelot myths for research on various projects, so when I saw this book for sale on a library book sale table, I knew that I would find it interesting. However, only three of the stories (out of seventeen) ha...more I find that in general, a collection of short stories, based on a theme, will have two or three stories that reach me somehow, with the majority of the stories being mostly forgetable. This collection is no exception.

I've read a fair amount of fiction and non-fiction about the Camelot myths for research on various projects, so when I saw this book for sale on a library book sale table, I knew that I would find it interesting. However, only three of the stories (out of seventeen) have stuck with me since reading it.

The stories I particularly enjoyed are: "Blueflow" by Don Wilcox ... the story of a painter with a bit of a magic touch, thanks to Merlin; "The Romance of Tristan and Iseult" by Hilaire Belloc...an immensely readable, tragic tale; and "The Sad Wizard" by John T. Aquino which had a twist that I was expecting.

With authors such as Jane Yolen, Darrell Schweitzer, Phylliz Ann Karr, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Pyle, and others represented here, I did expect to really like more than just these three. Though I should add that having only mentioned three doesn't mean the others were 'bad' -- they simply weren't as outstanding as the three I mention above.

An interesting collection. Very glad for the three stories that I really enjoyed, but wished more of the stories were of a better quality.

ROARING BOYS: SHAKESPEARE'S RAT PACK -- Judith Cook

Sutton Publishing -- tpb
Gloucestershire -- ©2004 -- 226pp
ISBN: 0750933690

Professional theatre flowered in London during the 1580s. It became a magnet for a series of talented and ambitious young men who became the 'Roaring Boys'.

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This seemed as if it would be an interesting book, but the reality is that it's a bit unfocused. A book about the group of playwrights who were Shakespeare's contemporaries would be fascinating, but this book really only contained one chapter of such. The rest was history of the era and the Elizabethan theatre.

I know there are bios of these individuals out there, but I was definitely looking forward to a combined sort of bio.

I guess I need to keep looking.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN IN MAYHEM IN MANHATTAN -- Len Wein and Marv Wolfman

Pocket Books -- pb
New York -- ©1978 -- 176pp
ISBN: 0-671-82044-3

The Amazing Spider-Man in his first, full-length novel.


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Comfort fiction. A quick, easy read with characters that are incredibly familiar. Nice to have a book written by people who write the comics, rather than those by novelists who happen to read the comics.

As incredible as it may seem, I think I've owned this book since it came out in '78 or '79, but have only just now read it. I might have found it much more interesting and exciting had I read it when I was 18, but hen again, perhaps not.

There's nothing earth-shattering here. No new information or new take on the classic comic book characters. The story itself seems to be straight out of a comic book.

Would I recommend it? No. Would I discourage anyone from reading it? No. Am I glad I read it? Yes, but only because it's been in a box in my room thirty years.

SURVIVE! (Dinotopia #13) -- Brad Strickland

Random House -- tpb
New York -- ©2001 -- 135pp
ISBN: 0-375-81108-7
Number 13 in the Dinotopia series

A young boy loses his memory when he falls and hits his head (the result of an earthquake) and he must rely on skills his doesn't know he has as he explores a rarely-visited part of an island. His dinosaur friend must also rely on skills as he proves himself worthy of joining the party hunting for the lost boy.

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I've said it before, and I'll say it again to anyone who'll listen...this Dinotopia series of books is the best series out there for young readers. They are creative, innovative, unique, adventurous, moral, and exciting. They teach great lessons without being overtly didactic. What young boy wouldn't want to be on an island where dinosaurs talk and are best friends with human youth?

This particular book seemed a little simpler and even a little more didactic than most of the others that I've read, but I'd still place any book in this series above most other children's series of books.

Do you have a reluctant reader? Particularly if that young reader is a boy, please check out this Dinotopia series.

I AM NOT JACKSON POLLACK -- John Haskell

Farrar, Straus and Giroux -- hc
New York -- ©2003 -- 180pp
ISBN: 0-374-17399-0

Stories.

"Dream of a Clean Slate"
"Elephant Feelings"
The Judgment of Psycho"
"The Faces of Joan of Arc"
"Capucine"
"Glenn Gould in Six Parts"
"Good World"
"Crimes at Midnight"
"Narrow Road"

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I love short fiction and was eager to read this collection, despite being less than enthused by Haskell's OUT OF MY SKIN. But what I read was a collection of stories that all seemed the same to me. Each story associating two dis-similar entities. Each story about what something is NOT (hmmm...a pattern here? "NOT Jackson Pollack" and his OUT OF MY SKIN could have been titled "I Am Not Steve Martin"). And sadly, his writing style struck me as dull.

As some of the other reviewers here mention, you do need to be in the right frame of mind for this style of book, but I'm not sure what that frame of mind is. Lost? Confused? And then you can nod appreciably at recognizing another lost soul?

I love looking for and finding an author that I can enjoy and who isn't someone that you will find on the NYT Bestsellers list. (For instance, my discovery of Paul Watkins still strikes me as an enjoyable 'find'.) But Haskell is not someone that I will continue to read.