It may not be fair to be reviewing this book because I finished it weeks ago, but my bookclub discussed it this past weekend. In general, we agreed that although the book features beautiful language and lovely images, the book is not memorable. I personally found myself drawn to the stories of the grandfather rather than that of the narrator, but it would have been nice if there were a stronger connection between the past and present.
I also agree with one of the bookclub members who said that a major theme of the book is death. Although I wasn't clear on the "moral" about death, perhaps this quote hints at one:
"When men die, they die in fear," he said. "They take everything they need from you, and as a doctor it is your job to give it, to comfort them, to hold their hand. But children die how they have been living - in hope. They don't know what's happening, so they expect nothing, they don't ask you to hold their hand - but you end up needing them to hold yours. With children, you're on your own. Do you understand?"
Dates: May 2012
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
*****
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
I love Jane Austen, but I do not love this book. This is actually my second attempt at reading the book, but the book does not hold a candle to Austen's later works such as Pride and Prejudice or Persuasion. Basically, I don't like how Austen wielded her satiric pen ruthlessly: nearly all the characters in the book are mean-spirited and/or materialistic. The protagonist, Elinor, is unsurprisingly more likeable, but she isn't interesting enough to counteract the rest of the characters. I also found the inevitable marriage of characters unconvincing at the end. Overall, a very unsatisfying reading experience, but I loved how easily I was able to look up words on my Kindle!
Dates: 1-15 June 2012
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
*****
The Storytelling Animal by Jonathan Gottschall
This book was a pleasant and easy read after Austen. I like how Gottschall ties together disparate fields (e.g., psychology, evolution, gaming) to explain how integral storytelling is to being human. I didn't take many notes, but the book reminded me of these two ideas: (1) people learn things better when they are conveyed in a story (but I'm not sure Gottschall actually explains why) and (2) people remember stories in such a way to make them look good. The last chapter also does a very nice job of speculating about the future of storytelling (from MMORPG to holodeck?) and making recommendations to ensure that our love of storytelling (like sugar) doesn't cause our demise.
Dates: 16-19 June 2012
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
