July readings

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Trenton Lee Stewart's book is about a group of gifted children brought together by their desire for "special opportunities", which turns out to be saving the world. The book is very reminiscent of the Harry Potter books in that the children must not only use their wits, but also learn to work as a team. The leader, Reynie, is also an orphan. The prose is lively and the author certainly had fun coming up with names (e.g., Nomansan Island, home of the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, or L.I.V.E.). The book, however, is not as witty as J.K. Rowling's stories, so although I enjoyed reading this book, I'm not as driven to read the rest of the series.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Dates: 12-16 July 2012

*****

Home by Toni Morrison

The title of this novella begs the question, what is home? For the main characters (a Korean war vet and his sister), home seems to be the place where you make peace with your past. Of course (this being a book), the task is not easy for the pair, who not only have to deal with being African-Americans in pre-MLK Georgia, but with a step-grandmother who makes Hansel and Gretel's lives look tame.
   I know I've just scratched the surface, and the book leaves me with a couple of questions: who is the tiny man that keeps popping up like a ghost? Why do we get a whole chapter about a woman with whom the Korean vet took up? So, I'll probably reread the novella - not something I normally do, but Morrison's well-crafted prose and my knowledge of her big reveal (is this a characteristic of Morrison's writing? The only other book of hers I've read is Beloved.) will enrich the experience.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Dates: 25-27 July 2012

*****

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

Reading a history of Strunk and White inspired me to seek E.M. Forster's Howard's End, but I started instead with A Room with a View because I have fond memories of the Merchant-Ivory film. The book starts off very wittily, like an Austen novel, and I enjoyed the realistic dialogue. I feel, however, that multiple viewings of the film (even years ago) has ruined my reading. As I read, I visualized how Helena Bonham Carter, Julian Sands, etc. recited their lines. This would be fine except that the movie convinced me of Lucy's love for George, but the book does not! I can't think of another book that seems to have less nuance than the film adaptation on such a crucial aspect (to be fair, the book does flesh out other elements of the film, such as the character of Cecil). Perhaps I need to watch the film again, then reread the book.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Dates: 30 July-7 Aug 2012

*****

I haven't been finishing books as quickly because I put the books down whenever The Economist and New Yorker show up in my mailbox. I've really been enjoying The New Yorker, especially since I follow the habit of a colleague: I only read The Talk of the Town section, one long essay (see this recent profile on Bruce Springsteen), and the cartoons.
   Both the magazine and colleague also inspired me to pick up the Essays of E.B. White. Although I didn't finish the book, I give it 5 stars. Honestly, I don't understand how I wasn't exposed to this book in school, or why this book doesn't exist as an e-book. Thankfully, used copies exist.