So, this is my third Jones book, and I believe I'm done. I enjoyed his first more than this one, although this setting was quite interesting. Venice hosts a "Biennale" art show and the mystery is set against this backdrop. Perhaps if I knew more about the Biennale, it would be more meaningful; still, I got a sense of how it might be to be in Venice when art from around the world takes over the entire city. Very cool. I would love to see it! My friend Cecelia has posted on Facebook about it, so I knew about that much!
This mystery is solved by Nathan, a hapless British transplant whose humility and humor are entertaining. He's a heavy drinker and eater, and we read lots about both of those interests. The artists that are featured in this story are weird and colorful. The glass art work and beheading of an art critic are hard to imagine, and not pleasant to imagine, but kind of weirdly interesting. Like in Jones' other mystery, I again had trouble keeping track of who was whom. Either I'm losing it, reading too late at night, or ??? But I didn't care enough about the story to go back and reread or figure it out. I just went with it. So, I've enjoyed these three books, but I'm done with this author for now. Thanks for the introduction to Venice...I know much more now than I did! And Cecelia's posts make more sense to me now...but I do need to go to see it and experience it for myself!
Saturday, February 22, 2020
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas
Leonard got me this book. He can't recall where he got it, or who recommended it, but he gave it to me just prior to my Boomers' trip to San Diego so I would have an enjoyable reading surprise on my flights. The title and cover were sweet and unassuming, so I had low expectations, but was open to whatever it offered. I started it before I left, so I could see if it was worth schlepping along. I wasn't very far into it, but each page brought more respect for the unfolding story and for the interesting characters. It was enjoyable from beginning to end!
It's a subtle, unfolding mystery. It's wrapped in sweet mystery. It caught me by surprise. And the courage and strength of the women in the Pickle Club were revealed gradually. There were also some wonderful analogies to life in the quilting...and in the fabric, and the feel of the fabric which I could totally relate to. The narrator of the story, Queenie, is a very sympathetic and interesting character. It's a simple book, on the surface, with simple and sweet people. But underneath there is more, and it's intriguing to have it revealed.
This book also perfectly captures the sweetness of sisterhood. How it made the very hard, depression-era life bearable. But it's a story that applies to any time, where good friends and support and a hobby can bring people together. My plan is to send it to my friend Lona, who is a quilter, and will definitely relate to all levels of this little powerhouse of a book.
It's a subtle, unfolding mystery. It's wrapped in sweet mystery. It caught me by surprise. And the courage and strength of the women in the Pickle Club were revealed gradually. There were also some wonderful analogies to life in the quilting...and in the fabric, and the feel of the fabric which I could totally relate to. The narrator of the story, Queenie, is a very sympathetic and interesting character. It's a simple book, on the surface, with simple and sweet people. But underneath there is more, and it's intriguing to have it revealed.
This book also perfectly captures the sweetness of sisterhood. How it made the very hard, depression-era life bearable. But it's a story that applies to any time, where good friends and support and a hobby can bring people together. My plan is to send it to my friend Lona, who is a quilter, and will definitely relate to all levels of this little powerhouse of a book.
Monday, January 20, 2020
The Overstory by Richard Powers
This came recommended by a California librarian that Alice Jane follows. I read her review, then others on Amazon and decided it was worth the risk to order. So glad I did. A book that totally flipped my lid...opened my view and changed it forever. It also made me want to get more into the science of trees and figure out how much of this author's interpretation of trees' power is accurate. And just to learn more.
And even though it's about trees, it's equally revealing about the people who defend them. Their stories are told up front, and at first I thought they were separate essays because they weren't connected. But as the book unfolds, these individual stories come together. They are told with such imagination and detail that you almost believe they are true. Colorful, unpredictable people with intimate details of their lives and thinking. It's so personal you realize it must be fiction because no one could know such diverse characters so intimately.
Maybe it's a sign of my declining cognitive abilities, but I had trouble connecting the later characters with their earlier stories. I kept getting two of them confused...I read at night when I'm sleepy, and this story was so good, I read when I should have been sleeping and I think I zoned out or couldn't keep them aligned. I am ready to begin again at the beginning and enjoy it all over again, keeping the characters straight. Because I know the end.
The vocabulary in this book is challenging. Second time through I will pause to look up more words, like "arhat." I believe it will be worth it. One of my favorite parts is Powers' description of the time two characters live in the top of a tree. It's an incredible description the makes me want to fly up to the treetops and experience it. So many wonderful descriptions of inner landscapes as well...these people are fascinating, passionate, and human.
I could easily see how they went "over the edge" into radical action. I want to be better as a result of what I learned here... like use less, want less, conserve more, recycle more carefully, pay my respects to trees more often.
I'm not sure I understood the ending. It gets rather dystopian and dark. I don't believe our future is dark, and I'm not sure that's what Powers is saying. Not sure who or what the "listeners" are. Or the world that Neelay, a computer programmer created...not sure what's going on there either. But I will take it on again and see if I can figure it out.
I'm proud of the times I have listened to trees, loved and appreciated trees, and tried to protect them. I'm remorseful about my paper usage, my wanton cutting of them in Cleghorn Canyon, and my ignorance. I will do better.
Here are some quotes that I highlighted:
Page 260 - "The tree runs straight up like a chimney butte and neglects to stop."
"She spreads her arms against the furrows. She's like a flea trying to hug its dog. Her face tilts straight up the titanic trunk. "I can't believe it. I can't believe there's no other way to protect this thing except with our bodies.""
Page 264 - They look together: high-wire surveyors of a newfound land. The view cracks open his chest. Cloud, mountain, World Tree, and mist--all the tangled, rich stability of creation that gave rise to words to begin with--leave him stupid and speechless. Reiterated trunks grow out of Mimas's main line, shooting up parallel like the fingers of a Buddha's upraised hand, recouping the mother tree on smaller scales, repeating the inborn shape again and again, their branches running into each other, too many and fused to trace."
Page 339 - "If people knew what went into making trees, they would be so, so thankful for the sacrifce. And thankful people don't need as much."
Page 443 - "You and the tree in your backyard come from a common ancestor. A billion and a half years ago, the two of you parted ways. But even now, after an immense journey in separate directions, that tree and you still share a quarter of your genes..."
Page 455 - "When you cut down a tree, what you make from it should be at least as miraculous as what you cut down."
Page 545 - "If we could see green, we'd see a thing that keeps getting more interesting the closer we get. If we could see what green was doing, we'd never be lonely or bored. If we could understand green, we'd learn how to grow all the food we need in layers three deep, on a third of the ground we need right now, with plants that protected one another from pests and stress. If we knew what green wanted, we wouldn't have to choose between the Earth's interests and ours. They'd be the same!"
June 2020
I just reread this book and like the ending better and stayed with the characters better. And it still fascinated me and taught me a lot. So glad I took it on again! And my favorite quote, that haunts me every time I rip a paper towel is this one:
Page 455 - "When you cut down a tree, what you make from it should be at least as miraculous as what you cut down."
And even though it's about trees, it's equally revealing about the people who defend them. Their stories are told up front, and at first I thought they were separate essays because they weren't connected. But as the book unfolds, these individual stories come together. They are told with such imagination and detail that you almost believe they are true. Colorful, unpredictable people with intimate details of their lives and thinking. It's so personal you realize it must be fiction because no one could know such diverse characters so intimately.
Maybe it's a sign of my declining cognitive abilities, but I had trouble connecting the later characters with their earlier stories. I kept getting two of them confused...I read at night when I'm sleepy, and this story was so good, I read when I should have been sleeping and I think I zoned out or couldn't keep them aligned. I am ready to begin again at the beginning and enjoy it all over again, keeping the characters straight. Because I know the end.
The vocabulary in this book is challenging. Second time through I will pause to look up more words, like "arhat." I believe it will be worth it. One of my favorite parts is Powers' description of the time two characters live in the top of a tree. It's an incredible description the makes me want to fly up to the treetops and experience it. So many wonderful descriptions of inner landscapes as well...these people are fascinating, passionate, and human.
I could easily see how they went "over the edge" into radical action. I want to be better as a result of what I learned here... like use less, want less, conserve more, recycle more carefully, pay my respects to trees more often.
I'm not sure I understood the ending. It gets rather dystopian and dark. I don't believe our future is dark, and I'm not sure that's what Powers is saying. Not sure who or what the "listeners" are. Or the world that Neelay, a computer programmer created...not sure what's going on there either. But I will take it on again and see if I can figure it out.
I'm proud of the times I have listened to trees, loved and appreciated trees, and tried to protect them. I'm remorseful about my paper usage, my wanton cutting of them in Cleghorn Canyon, and my ignorance. I will do better.
Here are some quotes that I highlighted:
Page 260 - "The tree runs straight up like a chimney butte and neglects to stop."
"She spreads her arms against the furrows. She's like a flea trying to hug its dog. Her face tilts straight up the titanic trunk. "I can't believe it. I can't believe there's no other way to protect this thing except with our bodies.""
Page 264 - They look together: high-wire surveyors of a newfound land. The view cracks open his chest. Cloud, mountain, World Tree, and mist--all the tangled, rich stability of creation that gave rise to words to begin with--leave him stupid and speechless. Reiterated trunks grow out of Mimas's main line, shooting up parallel like the fingers of a Buddha's upraised hand, recouping the mother tree on smaller scales, repeating the inborn shape again and again, their branches running into each other, too many and fused to trace."
Page 339 - "If people knew what went into making trees, they would be so, so thankful for the sacrifce. And thankful people don't need as much."
Page 443 - "You and the tree in your backyard come from a common ancestor. A billion and a half years ago, the two of you parted ways. But even now, after an immense journey in separate directions, that tree and you still share a quarter of your genes..."
Page 455 - "When you cut down a tree, what you make from it should be at least as miraculous as what you cut down."
Page 545 - "If we could see green, we'd see a thing that keeps getting more interesting the closer we get. If we could see what green was doing, we'd never be lonely or bored. If we could understand green, we'd learn how to grow all the food we need in layers three deep, on a third of the ground we need right now, with plants that protected one another from pests and stress. If we knew what green wanted, we wouldn't have to choose between the Earth's interests and ours. They'd be the same!"
June 2020
I just reread this book and like the ending better and stayed with the characters better. And it still fascinated me and taught me a lot. So glad I took it on again! And my favorite quote, that haunts me every time I rip a paper towel is this one:
Page 455 - "When you cut down a tree, what you make from it should be at least as miraculous as what you cut down."
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
To Venice with Love by Philip Gwynne Jones
Because I enjoyed the first book I read by this author, I went on a little binge and bought two more from the used section of Amazon. I was convinced that this one would reveal to me some of the struggles that my dear friend Cecelia is experiencing as she settles into her new life in Venice. It's the story of a British couple resettling in Venice and recounts all of their trials.
Like in The Venetian Game, Jones' wry humor is intact. Wry and dry and clever and self-deprecating. I enjoy it. However this book got bogged down and boring in the details. Some of the characters and the setting of Venice sparkle, of course, but it didn't really get anywhere by the end. It's fun to read about their culinary adventures, their attempts at integrating into the Venetian culture, etc., but it got a little long-winded for me. Plus there were many Italian words and expressions that needed more explanation for me to "get" them. Still, it was an enjoyable, light read, and perhaps someone who knows more or who had been there would get more out of it. Maybe Sierra?
Like in The Venetian Game, Jones' wry humor is intact. Wry and dry and clever and self-deprecating. I enjoy it. However this book got bogged down and boring in the details. Some of the characters and the setting of Venice sparkle, of course, but it didn't really get anywhere by the end. It's fun to read about their culinary adventures, their attempts at integrating into the Venetian culture, etc., but it got a little long-winded for me. Plus there were many Italian words and expressions that needed more explanation for me to "get" them. Still, it was an enjoyable, light read, and perhaps someone who knows more or who had been there would get more out of it. Maybe Sierra?
Friday, January 3, 2020
The Venetian Game by Philip Gwynne Jones
My high school friend, college roommate, and life long friend Cecelia moved to Venice a couple of months ago. She was reading this book, and so I decided to pick it up too, to get a glimpse into her new life. It is delightful!
Jones is a Brit whose humor cracks me up. The descriptions of Venice and its people are colorful, sympathetic, and clever. This city is so unique and it seems to draw equally unique and creative people. The characters are funny and interesting, although I had trouble keeping track of who was who. I soldiered through, though, without being able to untangle the mystery, but that didn't dampen my enthusiasm for the characters, the setting, and the story. I will pay closer attention on my next read through, and will hopefully be able to track the various characters more diligently! Yes, it's going to be kept and read again. And in the meantime, I'm going to order the next book in the series. I quite like the main character, who lives with his cat and longs for his wife back in Scotland.
It's obvious that the music, food, history, and art scenes in Venice are incredibly rich, diverse, and celebrated daily. What an amazing culture. It made me think that perhaps I need to educate myself before venturing over for a visit so I can appreciate it more when I see it.
Jones is a Brit whose humor cracks me up. The descriptions of Venice and its people are colorful, sympathetic, and clever. This city is so unique and it seems to draw equally unique and creative people. The characters are funny and interesting, although I had trouble keeping track of who was who. I soldiered through, though, without being able to untangle the mystery, but that didn't dampen my enthusiasm for the characters, the setting, and the story. I will pay closer attention on my next read through, and will hopefully be able to track the various characters more diligently! Yes, it's going to be kept and read again. And in the meantime, I'm going to order the next book in the series. I quite like the main character, who lives with his cat and longs for his wife back in Scotland.
It's obvious that the music, food, history, and art scenes in Venice are incredibly rich, diverse, and celebrated daily. What an amazing culture. It made me think that perhaps I need to educate myself before venturing over for a visit so I can appreciate it more when I see it.
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
The Diaries of Adam & Eve translated by Mark Twain and edited by Don Roberts
This morning at church, my friend Donna handed me this book. She had been looking for it for a long time, and had found it in a used bookstore. She was loaning it to me, because she thought I would enjoy it. She showed me how to read it, to be sure I noted that at the top of each page, it told you if it was Adam or Eve speaking. She thought it was funny and showed Twain's love of his wife. She particularly liked the ending. I asked if I could keep it awhile, because it might take some time to get to it. That was fine with her.
Well, I opened this afternoon and couldn't put it down! So clever, so witty, so true, and also sweetly poignant. I finished it in almost no time. It's just a little over a hundred pages long, and the illustrations (by Michael Mojher) are intriguing and beautiful.
I love how Twain's take on masculinity and femininity are played out in the dialogue between Adam and Eve. Adam's mostly clueless, and Eve is a talker. Yet there's a fresh innocence about them both and a truthfulness about their situation that is beguiling and not far removed from scriptural truth.
The editor, Don Roberts, took Twain's separate works on Adam and Eve and combined them into this narrative that is so charming and effective because of the way their views are juxtaposed. Apparently, Twain wanted them to be published together, even though he didn't get to it in his lifetime. The love between Adam and Eve develops and matures and is uplifting to observe. It apparently mirrors Twain's own love of his wife, Livvy. A very sweet read!
Well, I opened this afternoon and couldn't put it down! So clever, so witty, so true, and also sweetly poignant. I finished it in almost no time. It's just a little over a hundred pages long, and the illustrations (by Michael Mojher) are intriguing and beautiful.
I love how Twain's take on masculinity and femininity are played out in the dialogue between Adam and Eve. Adam's mostly clueless, and Eve is a talker. Yet there's a fresh innocence about them both and a truthfulness about their situation that is beguiling and not far removed from scriptural truth.
The editor, Don Roberts, took Twain's separate works on Adam and Eve and combined them into this narrative that is so charming and effective because of the way their views are juxtaposed. Apparently, Twain wanted them to be published together, even though he didn't get to it in his lifetime. The love between Adam and Eve develops and matures and is uplifting to observe. It apparently mirrors Twain's own love of his wife, Livvy. A very sweet read!
Origin by Dan Brown
This is my second Dan Brown book, and this one was similar in some ways to the other one. Same urgency in the story, compressed into 24 hours of peril and chasing and interesting settings. A little redundant in that way. Very predictable characters. Why did I read another one of these?!
Yet...this one had an interesting premise. Set in Barcelona and other parts of Spain, a rich scientist whose goal in life is to eradicate religion, is set on unleashing a new discovery that will discredit all faith in God. He is able to spontaneously generate life form in a test tube from basic elements, proving that life can spring from nothing. That part wasn't particularly intriguing. What WAS intriguing, though, was his prediction about what comes next. This was fascinating.
Our next iteration as humans is that we integrate ourselves with technology and evolve into "singularity" -- that moment when synthetic intelligence trumps human intelligence. It's artificial intelligence on steroids. It turns out that the mastermind behind a complex set of murders and malevolence is a supercomputer known as "Winston." As the story unfolds, his devious plan becomes chilling, because he doesn't view it as wrong. An interesting premise... The very technology that will help us solve complex problems like drinking water and global warming can also make us amoral. It's an interesting twist near the end of the book.
Religious people and "creationists" are thrown into the same unintelligent bag, and that's annoying. There doesn't seem to be room for people of faith to be thinkers... Although one of the main characters, Professor Langdon seems to straddle the faith conundrum artfully in an explanation of the difference between patterns and code. Patterns occur in nature and do not convey meaning. Code, like language conveys meaning. He cites DNA as an example of something organic in nature that ALSO has meaning, and therefore may have an intelligent creator. So...that was an interesting distinction.
Yet...this one had an interesting premise. Set in Barcelona and other parts of Spain, a rich scientist whose goal in life is to eradicate religion, is set on unleashing a new discovery that will discredit all faith in God. He is able to spontaneously generate life form in a test tube from basic elements, proving that life can spring from nothing. That part wasn't particularly intriguing. What WAS intriguing, though, was his prediction about what comes next. This was fascinating.
Our next iteration as humans is that we integrate ourselves with technology and evolve into "singularity" -- that moment when synthetic intelligence trumps human intelligence. It's artificial intelligence on steroids. It turns out that the mastermind behind a complex set of murders and malevolence is a supercomputer known as "Winston." As the story unfolds, his devious plan becomes chilling, because he doesn't view it as wrong. An interesting premise... The very technology that will help us solve complex problems like drinking water and global warming can also make us amoral. It's an interesting twist near the end of the book.
Religious people and "creationists" are thrown into the same unintelligent bag, and that's annoying. There doesn't seem to be room for people of faith to be thinkers... Although one of the main characters, Professor Langdon seems to straddle the faith conundrum artfully in an explanation of the difference between patterns and code. Patterns occur in nature and do not convey meaning. Code, like language conveys meaning. He cites DNA as an example of something organic in nature that ALSO has meaning, and therefore may have an intelligent creator. So...that was an interesting distinction.
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