[Book Rant] The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates

I have incredibly mixed feelings after finishing The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates. Awe, exasperation, dissatisfaction, appreciation, and exhaustion are all fighting to be forefront. I can't quite decide if if his was one of of he best novels I've read in a long time or the worst.

At its core, The Falls is an intimate glimpse into one family's life as its members experience love, pain, joy, loss, grief, connection, separation, trust, and betrayal. 

Set in historic Niagara Falls, the story opens with a couple on their honeymoon and the groom's suicide. The reasons for the suicide are revealed to readers and we are compelled to keep reading in disbelief and in sympathy. As authorities search for her spouse's remains in the falls, the bride keeps vigil. By her side is confirmed bachelor Dirk Burnaby.

Over the span of the 28 years, readers join Ariah Erskine also known as "the Widow Bride of the Falls," as she deals with the loss of not one, but two husbands. Faced with these multiple tragedies, Ariah maintains a solid core of pride and strength as she pulls away from the world and creates her own safe space with her children and her piano at the center.

The dramatic irony of the novel's beginning instantly intrigued me. I felt strong sympathy for Gilbert, who could no longer maintain his charade. I felt pity for Ariah as well. Poor thing, having lost her husband of a day and becoming a media sensation.

When she meets Dirk, falls in love, and marries him, I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, things are looking up Ariah. However, that small part of my reader brain that wasn't completely immersed in the story reminded me of the blurb and that "tragedy soon takes over their lives . . . " Oates does an amazing job of presenting their idyllic family life against the backdrop of scenic Niagara Falls. She does even better with increasing tension. Any hint of conflict was met with a panicked, "Is this it? The tragedy that 'poisons their hacyon years with distrust, greed, and murder'?" 

Aside from the story, Oates writes stunning prose. Having never visited the Falls, I could still easily imagine its beauty and power. As much as I loved the prose, it felt overdone at times. Oates introduces some fascinating characters, but she doesn't allow them to breathe life into the story on their own. There is too much interjection by an omniscient 3rd person voice that I didn't appreciate. There were instances where I wanted to hear and feel directly from the characters themselves, and not from a narrator. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the first 60-75% of the novel, but the last 25% dragged on and I struggled to finish. Eventually, I skimmed the last 50 pages just to see how it ends. Part of this could be due to the fact that I started The Falls a few weeks ago. It's been difficult to smuggle in reading time since I started substitute teaching full time. (Read about my Sub Adventures here.)

So I have to admit that by the time I picked The Falls back up, I was a bit fuzzy on details from the 300 pages. I believe that The Falls is the type of novel that cannot be completely appreciated on the first read. A second read is needed to absorb all of its subtle nuances. I'll get back to everyone when I've read a second time (if I ever get to it a second time). 

In the meantime, the final verdict:

Princess Reads A Lot isn't too sure about this book. She didn't like it, but she didn't not like it either. She knows it's one she won't ever re-read and that makes her a little sad.

[Book Rant] Joyland by Stephen King

 

The Story:

In Joyland by Stephen King, we meet 21-year-old, college student Devin Jones, who's an aspiring writer. (No shocker there! King has a thing for writers as protagonists, I'm starting to see.) Young Devin spends his summer break working at a carnival-slash-amusement park called Joyland. There, he meets an assortment of interesting characters, including two soon-to-be-best-friends, Erin and Tom, and his eventual saviors, Annie and Mike, all while nursing first-love heartbreak and losing his virginity. Oh, and of course it wouldn't be much of a Stephen King novel without a ghost or two, would it? There's a ghost of a young woman who had been murdered on the only dark ride at Joyland. Who dun done it, is the question we're reading to answer. That, and experiencing young Devin's coming-of-age story with a twist.

Thoughts:

As far as King novels go, I haven't read nearly enough to really be familiar with his style, but I didn't enjoy Joyland nearly as much as I did Bag of Bones and The Shining. To be honest, I was a little bored. The story didn't grip me by the collar as tightly as I had expected it to. It lacked much of the suspense and tension I had come to expect from King. Could it be due to the fact that Joyland  is about 300 pages shorter than the previous two King novels I've read? Does King write better when he has more words to work with? Who knows. All I do know is that I found Dev a little dull, the other characters unimportant (didn't care about any of 'em much), the ghost story not very interesting, and the big reveal of the killer anti-climatic and rushed. 

Final Verdict:

Joyland is a run-of-the-mill crime/mystery novel. While not a bad read, it's not terribly exciting either. 

 
Princess Reads A Lot isn't too sure about this book. She didn't like it, but she didn't not like it either. She knows it's one she won't ever re-read and that makes her a little sad.

[Book Rant] Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

I had been meaning to read Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt for such a long time. I'd heard so many good things about it. I finally got around to it and after nearly a month, I eventually finished it and gave it three stars on Goodreads.

At first, I thought, 'hmmmm, this is interesting and different from my usual fare of paranormal romance that's for sure'. While I don't hate it, I don't see what all the fuss has been about either. It is emotionally compelling; I'd give it that much. I wanted to both cry and hit inanimate objects numerous times. I felt so much for Frankie, his family and their troubles and harsh lives of poverty. Angela's Ashes takes first place for the Saddest-Freakin'-Book-I've-Ever-Read!

But for some reason, I couldn't help but continue to feel pretty lukewarm towards it as I read. I kept on reading mainly because I get home too exhausted from work to remember to throw a new book into my bag and Angela's Ashes happened to be the only book in my bag and I read on the train. Yet, that's not the only reason. Something kept pulling me back in, stopped me from abandoning the novel completely.

What was it? The language. McCourt's writing style and the Irish lilt so intimately intertwined kept me hooked. It was like reading poetic music, or musical poetry. It was simply beautiful.

My feelings towards the novel warmed up considerably when I came across the Best Line I Have Ever Read in Any Work of Literature:

"Shakespeare is like mashed potatoes, you can never get enough of him."

 Whaat?! Two of my  most favorite things in the world in the same sentence? Bliss.

While, I liked McCourt's narrative voice and the plot/story, I felt it to be too long and too detailed. I couldn't believe that I was on page 300 and Frankie was only 11! Could he grow up any slower? I felt like I was reading a really loooong list of twitter stats minutely chronologizing someone's life.

Possibly my issue is that it's meant to be a memoir and I think of memoirs having a more story-like quality with a driving plot. While Angela's Ashes read more like an autobiography. In the end, my investment in lil Frankie McCourt and my need to know how he ended up forced me to keep reading. I was hooked on the raw honesty of all of the characters, especially Frankie.


I will also be adding the sequel Tis to my To-Be-Read list. I don't want to miss 19-year-old Frankie's adventures in the Big Apple.

Huh. Maybe I need to change my Goodreads rating. It seems I like Angela's Ashes a lot more than I thought. This book rant is a whole lot more positive than negative, isn't it?

[Book Rant] Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Okay, I absolutely loved this book. The last book that I read and loved was Kate Stockett's The Help.

What first drew me in was the fact that it was written by an African writer. As a child of immigrants from The Gambia in West Africa, I'm been meaning to read some African literature. I've always felt like a slight traitor as I've yet to read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. But I've made up for it with Purple Hibiscus. Or so I'd like to think. (Will still read Achebe's book one day. Maybe.)

A simple song for a tiny country, but it shows Moxie!

So what's it about?

Purple Hibiscus takes place in Nigeria (the birthplace of both of our writer). The story is told through 15-year-old Kambili, who lives with her mother, father, and brother Jaja. Kambili's father is an extremely religious man who rules his family with an iron fist. The tale unfolds as Kambili and her brother spend some time away from home and experience the first taste of freedom as civil war in Nigeria makes things even more unstable.

Dangit! Nigeria has the better anthem. Just because they're bigger. Humph!

 

Rant Begins:

I want to begin by commenting on Kambili's narrative voice. I think it was the best voice/POV that I have had the pleasure to read in a long time. It was authentic, compelling, endearing, and compassionate. I was immediately and deeply connected with Kambili and felt haunted by the life I was suddenly intimately privy to. Even more touching was Kambili's emotions, strength, and fears as she struggled between her love for her abusive father, love for her battered mother, and fear of change after tasting freedom. Also, because Kambili avoids things or pretends not to know, readers are increasingly horrified as we come to the realizations of the truths that Kambili refuses to admit.

Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Let's imagine that this is what Kambili will look like in 20 years.

I love the whole start-from-the-end-then-tell-the-events-that-leads-up-to-it plot device. Love it, I say, especially when it's as well done as it was in Purple Hibiscus. From the first line, Ms. Adichie caught me hook, line, and sinker and I was only eager to read more. Adichie's strong writing continued to lead me by the heart from beginning to end as I gasped in horror, smiled bittersweetly, held my breath with hope, and rooted wholeheartedly for Kambili, Jaja, Aunty Ifeoma, the cousins, and others. Each character was unique and meaningful within the story (even Papa-the-Bastard, the name I coined him in my head).

Purple Hibiscus is an absolute must-read if you want a taste of African literature that is strongly written, engaging, and moves your heart.

Official Rating:

Princess Reads A Lot absolutely LOVED this book! She was captivated, enamored, enchanted, and fascinated, otherwise irrevocably in love. She has found yet another literary prince charming and is in bliss.

[Book Rant] Bag of Bones by Stephen King

For my first ever Stephen King read I think I chose pretty dang well (even though I simply closed my eyes and grabbed a random title off the shelf).

(See list of favorite quotes from Bag of Bones here.)

Bag of Bones begins with the lulling, soft, authentic voice of Michael Noonan as he tells his incredible story, starting from his wife's sudden death and including the hard to believe events that follow. With a gripping combination of quiet grief and a startling, sometimes blunt, sense of humor, readers quickly find themselves deeply caring for Mike as soon as the end of chapter one. King has a very clear understanding of readers and their needs and gives it to us perfectly wrapped in an astonishing tale of death, vengeance, cruelty, love, and life.

The story is told in the voice of Mike Noonan. It's honest, blunt, and flawed--just like him. The otherworldly aspect of the story are subtly sprinkled in, so that you find yourself believing undoubtedly in everything as Mike does without even realizing it.

The complexity of Bag of Bones is what really drew me in. It's not just anything. Not just a ghost story. Not just about a man who suddenly loses his wife. Not just about ruthless multimillionaires and custody cases. Not just about secrets. Not just about love and survival. It's all of these and more, intertwined and intermingled into one amazing, incredible story. As such, the 700+ pages didn't seem too long, though I think it could have been parred down slightly. There were a couple of long chunks of scenic description that I found myself skimming over because they were just a little too detailed (even as I was deathly afraid--pun intended--of missing some vital or genius line of fiction). Too detailed in that I was bogged down by all of the, well, details and couldn't form a vivid picture in my mind. Sometimes less really is more.

King's characters in Bag of Bones, both the main and supporting characters, were fully fleshed out, real and human--as far from being simple bags of bones as I can imagine. Mike, especially, is a character I fell in love with immediately, warts and all. There's nothing quite like a detail-rich portrayal of a flawed character to get a reader's engine going. Vroom Vroom! It's Mike's honest (or King's honest rendition of Mike's character that enticed me). Mike wasn't the nicest or most "proper" man. He was sometimes a sarcastic ass, lewd, offensive even, but he was real.So in real in fact that I couldn't help doing a little google searching to see if I could find any resemblance to a non-fictional being. And color me surprised when I discovered Irish politician, Michael Noonan, (below) and Australian writer, Michael John Noonan. Just saying. (Though they're both older than our protagonist.)

Despite its long length, I dreaded finishing Bag of Bones because I knew it would feel like losing a best friend. At the same time, Bag of Bones was such an aggressive read, emotionally; I wasn't sure whether or not I could survive all 700 pages without my heart beating clear out of my chest from the stress of incredible suspense, awe, shock, fear (for the characters! Of course, I wasn't frightened, not even one bit), disgust, utter believable-disbelief. Here's my facebook status after I finished reading the climatic chapter 25 (POTTY MOUTH DISCLAIMER):

Holy FUCKING shiiit, King. Chapter 25 was a motherfucking DOOZY! A disclaimer would've been mighty nice, so I wouldn't have found myself on the Metro North gasping audibly, muttering "Da Fuk," and blinking rapidly against sudden tears. My Gawd! I've been through the literary wringer and I LOVE it.

Found on Tumbler or FB somewhere.

Then we came to the end. The gentle calm, silence after the storm. It was satisfying. I was left with the assurance that Mikey Noonan and his little guy, Kyra would be just fine, despite everything. Most loose ends were tied and all questions mostly answered. The slight sense of remaining otherworldlyness was acceptable after a story like this; we didn't need every "T" or "I" crossed and dotted.

King, I think you'd be glad to know that while a first time reader, Bag of Bones gave me not one, but two sleepless nights as I couldn't put it down! (In response to his Letter to the Reader at the end of the novel.) This is a definite must-read for fans of mystery-thrillers and Stephen King.

Princess Reads A Lot RATING:  

She really LIKES this book a whole lot! It made her smile, shiver and shake. She's sure glad she read it and only wishes she had read it sooner.

Under the Feet of Jesus by Helena Maria Viramontes

 

I had never heard of Mrs. Viramontes or her work, until our faculty advisor Dr. Deborah Poe mentioned during an editorial meeting of the Vox Arts and Literary Magazine (which I was Managing Editor of) that she had recently published an anthology with Dr. Ama Wattley, titled “Between Worlds.” My first response, was “Oh, cool title.” My second, “Should I eventually become an English Professor? You get to publish stuff!” My third, which is the one actually articulated out loud was, “Can we invite one of readers to the Launch event?” 

Borrowing a copy of “Between Worlds” from Dr. Poe, which I kept longer than appropriate, I began with the excerpt from Ms. Viramontes’ first novel, Under the Feet of Jesus.  From the very first line, I was struck by the unapologetic and raw portrayal of the Hispanic migrant worker. Reflecting the hardships of the migrants’ lives set against the beauty of an equally harsh landscape, Viramontes pulls readers into an entirely different world, one in which its inhabitants, themselves are caught between worlds, not truly belonging in either one. The one line that struck me the strongest was this one: “He had given this country its all, and in this land that used his bones for kindling, in this land that never once in the thirty years he lived and worked, never once said thank you…”

We ended up inviting Viramontes as our featured reader for out launch and I took the chance to purchase a copy of the novel and even got it signed. I hadn't had time to read it until just recently.

Viramontes at the Vox Fall 2012 Launch Event

The novel in its entirety both lived up to and failed my initial expectations. From the excerpt I had read, I expect to be more strongly drawn into the story and lives of Estrella and her family. However, I maintained a certain distance while reading the book. I wasn't truly invested emotionally or intellectually. I was disappointed in the fact that it seemed like the very best part of the novel was the excerpt I had already read and the rest wasn't as poignant or exciting. I was disappointed by the fact that the excerpt led me to believe that Under the Feet of Jesus (love the title by the way) was more of a tragic love story.  Yet it's not as Estrella and Alejo's relationship doesn't quite go anywhere.

At the same time, though, I appreciated that the rawness I had first experienced continued. Viramontes doesn't try to sugarcoat, or pull her punches in her writing and word choices. Also, I absolutely loved the intermingling of English and Spanish in the text. I was drawn into the authenticity of the story due to the Spanish. However, a few places of confusion that weren't cleared up by context pulled me away from the story as I tried to translate the unknown word. So that irked a bit.

Under the Feet of Jesus is a novel that will join the "Check, read that one, didn't hate, but not anything special" shelf of my library. It has a lot of potential and Viramontes has a way with words that's absolutely beautiful, however I feel it fell short in plot and character development.

 

[Review] The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Published: February 2009/Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam 

Pages: 530

 

Blurb:

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

 
Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone. 

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.
Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women - mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends - view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

 

*click below to read review. May contain spoilers.* 

Review: 

I really enjoyed reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Within the first few pages, I was quickly engaged and drawn into the story. Stockett has a writing style that immediately lulls readers into experiencing the story first hand. The main characters, Aibilene and Minny in particular, were richly portrayed and it was easy to empathize with their stories and lives. If I evaluate The Help simply as a story, then I have no complaints and it joins my "Absolute Favorites" shelf.

However, if I look more closely in terms of the subject matter, then I must admit to a certain level of discomfort. While I understand that the novel was inspired by Stockett's own special experiences with her family maid, I expect for a work with such strong civil rights/historical undertones to be written more seriously and with more care. I couldn't help, but feel uncomfortable about a white female writing about the treatment of Black maids in the south. It's not the race of the author per say that is my issue. I'm not of the party who believe only members of a particular race can write about said race. I wouldn't have felt this way if not for the level of lightheartedness in Stockett's telling of the story. In addition, there were a couple of minor characters and subplots that I believed to be unnecessary as they pulled readers away from the more important characters and the main story.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed The Help as a fairly well-written, engaging and emotionally charged story about human relationships. At the same time, I feel that The Help failed to reach its potential as a possible "Important Work of Cultural History" (as Goodreads user, Sparrow, put it).

What are others' thoughts regarding The Help?

[Review] The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Young Adult

Published: February 1st, 1999 by MTV Books and Pocket Books 

Paperback, 213 pages

Original Cover

Movie Cover

Blurb: 

Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix-tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

Click below for review:

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

ISBN:9780525423287

 Publication: 2011

Novel: Young Adult, Fiction, Romance 

Blurb:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion...she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit--more sparkly, more fun, more wild--the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket--a gifted inventor--steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Click below for the book rant!

Currently Reading as of January 1st, 2013

Happy New Year Everyone!

Here's my currently reading list as of the first day of 2013:

Click below to read my thoughts about my current reads!