The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

My year long absence has probably been for a combination of reasons, but first and foremost and mostly and greatly and majorly, this is because I started a new job in May of 2011. I used to write blog posts on my *ahem* breaks at my old job and simply never made time to incorporate this activity into my evening routine after changing.

Secondarily, I didn’t read anything during the past year which adequately compelled me to write. Rebecca entertained me, but didn’t inspire me. The Catcher in the Rye infuriated me because it was so terrible, and concluded with a fierce propulsion of the book across the bedroom. Katherine was a beautiful love story, but wasn’t much to write about. Then there was Cold Comfort Farm, Far from the Madding Crowd, Gormenghast, and Love in the time of Cholera, all of which were decent reads, but not particularly memorable (for me). 100 Years of Solitude almost motivated me to bring pen to paper (or finger to key, I guess), but not quite.

The Grapes of Wrath made me want to write (uh, or type). I don’t know that I can say why exactly. The Grapes of Wrath is a story about hardship. It is beautifully composed. Steinbeck never betrayed his characters. He also never betrayed his story. The end disappointed me for a moment. I was expecting something different, something tidy, something conclusive and happy. After a minute of thought, I realized that such an ending would have destroyed the message Steinbeck was trying to communicate. The book wasn’t about working hard and experiencing trials so that in the end all will be well and good, and tied up in shiny paper with a frilly bow. The book was about reality. Fittingly, it had no epilogue, which of course, thrilled me, as I hate epilogues.

The Grapes of Wrath chronicles the journey of the Joad family as they leave their mid-western home bound for California—where work is rumored to be abundant and life is comfortable. People will welcome them with open arms and they will be able to settle down in a house made of candy with marshmallow toadstools in their yard and roads made of licorice. Small orange men called Oompa Loompas will take care of their household chores while they enjoy their warm chocolate moat, and elevator that goes in all directions and butterscotch flowers, and…uh…oh boy, that might not be exactly what they thought California would be, but you get the general idea, right?

If this were a movie, I’d rate it: PG-13

Overall Grade: A

Would I recommend this to my friends? Yes. I’d recommend it to any and all of them.  

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

I probably shouldn’t be writing this post yet. I’m angry and disappointed. Angry at the author of this book, who I feel betrayed her characters. Disappointed that the author so flippantly dismissed the depth of the very relevant relationship which she had created between two complex people, only to have this relationship violated, and dismissed, as if these two people were mere acquaintances.

In order to further explain my frustration, enjoy the following story: There’s a little bluebird that comes to a woman’s window every day for 60 years. Every morning, he lands on her planter box, spins around on one foot, takes a bow, winks at her and then flies away. After 60 years of this bird’s consistent behavior, the woman wakes up one morning. She’s learned that she has cancer. She looks out the window. She sees the bird approaching and is heartened. He lands on the planter, glares at the woman, turns around, poops on her window, and flies away.

I’m not saying the bluebird should have moved into the woman’s house to be her pet. I’m not saying the bluebird should have cured the woman’s cancer. All I’m saying is that if the ^&*#ing bird can’t find it within himself to act the same way he has without fail, for the last 60 years, on this very important day when the woman is suffering, perhaps he shouldn’t be in this bloody story!

Having said all of this, I very thoroughly enjoyed this book. In fact, until about 50 pages from the end, I loved this book.

It really was a beautiful story of three generations of the Cleary family—their journey from poverty in New Zealand to wealth in Australia. The book was published in 1977, but was set in the early 1900s and runs past the end of World War II. I confess that the inclusion of intimate relations was an exciting change from the stuffy mid 19th century books I’ve been reading lately. The book was well written, characters were well developed (until they were betrayed), the storylines were complete, and the book was a very quick paced, easy read.

Favorite passages:
(in reference to Mary Carson…I’m a Scorpio myself and found this amusing)
"Why, and to be sure it means herself is a Scorpio woman, does it not? A Scorpio woman, now!”
“I haven't got the slightest idea what you're talking about, Min!”
“The wurrst sign a woman can find herself born into, Mrs. Smith darlin'. Och, they're children of the Devil, so they are!” pg. 163

(Father Ralph speaking to the doctor delivering Meggie’s baby)
"the church is adamant on that point, Doctor. No choice must ever be made. The child cannot be done to death to save the mother, nor the mother done to death to save the child.” He smiled back at Doc Smith just as maliciously. “But if it should come to that, Doctor, I won't hesitate to tell you to save Meggie, and the hell with the baby." Pg. 364

(Meggie, comparing Ralph to Luke)
"And her hands itched with the feel of Luke's back when he held her close in a dance, she was stirred by him, his touch, his crisp vitality. Oh, she never felt that dark liquid fire in her bones for him, she never thought that if she didn't see him again she would wither and dry up, she never twitched and trembled because he looked at her." Pg. 292

If this were a movie, I’d rate it: R

Overall Grade: A-
Would I recommend this to my friends? Yes…I think. I’m still really frustrated, but I think I’d recommend it.

Middlemarch by George Eliot

This paragraph from completereview.com sums up my feeling about Middlemarch pretty well.

“Middlemarch is a grand book -- albeit one with many faults. There are several stories here that could be at the center of a novel -- and Eliot seems unable to choose between them, presenting instead a sometimes uncomfortable mix of foci. She also wants to present a broader canvas, of Middlemarch-provincial life as a whole, but fails here too because she isn't willing to commit to that the focus of her book either. Still, most of her characters and their stories are very strong, and there are almost no lulls over the 800 pages of the book. There is also a considerable amount of often sly humour, which adds to the enjoyment of the text”

If this were a movie, I’d rate it: PG-13

Overall Grade: C+

Would I recommend this to my friends? The ones who like Victorian novels and are looking for one they haven’t read.

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Neither this post nor the one that will follow will contain any depth, anything of quality, and probably nothing of humor. You see, I’m in school. So far, I’ve managed to make time for casual reading, but the time I once had for blogging has been wholly consumed with other activities. As such, The Woman in White has been sitting on my desk for probably 6 weeks now, waiting for this blog post to be written.


Here you go, Woman in White—you deserve better than this.

Interesting fact: Wilkie Collins had a famous buddy named Charles Dickens, who helped Collins get The Woman in White published serially.

The Woman in White was a mystery told by several of the characters, as though they were giving testimony for a trial.

What I liked: mystery, lunacy, deceit, and the underlying gothic tones.

What I didn’t like: The majority of the plot was predictable (but don’t worry, some of it does get pretty wild), the stagnancy of Laura Fairlie’s personality, but that’s to be tolerated as the book was published in 1860, and how white-bread “the secret” turns out to be. Anti-climactic in my opinion.

If this were a movie, I’d rate it: PG-13

Overall Grade: B+

Would I recommend this to my friends? Yes

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

At the beginning of the book, Owen Meany is a child, who yells everything he says because his vocal chords never fully developed. He is also so small that his peers pass him around the room over their heads during Sunday School.


A Prayer for Owen Meany was touching, entertaining, thought provoking, heart wrenching, disgusting, frustrating, enlightening, and an overall good read. Did I LOVE the book? No, not really. There were things about it that I almost hated, but I loved Owen Meany. The story is narrated by Owen Meany’s best childhood friend John. The thing about this book which frustrated me the most was that John—in present day, telling the story—was dreadfully annoying. The book basically came in 30—or so—page segments of great stories, separated by irritating rants about newspapers and the US sucking. I’m not defensive about the US or anything, but John’s incessant and repetitive whining just got really old. The good news is that the portions of the book where John is a whiny adult are typically very short—about 3-5 pages.

The target audience for this book is probably those who were in their late teens or 20s during the Vietnam War. Anyone can enjoy and appreciate the book, but I think it would have greater meaning and resonate more with people of that generation.

Favorite passages:

“JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN’T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!” he said crossly. “LOOK AT THOSE WEIRDO TV MIRACLE-WORKERS—THEY’RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN MAGIC! BUT THE REAL MIRACLES AREN’T ANYTHING YOU CAN SEE—THEY’RE THINGS YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING. IF SOME PREACHER’S AN ASSHOLE, THAT’S NOT PROOF THAT GOD DOESN’T EXIST!” “Yes, but let’s not say ‘asshole’ in class, Owen,” Pastor Merrill said. And in our Scripture class, Owen said, “IT’S TRUE THAT THE DISCIPLES’ ARE STUPID—THEY NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS MEANS, THEY’RE A BUNCH OF BUNGLERS, THEY DON’T BELIEVE IN GOD AS MUCH AS THEY WANT TO BELIEVE, AND THEY EVEN BETRAY JESUS. THE POINT IS, GOD DOESN’T LOVE US BECAUSE WE’RE SMART OR BECAUSE WE’RE GOOD. WE’RE STUPID AND WE’RE BAD AND GOD LOVES US ANYWAY—JESUS ALREADY TOLD THE DUMB-SHIT DISCIPLES WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.” Pg 309

“Why does she drink so much?” I asked Owen. “HESTER’S AHEAD OF HER TIME,” he said. “What’s that mean?” I asked him. “Do we have a generation of drunks to look forward to?” “WE HAVE A GENERATION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ANGRY TO LOOK FORWARD TO,” Owen said. “AND MAYBE TWO GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE WHO DON’T GIVE A SHIT,” he added.” Pg 362

“what could Marilyn Monroe’s death ever have to do with me? “IT HAS TO DO WITH ALL OF US,” said Owen Meany, when I called him that night. “SHE WAS JUST LIKE OUR WHOLE COUNTRY—NOT QUITE YOUNG ANYMORE, BUT NOT OLD EITHER; A LITTLE BREATHLESS, VERY BEAUTIFUL, MAYBE A LITTLE STUPID, MAYBE A LOT SMARTER THAN SHE SEEMED. AND SHE WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING—I THINK SHE WANTED TO BE GOOD. LOOK AT THE MEN IN HER LIFE—JOE DIMAGGIO, ARTHUR MILLER, MAYBE THE KENNEDYS. LOOK AT HOW GOOD THEY SEEM! LOOK AT HOW DESIRABLE SHE WAS! THAT’S WHAT SHE WAS: SHE WAS DESIRABLE. SHE WAS FUNNY AND SEXY—AND SHE WAS VULNERABLE TOO. SHE WAS NEVER QUITE HAPPY, SHE WAS ALWAYS A LITTLE OVERWEIGHT. SHE WAS JUST LIKE OUR WHOLE COUNTRY.” Pg 430

“THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET AMERICANS TO NOTICE ANYTHING IT TO TAX THEM OR DRAFT THEM OR KILL THEM,” Owen said.” Pg 431

If this were a movie, I’d rate it: PG-13

Overall Grade: B+

Would I recommend this to my friends? Yes

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

I love books that explore, exploit, and analyze culture. I went through a phase in college called my “depressing Asian novels” phase where I was passionately obsessed with (you guessed it) novels about Asian culture. When A Suitable Boy showed up in the mail, my first thought was—wha? this thing is gigantic! My second thought was—I’m going to like this. You see, novels based on culture, have stereotypically similar cover art—much like romance novels feature women with heaving bosoms and heads tilted back, mysteries feature dark figures with guns, and fantasies feature swords, leaves, elves, and the occasional eel/dragon. Cultural novels feature autumn colors—red, brown, orange—with lots of fabric and people looking pensive, sad, or plain depressed. As was the case with the cover of A Suitable Boy.


The story tells the tale of several families (with dozens of characters) who live in post-colonial India (approx. 1952). There are four main families who all play different roles in the explanation of Indian culture. The characters range from politicians and teachers to businessmen and mothers. The overarching storyline is that of a mother and daughter, both of whom are searching for a suitable spouse for the daughter—Lata. The story explores the burdens and advantages to the caste system and arranged marriage. It also discusses in depth, the political conditions and fervor of the time as India struggled to peaceably make the transition to an independent country.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this story. The ending was a little rushed, tired and inconclusive, but had no epilogue (as I recall) so I can’t complain too much. (I always prefer an abrupt, inconclusive ending to an epilogue.) Aside from that; the characters were well developed—some were entertaining, some annoying, and others loveable. Another solid, epic tale.

Favorite passages:

"Ma! said Lata, a little exasperated at the emotional capital her mother insited on making out of every possible circumstance." Pg 3

"Meenakshi and Arun were not really able to afford all this--Billy Irani had independent means--but it seemed intolerable that they, for whom this kind of life was so obviously intended, should be deprived of it by a mere lack of funds." Pg. 69

"Lata nodded. I'm not a mouse or a tigress, she thought, I'm a hedgehog." Pg 156

" Everyone has tragedy, he said. 'But Krishna had joy. The secet of life is to accept. Accept happiness, accept sorrow; accept success, accept failure; accept fame, accept disgrace; accept doubt, even accept the impression of certainty." pg 812

"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched,' said Lata, laughing. 'But they might never get hatched,' said Savita. 'I may as well count them now." pg 954

"Dipankar stepped out of his hut in the garden after having meditated for an hour or so. He had come to a decision about the next step in his life. This decision was irrevocable unless he changed his mind." Pg 1192

"...I too hate long books: the better, the worse. If they're bad, they merely make me pant with the effort of holding them up for a few minutes. But if they're good, I turn into a social moron for days, refusing to go out of my room, scowling and growling at interruptions, ignoring weddings and funerals, and making enemies out of friends. I still bear the scars of Middlemarch." Pg. 1370

If this were a movie, I’d rate it: PG-13 (there’s some violence.)

Overall Grade: A-

Would I recommend this to my friends? Yes, to those who can persevere through 1,488 page books.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Remember in elementary school when your third grade teacher taught you about writing a story and the parts of a plot? You probably saw a diagram that looked something like this:

The diagram, as I see it, for The Pillars of the Earth would look something like this:

Now, I’m not saying that professional writers should stick to an amateur creative method they were taught at age 8, but the deviation from the traditional plot form was so stark in The Pillars of the Earth that I found it particularly annoying. The story went something like this: John was a kid who dreamed of being a concert pianist. John was talented and took music lessons. He practiced and practiced. He found the field was very competitive, but he worked hard and persevered hoping to someday play at Carnegie Hall. Remember John? He once played a gig at Carnegie Hall.

Repeatedly during the novel, Follett would spend hundreds of pages building up to a climax, only to skip the climax and then spend about a sentence talking about how the climax happened. WTF?!

All of that irritation aside, the story itself was quite compelling. It is set in Medeival England with the Builder family. Tom Builder is a mason whose life dream is to build a Cathedral. There’s an antagonist named William who should have been killed on about page 5. I now break for one more criticism. My theory is that Follet wanted desparately for his readers to understand that William was one sick bastard who should be killed. In an effort to make this point, William is painted as a character who is obsessed with raping women. I can deal with a rape scene when it is integral to the storyline, but there must have been close to 10 rape scenes in this book. Was that necessary? I had a pretty damned good idea after rape scene number 1, that William should go to hell. I tolerated rape scene number 2, and thought—okay, I get it—he’s got a sick obsession. The remaining rape scenes were COMPLETELY unecessary. Don’t get it. Don’t want to get it.

Oops, I digress, back to the story. The book talks a lot about building, which I found quite interesting to read about measurements and styles and all of that. Also interesting, was learning about Medeival monastic life (according to Follett). The book contained love, broken hearts, pregnancies (both wanted and unwanted), a witch, marriage, kings, arson, attacks, defense, hope, the absense of hope, times of starvation and times of plenty. It is a great story, long but an easy read.

Favorite passages:
 

"Having faith in God did not mean sitting back and doing nothing. It meant believing that you would find success if you did your best hgonestly and energetically." pg.424


"She loved him because he had brought her back to life. She had been like a caterpillar in a cocoon, and he had drawn her out and shown her that she was a butterfly. She would have spent her entire life numb to the joys and pains of love, if he had not walked into her secret glade, and shared his story peoms with her, and kissed her so lightly, and then slowly, gently, awakened the love that lay dormant in her heart. He had been so patient, so tolerant, despite his youth. For that she would always love him." pg. 799

"Philip smiled. 'Knotty theological questions are the least worrying of problems, to me.' 'Why?' 'Because they will all be resolved in the hereafter, and meanwhile they can safely be shelved." pg. 946

If this were a movie, I’d rate it: R (for language and some pretty detailed sex scenes)

Overall Grade: C+

Would I recommend this to my friends? Yeah, a few--it is an easy read.