'Lucky' by Alice Sebold

Sorry for the abundance of '3.5' reviews. I have been criticized (yes, by the Tall One) for having too many reviews over 3. I will say that it is mostly self selection: I will choose books that are supposed to be good, I don't try to read bad books! I also tend to think of '3.5' as really good, but not a classic 'don't miss'. While my scores will likely stay high, I will strive to have more variety in my scoring :).

Lucky, Alice Sebold (3.5)

‘Lucky’ is the memoir Alice Sebold published prior to ‘Lovely Bones’ and realized that she needed to come to terms with the violence done to her in the past, in writing, so the fictionalized violence did not morph into her own.  In ‘Lucky’ she describes in detail how she was violently raped as a freshman in college, the eventual trial, and her struggles from then until the writing of the memoir.  While a very painful book to read, it was also compelling.  It felt like a primer everyone should read to step closer to properly approaching people who’ve been through trauma.  We’ve all had the awkward moments trying to say the right thing, or just not say the wrong thing.  You appreciate how strong Alice is, and are appalled when someone actually says (her father!!) ‘If it had to happen to one of you, I’m glad it was you and not your sister.’  The one thing I felt was missing was more detail about how she recovered.  Once she likened her situation to Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, she seems to have turned a corner.  But I struggle with how she overcame the key element mentioned in a book she quotes about PSTS sufferers: ‘they have an elevated baseline of arousal:  their bodies are always on alert for danger.’  I can understand that – as any person walking alone in a dangerous area feels that feeling of danger. After the worst case violence has happened to you, how do you go back to ‘normal’?  I really struggle with understanding that recovery and would like to hear more.  I guess the answer is to read the book she quotes: ‘Trauma and Recovery’ by Dr. Judith Lewis Herman.

'The Keep' by Jennifer Egan

The Keep, Jennifer Egan (3.5)

I’ve read two of Jennifer Egan’s books (‘A Visit from the Goon Squad’ and ‘The Keep’) and they were very different from one another.  The one similarity I found was that all the characters have a relatively major flaw.  It tends to keep them more real and believable which makes the atypical drama that much more surprising.  I liked ‘The Keep’ more, as it has interesting twists and turns.  A book that can keep me churning to figure out where the plot is going, and allows me to puzzle it out (albeit 5 minutes after finishing the last page!) has a definite satisfactory feel.  ‘The Keep’ tells two stories:  one of a man going to help his cousin, Howard, renovate a castle near Prague, and the other of a man in prison taking a writing class.  The cousins share a dark event in their past and you are continually trying to understand why Howard invited his cousin and to what end.  Egan’s writing is dark and mysterious, like the castle and Transylvanian-like locale, which fills your mind with many possible evil outcomes.  Usually I end up being disappointed in the actual, but in this case I was very pleased with the linkage of stories and the ending. Had I been more gripped from the beginning, I would have given it a ‘4’. 

'Push' by Sapphire

Push, Sapphire (3.5)

Many people have seen the award winning yet painful-to-watch movie, ‘Precious’ which was based on this book. As expected, the book is even more painful to read. While you know in your head that some kids are subjected (by parents, no less) to horrible, unspeakable acts of violence; it is another thing to read the details of these acts as a young woman recalls them. As the main character, Clarisse Precious Jones, tells her story, you feel the kernel of her person is buried so deep under a blanket of ignorance, that it’s hard to understand what will emerge once the blanket is lifted.  She begins with such a narrow and skewed understanding of family, school and society that I found the part of ‘blanket lifting’ was not explained well enough to believe the kernel could be revealed. I do believe a great poet could come from someone with that much pain, once her voice emerged. I believe the beginning (the first nurturing adult in her life teaches her to read), but I didn’t see enough in the journey to make the rest of the hard part believable. Oddly, if this had been a true story – as horrible as that would be to imagine – I would have enjoyed it more. 

'Embassytown' by China Mieville

Embassytown, China Mieville (3.5)

I read one other book by China Mieville and I found it very complicated and difficult to follow.  I’m not sure if ‘Embassytown’ is better, or if I am more patient, but I did enjoy this book.  Mr. Mieville is an award winning Science Fiction author who pushes boundaries in unique ways, which may be why I find his stories harder to follow.  His writing assumes you know more than you do about his new planet/culture/beings. As the story unfolds, your confusion evolves into many ‘aha’ moments. It can either be rewarding or frustrating. In ‘Embassytown’ he has created a world where humans are renters, of sorts, on a planet whose ‘Hosts’ communicate in a very unique way.  The concept of language and how species communicate is poked and prodded throughout this story.  He has shown how a tenuous handle of language can cause events to go terribly wrong to the extent of causing a war.  Overall, I liked the uniqueness and the ideas of language that were presented, but I think other areas could have been pursued more to make it a higher ranked Sci-Fi book.

'Life' by Keith Richards

Life, by Keith Richards (3)

In full disclosure, I will say I am not a huge fan of the Rolling Stones. I admire their talent and longevity, and can appreciate their accomplishments, but I have never chosen their songs or albums as my music of choice.  Given the time of Rolling Stones’ heyday (over many years), its not surprising that this ‘Life’ has many interesting tidbits.  Mr. Richards has an honest, if somewhat addled, voice.  His story is told from childhood till present day and is filled with the many musicians he admires.  Unfortunately this tale takes 500+ pages and has many lagging bits.  It didn’t take me too long to tire of the drug years.  It was surprising to read about such hard drug use by both parents with their children present with little to no remorse.  It came across as particularly selfish, though little else about Keith Richards comes across that way.  If you are a big Stones fan or a guitar player, I’m sure that you’ll find plenty to enjoy.  Otherwise, I’m afraid I can’t say it is worth the time.