Every book I read by Michael Chabon I like less than the previous one. I really loved The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. It's one of my favorite books. Then I read The Yiddish Policemen's Union, and it was okay. I had to force myself to get through this book. First of all, I am not that into vinyl records - and I know little about jazz. I understand the significance of the "megastore" wiping out the small, vintage store - and I hate that our nation has come to that in nearly every city. And now even the bigger stores are closing because of online shopping! But, I didn't like Archy for the majority of the book - and I didn't like how Titus was using Julie. I didn't really care about the life and times of Luther Stallings and Valletta. I REALLY didn't like the 11-page sentence which makes up Part III (A Bird of Wide Experience). On and on and on.... Seriously.
Then there were the odd little things that had no conclusion. What happened to the bird? What happened to Luther? Did Archy and Luther reconcile in the end? Why was Titus wearing the purple glove - and why were there no ramifications about the purple glove since it was evidence in a murder that was brushed under the rug? Because they were all thugs?
Archy was becoming a real estate agent? How odd. Why didn't Nat just stay where he was instead of moving to another site?
What did I like? Well, I liked Aviva and Gwen. I was happy that Gwen stood up for herself with that jerk of a doctor - but I also liked how she apologized (finally) to Garth. It's awesome that she is going back to medical school to become a doctor. I liked Julian, but he is way too young to be having sex. Honestly. All of the parents in this book need to learn better parenting skills.
Yeah, I really didn't care for the subject matter of this book. I can't imagine who I would ever recommend it to either. The last couple hundred pages were okay, but since the book was 465 pages, that's not saying much.
Wendy's Rating: ***
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Monday, September 4, 2017
Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson
As horrific as the Holocaust was, this subject is one of my favorite things to read about. I love to read about all the incredibly brave people who jeopardized their own safety or lives as well as their family's safety or lives. They did "the right thing" despite how dangerous it was. I hope to never be put in that situation because I don't know if I would be brave enough - or strong enough - to do the right thing in the face of death.
I really loved Ben Solomon. I thought he was right about Elliot Rosenzweig being Otto, but I had some minor doubts initially. As Ben told his story, it just seemed so impossible that the Otto he had grown up with would betray Ben and his family. As the story progressed, you could see the change in Otto, little by little. I was relieved that Ben got to spend his life with Hannah, especially since he lost everyone else to the horror of Nazi Germany. Ben stayed true to his character throughout his life - fighting for what was right, no matter how difficult it was.
Catherine annoyed me greatly at first! She kept acting like hearing Ben's story was such an inconvenience and a waste of her precious time. I loved how her character developed during the book. A person only has one life to live, so to spend it doing something meaningful is so important to being happy. She was miserable trying to prove herself to her firm, racking up enough billable hours to appease her bosses. How awesome that she sacrificed it all to bring about justice for Ben. I am glad that she allowed herself to start caring for Liam as more than a friend. I thought Liam was really good for her.
I was a little slow realizing who Elliot was married to, even after we find out she rarely appeared at public events. I didn't even catch on knowing her name was "Elisabeth"! It didn't surprise me that she came forward in the end to testify against her husband. She always helped Ben when he needed help - despite suffering the repercussions from her abusive Nazi boyfriend back in Poland. Yes, she kept Otto's secret - and her own - for many, many years, but in the end she did the right thing.
This book was a page-turner for me. I can't wait to read his other novels!
Wendy's Rating: *****
I really loved Ben Solomon. I thought he was right about Elliot Rosenzweig being Otto, but I had some minor doubts initially. As Ben told his story, it just seemed so impossible that the Otto he had grown up with would betray Ben and his family. As the story progressed, you could see the change in Otto, little by little. I was relieved that Ben got to spend his life with Hannah, especially since he lost everyone else to the horror of Nazi Germany. Ben stayed true to his character throughout his life - fighting for what was right, no matter how difficult it was.
Catherine annoyed me greatly at first! She kept acting like hearing Ben's story was such an inconvenience and a waste of her precious time. I loved how her character developed during the book. A person only has one life to live, so to spend it doing something meaningful is so important to being happy. She was miserable trying to prove herself to her firm, racking up enough billable hours to appease her bosses. How awesome that she sacrificed it all to bring about justice for Ben. I am glad that she allowed herself to start caring for Liam as more than a friend. I thought Liam was really good for her.
I was a little slow realizing who Elliot was married to, even after we find out she rarely appeared at public events. I didn't even catch on knowing her name was "Elisabeth"! It didn't surprise me that she came forward in the end to testify against her husband. She always helped Ben when he needed help - despite suffering the repercussions from her abusive Nazi boyfriend back in Poland. Yes, she kept Otto's secret - and her own - for many, many years, but in the end she did the right thing.
This book was a page-turner for me. I can't wait to read his other novels!
Wendy's Rating: *****
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