Ayiti by Roxane Gay
ISBN 9780802128263, 0802128262
Trade Paperback | 320 pages
Ayiti by Roxane Gay was first published by Artistically
Declined Press on October 11, 2011. The original book cover was a photograph of
a Haitian river. I could not find any data showing whether or not the book sold
well under Artistically Declined Press. Regardless, of the book cover and what
press published it; Ayiti has been pure gold from the moment Gay typed that
first word and placed the last period.
In 2014, Gay leaped to popularity with her wondrous
writings in Bad Feminist and An Untamed State.
This solidified Gay as a household name in most literary loving homes.
Four years after Gay's rise in the literary world, Grove Press decided to once
again share Gay's first short story collection, Ayiti, with the public. In 2018, with a new cover and new press, Gay's
debut collection of short stories and poems was republished. The cover now has
a white backdrop with green and red leaves scattered throughout. The second
cover, no doubt, is more appealing to the eyes, but, it is what Ayiti contains
inside that makes the collection worth reading.
Ayiti is a beautiful and rich collection of short
stories. Each story is a balm to poverty and the uncertainty of life. The short
story collection is filled with chapter after chapter of written salve for the
soul. When reading Ayiti one gets the sense of the extreme heat in everyday Haitian
life. But, keep on reading, and the uncomfortable humidity is diminished by the
cool breeze of words that Gay selects. In Ayiti, Gay's captivating storytelling
is clearly visible and one cannot stop but to pause, appreciate, and be wildly entertained
by Gay's exquisite voice.
Ayiti also contains some short stories that are full
of joyful mischievousness, as with the opening short story, Motherfuckers. Newly Haitian immigrants Gerard
and family are doing their best to accustom themselves with the daily routine
of American life. The unfamiliar luxury of
indoor plumbing and daily showers they have not yet mastered. Gerard's
school friends decide to give Gerard a gift, a bag full of cologne and they label
the bag HBO. Gerard is excited that his friends have provided him a cool
nickname, thinking, HBO stands for Home Box Office, every time his friends call
out, "HBO", Gerard happily yells back, "Yippee-ki-yay".
When Gerard shows his cousin Edy the gift. Edy is immediately angered and tells Gerard
what HBO really stands for. The next day Gerard gets his revenge.
"He
decides he hates each and every motherfuucker he goes to school with. The next
morning, he applies cologne so liberally that it makes his classmates' eyes
water." ~Ayiti
Although, the entire collection is wonderful from beginning
to end. The last two stories, Of Ghost
and Shadows and A Cool, Dry Place,
capture the essence of the book. The immigrant experience, and really the universal
human experience of one's need for love, acceptance and intimacy. All three are perfectly
woven together in the last two tales. Ultimately, Gay's ability to capture so
tenderly what we all would die for makes this collection a book for all. For is
it not the universal law of love and the need of this that makes us one.
In Ghost and Shadows, Amèlie and her childhood friend, a woman that narrates the story but
remains nameless, tells of their forbidden love. The two ladies are full of
passion for each other, yet their love must be kept to stealing kisses and
loving hidden in the shadows. Eventually, Amèlie has had enough and the story ends with the two lovers choosing
to make a stand and sleep together, in bed, and at the narrators house. The
love between the two women is flawlessly told.
A Cool, Dry Place is a story about married couple,
Yves and Gabi. They are madly and passionately in love. Their love is envious,
but their dire living conditions are not. They appreciate everything in one
another, every body part and every flaw. They are both very protective of one
another. They both see that their lives are so limited in Haiti. So together
they board a boat to migrate to Miami. Everything they do is to secure a better
future. A Cool, Dry Place is deeply intimate, gorgeous and an unforgettable story.
In poverty, migration, heat, sweat, violence, and loss, the balm to heal and comfort is love. Gay recognizes this, and like a master storyteller, generously shares this universal tone throughout each story.
I would like to thank Grove Press and Edelweiss for
an advance copy of Ayiti, in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Francine
In the Context of Love
By Linda K. Sienkiewicz
·
Paperback: 270 pages
·
Publisher: Buddhapuss Ink
LLC (September 8, 2015)
·
Language: English
·
ISBN-10: 1941523048
·
ISBN-13: 978-1941523049
Linda
K. Sienkiewicz captures the complicated relationship between mothers and
daughters beautifully in her debut novel, In the Context of Love. The main character 17 year-old Angelica, her
mother Marta and father Ed live together with Marta’s mother. Whenever the
three women are in the same room together a contentious spirit always seems to
arise. Bickering and parental overbearing seem to be familiar between Marta and
Angelica and Marta’s mother is always there to add her “I told you so” to Marta’s
parenting skills. Early on, there seems to be something Marta is trying to
protect her daughter from and as the story continues one can clearly see that
Marta’s overreacting to Angelica’s social life was well warranted. But for the
meantime, the all too common disagreeing of Marta and Angelica plays out like
it does in households around the world between mothers thinking they always
know best.
Angelica’s
father, Ed, is at times the buffer between fights escalating between the pair. Ed is always entering right in time to stop
mother and grandmother from taking the verbal scolding on Angelica any further.
This at times causes disagreements between Ed and Marta, arguments that
eventually build into blame and the marital relationship is doomed soon after.
Like
most teenagers Angelica just wants freedom and love and she finds both in Joe
Vadas who comes from a bit of an outlaw trouble making family. Yet, like so many
girls’ trouble and mystery draws her to Joe. Their love grows quickly, like
fire, burning all their inhibitions and fills their young life with passion.
Once Marta learns of the relationship between Angelica and Joe, she is
outraged. Together Marta and her mother forbid Angelica from ever seeing Joe again.
Angelica’s father Ed again does his best to allow her the freedom to grow and
permits her to see Joe without her mother’s acknowledgement. But when a very
private encounter between Joe and Angelica at school one afternoon becomes public
Ed soon regrets this approval. The event changes the course of Angelica and Joe’s
life. Teenage heartache and family secrets begin to unravel and nothing after
that afternoon in the school gym will ever be the same again.
The
story really takes a big turn here. Sienkiewicz makes this
transition beautiful, after this point one simply cannot put the book now,
Family secrets are revealed and now it is clear why Marta was so strict and protective
of young Angelica. Now the reader is told why Marta’s mother was also constantly
adding her negative comments into every disagreement between Marta and Angelica.
Finally, it makes sense that Ed like Angelica was in the dark too about the
deep, painful secret Marta kept from nearly everyone for years. And how trying
to protect her daughter from making the same mistakes as she once did, or had
trust upon her, instead hurt everyone in the end.
Not only is Angelica changing coming to terms with
the loss of her first love Joe, who all but disappears after the incident in
the high school gym, but Marta is also finally facing her demons as well.
Again, Sienkiewicz brilliantly twists and turns the
story, yet, in the mist of each heartbreaking confession the love between Marta
and Angelica is told so beautifully.
This book is definitely a love story. Yet, not in
the typical sense at all. It flows full circle. As the story unfolds and
Angelica moves on with her life, the love and memory of Joe’s never really
leaves her. Eventually she finds herself back in her hometown, an adult this
time, divorced and with children and as luck would have it with Joe entering
her life once again.
The relationship between mother and daughter redeems
itself, as it often does with time. Angelica learns to love and accept her mother’s
situation and begins to help her heal from it. A genuine flawless love and
relationship between the two is born and it is one that makes the entire book
so worth the read. Yet, it is not the only element of the book that is so well
told. Joe and Angelica also have a beautiful love story, one that like the
mother/daughter tale is just so beautiful to read.
I highly recommend this book. I completely enjoyed
it from beginning to end. It is a universal feeling of high school forbidden
love most can relate too.
The only two problems I have with the book are
really not big problems at all and have nothing to do with the actual novel
itself and they are; one, the title, and two, the cover.
I don’t know what I would
have named it or what cover I would have placed on front. But as a reader that
will readily pick up a book from an debut author or an author I am not to
familiar with, the cover and title is what usually grabs my attention. This is
one I sadly would have passed up for those two reasons mentioned. However, I am
glad that the book was given to me and am so grateful I had the opportunity to
read it. It is a marvelous book and such a sweet read, filled with wonderful
storylines and the chance at redemption.
Anthem Book Review would like to thank Buddhapuss Press & Linda K. Sienkiewicz for the
free Kindle copy in exchange for my honest review.
Written by Francine
_______________________________________________________________________
-God Help the Child by Toni MorrisonPublished Year: 2015, Published by: Alfred A. Knoph
Photo: A gift from my fellas, My sons L & F, pictured.
She never fails. Morrison’s new novella, God
Help the Child, is a poignant novel carrying the reality of what
motherhood/parenthood is all about. Morrison captures this in such a remarkable
way that just as in life; it will leave you wanting to stick around to see how
the future of each beloved character plays out. Sadly, the book is only 178 pages
and seems to fly by. Yet as each page turns there is something more to be told.
Morrison never disappoints. I have read Beloved
and love that book; it is perfect from front to back. Her voice is distinctive.
However, when I began reading God Help the Child, honestly, I couldn’t even believe
it was the same woman. Morrison writes so drastically different than her other
novels. Where, Beloved was full, teemed with rich characters, and
history, God Help the Child seems as if rows of empty space lie open waiting to
be filled.
Sweetness and Bride are a complex mother and
daughter duo. As most know, that relationship can be troubling, and Morrison
captures that complexity of mother/daughter relationship perfectly. One will see
how this relationship shapes future relationships for Bride. It seems that throughout
the short book the complexity of parental relationships and some tragic childhood
event haunts almost every character, except Brooklyn, whose character seemed at
times unneeded.
There is an underlying tale of childhood
molestation, or inappropriate witnessing of such atrocities upon children.
These images shape each character in Morrison’s book, stunting their growth,
not allowing for them to really move on. That is until they have children of their
own. Bride becomes pregnant by Booker (whose brother was raped and killed at a
young age) and this knowledge of new life changes Booker and Bride.
Most children have a complaint regarding how their
parents parented them. It is not uncommon for new parents to assure they will
raise their children better and not make the same mistakes as their parents. Although
sometimes those same paths become a cycle and the things we swore we would
never do-we do, finding ourselves right at the starting point of where our
parents left off. Sweetness makes this truthful observation, when hearing the
news that her child Bride is pregnant-
“Now
she’s pregnant. Good move, Lula Ann (Bride)…….. Listen to me. You are about to
find out what it takes how the world is, how it works and how it changes when
you are a parent.
Good
luck and God help the child.” ~Sweetness
God Help the Child,
as with all Morrison’s work, does not disappoint. It reads like a play and could
easily be broken down into scenes and acts. I can easily see it as a Hollywood movie
with Academy award winner Lupita Nyong'o playing Bride.
Until that day comes, I highly recommend picking
up a copy of Toni Morrison’s new book, God Help the Child.
Reviewed By Francine Ramos
 |
| The Exquisite Toni Morrison |
Beloved
I
finished Toni Morrison’s beautiful novel, Beloved. What a book it is, what a
book! Her words are so beautiful, her sentences sing, they belt out the gentlest
rhythm of a mother’s beating heart. Morrison captures the unimaginable sacrifice
a mother must make regarding the lives of her children. The tale is loosely
based off the story of Margret Garner, a mulatto slave woman who flees her
slave owners with her 4 children to a free state. When the slave owner comes to
retrieve them, considering them property, she chooses to wound the three and
kill one, ultimately set on killing herself too. Morrison takes from this
horrific but intriguing story and creates a beautiful story worthy to be read
and read again. She brings to life the spirit of the dead baby, Beloved. She
creates each character , Sethe, Denver, Baby Suggs, Paul D, Sixto and Stamp so
wonderfully that all will haunt you long after the book is closed.
"Beloved
You are my sister
You are my daughter
You are my face; you are me
I have found you again; you have come back to me
You are my beloved
You are mine
You are mine"
This
wonderful book also tells the relationship between mother and daughter, of what
slavery did to women and what it took time and time again from the soul. To
enslave is to spoil the air and in so all those breathing were changed.
Morrison pens the story so sweetly, that even the death and reasoning behind
Sethe’s choice pains the heart with understanding. It is gorgeous. Completing
this book was sad for me because I loved it so. I will surely go back to it and
read it again and again. This book should be on Powell’s 25 to read before you
die list. It was absolutely worthy of the Pulitzer Prize. It has surely made my list of greatest books
written and the top shelf of my bookcase.
This
will not be the last book I read from Morrison. Morrison’s voice is one I love
and I will read more of her work.
I
rate this book 4 stars. Worthy in every way to be read and read again. Top
shelf worthy. Excellent.
Francine
**********************************************************************
Sempre
Susan; a memoir of Susan Sontag
By Sigrid
Nunez
My good
friend and fellow writer Shirley Nakagawa and I decided to start a small book
club and we chose, Sempre Susan
by Sigrid Nunez as our first read. It is a short book at only 118 pages, but
the powerful truth it reveals on Susan Sontag speaks volumes. Sigrid Nunez was
an inspiring writer when she met and began working with Sontag. The two women
formed an instant bond and Sontag becomes a mentor to Nunez and her influence
is profound. Eventually Susan Sontag introduces Nunez to her son, fellow
writer, David Rieff. David and Sigrid
begin dating and eventually together move into Susan Sontag’s home in New York
City.
The
relationship between the three co-habitants is read as odd and at times seems
plain uncomfortable for Nunez. Sontag and her son David Rieff have a very odd
relationship. It is definitely not a typical mother/son relationship. Reading
of the pair, it brought back memories of a book I read while in college by D.H
Lawrence titled, Sons and Lovers. It was
not a healthy parental bond, well, in a “normal” sense, at least.
What is
great about this small little gem of a book is that Nunez is so forthcoming in
her details regarding Sontag. It is clear that she respects and looks up to her
as a writer and brief stint as mother n law, but Nunez does not let this sway
her writing and only focus on the good qualities. Instead she is honest in her
writing and this truthful look at the life of an amazing woman writer makes the
book a must read. It also shows that the intelligent, sophisticated Sontag is
much like us all, complex, flawed and afraid.
The one
thing that perplexed me and I wondered why such a big detail of Sontag’s life
would be absent from the book was that of Sontag and Annie Leibovitz’s
relationship. I had read prior that Sontag and the famed photographer Leibovitz
were lovers for years.
The book
ends on such a lovely, haunting note. Nunez retells a conversation between her
and Sontag about a movie “Tokyo Story” and Sontag is clearly moved by a scene
in the film, a scene that Nunez at first doesn’t get. After Susan Sontag has
passed, she understands its profound meaning on Sontag and life in general….
“Isn’t life disappointing?” Kyoko
“Yes, it is.” Noriko
And with that, Yes, life is
disappointing, but Sigrid Nunez’s memoir on Susan Sontag is anything but. I
highly recommend this book for any writer or lover of the craft to read. It is
honest to the bone and still such a lovely memoir on friendship, family and
writing.
for more information on Susan Sontag check out HBO they have a documentary titled, Regarding Susan Sontag.
Happy
Reading!
~Francine
We The Animals
By Justin Torres
Publisher: Mariner Books
Published: 2011
 |
| We The Animals by Justin Torres (photo credit: Francine Ramos) |
The boys live in an instable home. Their parents are
terrible. They fight; they drink and abandon the boys often. The oldest
brother, Manny is like the parent, however crazy that may sound. The brothers look up to him, they follow him
in whatever mischievous antics he commits.
The brothers lack stability and their unstable, violent,
poverty ridden environment becomes the norm. Yet, as they grow the oldest
brother is in search of more. Since their parents lack the love to give or attention
and acceptance they are in need of they unfortunately find it elsewhere.
The book is gorgeous in its tender scenes and it captures
the true essence of a boy’s imagination and coping abilities amid chaos. The
book will break your heart and in the end, Torres with his wonderful
storytelling will sew it back together word by word.
I loved this book throughout and then it shocked me
taking all the innocence of the boys and turning it into something no one wants
to imagine. The book takes a nasty turn toward the end and spirals downhill.
One evening while the boys are out playing and as night
begins to fall, neighborhoods kids are being called indoors to have dinner, but
not brothers Manny, Joel and the youngest which narrates the book. No, they are
left out in the dark to fend for themselves. Manny has the bright idea of
throwing rocks at a trailer and the two younger brothers as always follow his
lead.
What happens next changes the entire tone of the book and
will surprise the reader in the worse way. Absent parents that are not involved
in their children’s lives only open the door for others with ill intent to walk
right in. This is what takes place when the three brothers walk with a teenage “head
banger” into the “head bangers” trailer where he lives with his father.
The next chapters are depressing. But Torres is such a
talented writer he makes the family destruction sound beautiful. In the end,
the parents become ideal. With the
revelation of just how broken the youngest brother has become, the parents rise
up and offer what they should have from the beginning; they offer love.
I recommend this book. I am looking forward to Justin Torres’s
upcoming book, whenever that may be. He is definitely a writer worth reading. I’d
read anything by him; he is just that good.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Bookshelf worthy. A must read.
By Francine
******************************
An American Masterpiece!
We Are Not Ourselves
Hardcover: 640 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Language: EnglishISBN-10: 147675666X
I finished reading this remarkable book a few weeks
ago. I went back and forth to it,
skimming pages, rereading highlighted sentences and notes I had wrote in the
margins. Weeks have passed and it
continues to linger in my mind. Matthew Thomas created an American Masterpiece
with We Are Not Ourselves. The characters are profound, they run deep,
and they will burrow themselves into your mind and attach themselves to your
literary heartbeat. The names “Big Mike”, “Eileen” & “Ed” and “Connell”
will remain permanent fixtures in your heart.
It is one of the most brilliant pieces of American genius to come out in
a long time. Congratulations Matthew Thomas you have carved your name amongst
the greats with We Are Not Ourselves.
The book spans three generations of an Irish-American
family. When we meet Eileen she is but a
young girl, however, she is already captivating. She lives with her parents and
a roommate that rents a room from them. Eileen’s father “Big Mike” is a prolific
character he is built with character, a man of his word and of the drink,
still, a man that never sways from his commitments, a man’s man. These
qualities make Big Mike a character that is unforgettable. As you read further
it is easy to see the moral resemblance of Big Mike in Eileen.
Eileen’s mother battles alcoholism and the relationship
between her parents fluctuate. Eillen’s
biggest dream is marry well and get out from under her parents. She is a lonely
soul that desires to just be loved. When
she asks her detoxing mother why she does not say she loves her or embrace her,
her mother swats her off and says she’s too old for that and doesn’t need it.
Yet, it is the one thing Eileen longs for, love.
While at college studying nursing Eileen meets a brilliant
scientist named Ed and they fall in love. Ed, O, Ed, when you read this book, read closely
the parts that involve him. He is much more than Thomas leads the reader to
believe. Only at the end of the book did I recall moments that stood out making
Ed a giant in the book.
There is an image that really stood out to me as Ed
being such a towering figure, not as just a character in a book, but as a
human. He spent mounds of time doing research on lab rats and the lab burns
down, taking all his research with it, including the rats he’s grown so fond
of. He is devastated at the news. At home Ed is laid out on the floor in
dismay, Eileen does her best to comfort him and he remains still and motionless
covered in defeat on the floor.
As a reader I just thought the book would
change and Ed would not get up, he would not continue more effort into his
research or that something profound would happen. The next morning Ed is back
at it again, rising early, preparing his new lab. And that is Ed in a nutshell
a determined, unmovable a giant.
Ed and Eileen have a son named Connell and life is centered on
the boy. A series of events happen and Eileen the daughter of “Big Mike” holds
on for dear life swaying with the ever-changing currents of the tumultuous
tides. She is a strong woman just as her parents raised her. This is what is so
great about the book. It is life. It is life in America as everything changes
around you, as your husband ages, as your son grows, as you bury your parents, get
promoted, lose your job, buy a new home, lose friends, love and are loved; We are not ourselves is a
book about life and the beauty that happens every day.
One of the greatest ideas of the book which rings so true in
life is that often as a parent all our lessons and living as an example seems
to at times not be taken in by our children, yet, in the end every little thing
we say, our actions, our values, how we treat one another all holds an
impression on them and they will indeed become what we have taught them.
Connell is no different. I found this encouraging, writer Matthew Thomas gave
readers a book of truth on parenting it is a mirror and we see when looking
closely that it all comes full circle. Unfortunately, Ed did not live to see
it, but all his teaching and rearing of a young Connell blossomed in time. Ed
would have been so proud.
Thomas is an amazing writer. Each character is developed so
well. I felt a connection to each one but Eileen, wow, Eileen she will become
one of the great women in American Literature; an “every woman” that lives and
gives so much for her family, a woman that takes the marriage vows-for better or
worse to heart. She is the ultimate. I
could sing the praise of this book forever. It is the best book I have read all
year, the best.
I give We Are Not Ourselves five stars. It is perfection. It is a must
read. It is necessary. Buy it. Read it. Reread it. Place it on your top shelf.
It is worthy of collection. A wonderful read- brilliant in entirety.
I received this copy from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley. Thank you Simon & Schuster.
Happy Reading!
By Francine
***************************************
Lucky Us by Amy Bloom
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published Date:July 29th 2014
Publisher: Random House
The opening sentence of Amy Bloom’s Lucky Us immediately
grabbed me. For the beginning several pages I was enthralled. Yet, as I
continued reading, sadly, that feeling of interest disappeared. In what could
have been a great historical novel that tells the tale of two sisters from
different mothers and an academic father set somewhere in the 1940’s. Instead
turned into a novel lacking of plot and littered with fragmented moments that
seemed more like random postcards.
Both sisters are forgettable and I found myself bored and
uninterested in their lives. Almost all the major characters in Lucky Us were
dull and unrealistic. I cannot imagine
anyone behaving the way they did. The book was hard to get through and often
times put me to sleep rather than kept me wanting more. I wanted to like this
book.
Amy Bloom is no doubt a wonderful writer and some of her past short
stories and novels have been giants in the literary world. However, Lucky Us
was bland and fell short. I give this
book one star. Maybe you might enjoy it.
Note: Thanks to NetGalley and Random House I received this
book in exchange for my honest review.
Written by Francine Ramos
****************************************************************
Your Fathers, Where Are They?
And the Prophets,
Do They Live Forever?
by Dave Eggers (Author)
Your Fathers, where are they? And the prophets do they live forever?; I must say I love the title. It is long and full of important questions, yet, unlike Eggers last two books I recently read, it is very short. The book could easily translate into a play, there are only eight characters in the entire book and one best friend, although he is not alive, he is a constant memory to Thomas. The book is written in entire dialog. There are none of Dave Eggers trademark long beautifully crafted sentences to be found.
You know, I am certain that if enough boys
read this book it will become this generations "The Catcher in the
Rye" by J.D Salinger. For it also tells the tale of a confused idiotic kid
that expects everything from everyone else, direction, purpose, conversation
and when he does not receive it he kidnaps people he feels will be either
influential to his life or that he has questions for and ties them to a pole
and carries on with some pretty in-depth conversation.
Dave Eggers really addresses the common
problems that plaque our world and will continue to as more teenagers become
adults and stay confused and needy. There are alleged molestation by a teacher,
mental illness, political responsibility, police brutality, overachievers,
pill-poppin parenting, single mothers, absent fathers, wars, government
spending, religion and a young mind filled with the silly Disney idea of a soul
mate romance.
In case I have not addressed this, I am a
woman, and I only read "The Catcher in the Rye" as a summer book read
with my former fiancé and I didn’t like it very much. I just felt as I feel
with, Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets do they live forever? that
it is a book geared toward boys/men. Politically, and this book does contain
plenty of politically fused dialog, I liked it. From the angle of our world’s
current situation I appreciated this book; Eggers touches on events and an
overall feeling that is prevalent in our world and will continue to rise. Is
this the future we have to look forward to, needy boys questioning and blaming
everyone else for their lack of direction and taking no responsibility for
anything?
Let’s see what you think? Check out the book
and read it! As always, I will end with this, I stand by what I said before;
Dave Eggers can do no wrong. He is the voice of today’s world and an amazing
writer. In the last six months I have read three books by him. I love his
voice, his writing style is superb. His work has not disappointed. I will most
likely read all the other books he has written. As I do I will update the
"Eggers" section.
Happy Reading!
~by Francine
***
"What is The What" Book Review
Eggers’s moving descriptions of Achak as he watches
his mother with her faded sun yellow dress, and her eyes full of fear as the
circling destruction of the murjahideen close in; it is as if the reader is
right there with Achak in the center of Marial Bal with the fear of the unknown
looming over. Eggers is able to through
his writing create a beauty to this horror which lessens the blow to the
reader. One of Eggers great qualities as a writer is that he is able to pull
back from taking the reader to the darkest parts of war and keeping them there.
He instead fills the book with images of war, but also with humor and love; I
don’t know how he does this but there were actual funny parts to this book and
these moments of laughter eased the heartache when terror and sudden deaths
occurred.
Achak is a survivor. He is
persistent and even when he doesn’t know it he an example of what determination
can do. The love and loyalty he holds for his friends and family remains
concrete. Although his faith may seem to falter it remains steadfast. As one of
the Lost Boys of Sudan, a group of boys displaced during war that walk an inconceivable
distance and endure horrors my privileged American mind can never fully grasp;
Achak makes it out alive and his young heart remains resilient.
I cannot say enough about how
wonderful this book is. It should be required reading for every human alive. It
will make one look at the world differently. It will make one thankful for what
life is and what it is not.
Read on. Read on!
~Francine ***
Part Book Review/ Part Yard Sale
Pricing: A Heartbreaking Work of
Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
Last night I was determined that
I would finally finish Dave Eggers, “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering
Genius”. I have been reading this book since early March. I found this gem of a
book at a local yard sale. I love digging through piles of books at yard
sales. One can always find wonderful
books for less than a buck. Surprisingly, Dave Eggers book cost me exactly
that.
Once I noticed “A Heartbreaking
Work of Staggering Genius” at the bottom of a small brown box, I picked it up,
held it close, as if someone would see that I found the yard sale treasure and
attempt to pry it from my arm with a good front yard brawl. When the yard sale
woman told me that the book cost only a dollar; I almost died. A dollar? Un
peso? A buck? I mean, the book was only a finalist for the god-favored
Pulitzer; I mean it was ONLY chosen as one of the best books of the decade by
the New York Times and she sells it for a dollar.
I often wonder if some of these
yard sale holders, even know the books they sell, do they even care. I have
found some great books at yard sales, one of my favorite versions of The Iliad,
found at a yard sale, cost 50 cents, my hardcover The Fountainhead by the
goddess Ayn Rand, purchased for 10 cents. I am not kidding either. I would not
kid about something I hold so dear to my heart. Books, great amazing books at a
low, low, almost criminal price can be found at your neighborhood yard sale. I purchased
“A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” from one and have been reading it
ever since.
It is filled with the constant
love of siblings that stick together through it all even with the untimely
death of both parents not even a month apart.
Yet, Eggers never gets sappy, he never takes the reader to the part
where we feel sorry for him, where his loss overcomes his path. Instead, he
keeps it light and funny, no heavy drapes of sadness cover his windows. He and
his brother Toph embark on a not so ordinary life, where Eggers constant
presence in his brother’s life is as sure as the hill-ridden streets in San
Francisco and for the reader it is a pure literary delight.
It was the best dollar I have
ever spent in my life. I will not be selling this book anytime soon. It is now
my baby. It will forever remain on my bookshelf, next to Leo Tolstoy’s Anna
Karenina and The Death of Ivan Ilych, Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, All the Pretty Horses and Phil Levine’s What
Work Is, just to name a few of the books that grace my favorites section. A section, I often read over and
over again, scanning and examining words and sentences on the pages like
dissecting a frog, in wonder, uncovering, reading aloud its naked beauty and
genius only to become enamored as I did in the beginning when the book was a
new lifeless tree in the palm of my hand, and with each crack of the cover it
breathes life anew. It is new. It is reborn.
― Dave Eggers, A Heartbreaking
Work of Staggering Genius
BY Francine
Author Truman Capote
Country United States
Language English
Genre Short story collection
Publisher Random House
Publication date 1980
III Conversational Portraits
The last part of Music for
Chameleons begins with a wonderful story A Day’s Work in which Capote follows
his maid Mary Sanchez around New York City for a day’s work. It is a
fascinating look into the life of a single woman. A glimpse into a hard working
woman's day toiling in fancy homes, cleaning houses she could never afford to
live in, while she herself is just getting by. Her husband recently passed from
alcoholism and her son is in prison. Yet, despite all her hardships Mary is a
delightful character with strong religious convictions and a solid human being
that enjoys life and helping other. I wonder what really became of her, if
indeed there was a Mary Sanchez.
Hello Stranger is loosely about a
pedophile with priors.
Hidden Gardens the third story is
the last section and maybe it should have remained hidden.
Derring-Do is an excitement story
filled with Capote running from the police, after having a warrant for his
arrest handed down in California and his daring attempt to evade police and
airport security.
Then It All Came Down, wow, this
story was captivating. I even researched the history of Charles Mason and
Robert Beausoleil. I had never heard of Robert Beausoleil. He was not a name
that I associated with as Tex Watson and the other Manson family members. After
reading this gripping story I became aware of him and his guilt in the Manson
crimes. It is interesting the people that Capote encountered during his
lifetime. Only someone as talented and odd as Capote could in one story tell of
a harrowing tale spent in San Quentin Prison and then in the next story tells
of a wonderful time spent with the iconic Marilyn Monroe.
A Beautiful Child tells of a
funeral Capote went to and an afternoon after spent with beautiful Marylyn
Monroe. Their conversation is splendid. Their back and forth banter from sex,
Milton Berle’s large schlong to her beginning relationship with the great
playwright Arthur Miller (I am currently reading Miller’s Collected Plays
1944-1961) is wonderful. I read this story over and over. I have never been a
huge Marilyn Monroe fan as most females are but this short story of an
afternoon Capote spent with her humanized her and took her off the cheap
posters and brought her back to life as a woman beginning to fall in love and
sharing those feelings with a friend. Capote captured her in the loveliest way,
as both a fragile insecure woman and with streaks of charm and unforgettable
beauty.
Nocturnal Turnings, or How
Siamese Twins Have Sex is Capote in a conversation with Capote as he battles
insomnia. It is brilliant and funny and quirky. I just loved it. He says these
great quotes when discussing with himself what he would have displayed on his
tombstone.
"AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT"
"I TRIED TO GET OUT OF IT, BUT I
COULDN’T"
& his motto
"I ASPIRE"
Eventually Capote falls asleep as
I will when I am done writing this. I will gently guide into the night with
great tales of Marilyn Monroe, Willa Cather and haunting images of Robert
Beuasoleil fresh in my mind and right before slumber overtakes me I will doze
off with the unique voice of Capote, a lullaby that sounds just like Phillip
Seymour Hoffman.
II Handcarved Coffins
A Nonfiction Account of an
American Crime
This is the second part of the
book. It is about a killer that sends out mini handcarved coffins prior to
killing his victims, via the U.S. Postal Service. Again, as in the tales prior
Capote is front and center. The entire story is said to be a hoax. According to
sources he fabricated a bit of the story. Who knows if this is true or not, but
it’s on the internet, yep, on Wikipedia. Check it out yourself. I mean, carve
out mini coffins and mail them to their potential victims. It doesn’t sound
scary as much as it sounds cute. Imagine getting a package and opening it up
only to find the cutest little coffin with a wonderful picture of you using a
long-barrel camera in some remote area. A photograph you were not even privy to
having been captured. Okay, well maybe that sounds a little creepy, but a cute
coffin sure doesn’t.
So the entire coffin thing did
not scare me, but the story and the suspenseful way in which Capote captivates
the reader sure did. Reading Handcarved Coffins was so errily similar to In
Cold Blood, Capote builds up the tale as if he is quietly creeping behind you
and when you least expect it draws you in and says, boo. The comparison between
preacher Billy Joe Snow and Quinn the alleged killer that Capote makes is
brilliant. The charming, cunning personalities bigger than life, leaders with
paths to guide their flocks all with the gentle hand and emotionally charming
personalities that have others fall at their feet with manipulation leaves the
reader wondering who did it.
"Writers, at least those who
take genuine risks, who are willing to bite the bullet and walk the plank, have
a lot in common with another breed of lonely men- the guys who make a living
shooting pool and dealing cards." ~Capote
Truman Capote’s, Music for Chameleons, begins
with a dedication to his friend, Tennessee Williams. A preface written by
Capote follows. It is a narrative that tells the life of Capote as a writer
from youth into adulthood. Capote is a fine storyteller and the preface is a
work of art that is littered with priceless pieces of information on Capote’s
life; not to mention some wonderful quotes which writers will savor.
Yet, the preface in all its remarkable glory
leads the reader to believe that the entire book will stay as such. Well, it
doesn’t. Although the short stories are all written in true Capote fashion-
perfection, they lack endings that follow through.
The first story is titled after the book;
Music for Chameleons is a bit of a bore. It describes a lunch date between an aristocrat
and Capote. The story falls short and ends oddly, and as the book carries on,
it is easy to see that this story sets the stage for what will be several tales
where Capote is the alleged center and these odd events and occurrences befall
him.
Mr. Jones is two and a half pages. It is
strange that is all I will say. Well, strange and unbelievable, okay now that
is all I will say.
Mojave is wonderful. It is the third story in
the first section and it is a beautiful tale of love, adulterous affairs and
distrust that lingers on from early adulthood into old age. I enjoyed this
story so much I placed my star at the right hand of the beginning page, an
indicator I have used forever when I love a story.
I fell in love with this
sentence. It is as brilliantly profound as its writer:"Since then, she had
never shared a bed with her husband; she wanted to, but she couldn’t, for the
naked presence of him, the thought of his body inside hers, summoned
intolerable terrors."
The two main characters in this story are
George and his wife. The above sentence pretty much sums up their relationship.
They remain together but both cheat on one another. During an evening together
George recalls a man he met in the Mojave Desert. The man was left by his wife
there as she drove away with her Mexican lover. The man shares with him an
interesting tale of love and deceit.
"Women are like flies: they
settle on sugar or shit. I’m not saying I’m sugar, but she’s sure settled for
shit now…" ~George Schmidt
This memory begins to unveil emotions within
George and toward the end of the story he tells his wife:
"We all, sometimes, leave
each other out there under the skies and we never understand why."
Mojave is a great story. From the six stories
this was the best.
A Lamp in the Window tells the story of Capote
catching a ride with a couple to a wedding. The couple end up belligerent and
drunk and Capote escapes from the car to wander alone in the forest. Eventually
he is received by an old woman living in the forest who freezes her cats. I
guess she doesn’t want to be alone. The story is unbelievable and very Stephen
King-ish.
Hospitality is a perfectly written,
wonderfully woven tale of friendship. Mary Ida is a non-judgmental southern
woman who helps make a single mother’s shattered world whole again, all by
simply befriending her. When everything could and should have gone wrong, Mary
Ida’s kindness and trust in others overrules it all and her genuine goodness
changes Zilla’s life for the better. Mary Ida is a wonderful character. She is
a salt of the earth character with a great big amount of southern charm.
Hospitality is a lovely story of friendship.
When Mary Ida sees a need in her new friend Zilla, she does what most true
friends would do; she finds a way to fill it. Soon, Mary Ida is on the prowl to
find her friend a good man. Eventually Mary Ida succeeds and the story ends in
true fairy tale fashion. This is not just a story about hospitality but it is
also a love story. One can only hope for a moment that people like Mary Ida
exist in the physical world as they do in Capote’s imaginative mind.
The last story Dazzle is soul
wrenching. One sentence sums it all up: "I don’t want to be a boy. I want
to be a girl."
I completely respect Capote and his brilliant
craft. However, I must admit that certain stories fell short for me and seemed
like loose wild ends when all I wanted was completion. Yet, Capote was this
exactly. He was wild, brilliant and one of the best writers that lived. Sadly, rarely
does one’s life end in a wrapped up bow and completed, how much less a group of
six short tales created through the mind of Capote.
The second section of the book is an
investigative piece titled, "Handcarved Coffins". I will review this
next. "Handcarved Coffins" scared me a bit. I am a chicken and I
found myself snuggling next to my dog while reading this late night. It is very
reminiscent to his great In Cold Blood expect told in a narrative form with
Capote a main character.
Until next time…
Happy reading!
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