{Review} The Color Purple by Alice Walker

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by
the color purple in a field somewhere
and don't notice it."

The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Published by Pocket, first published 1982
Paperback, 295 pages
ISBN 0671727796
Genres: adult fiction, African-American literature, classics, feminism, historical fiction, literary fiction

5/5 stars: I read The Color Purple a few years ago and was stunned. I had never read a book quite like this one. It is brutal to the senses and brutally honest. The characters are so very human. There is both a universality regarding the human experience and human development, and yet a very specific message regarding the experiences of African-Americans and Africans in the 19th and 20th centuries. Recently I decided to clean out my tbr shelf and read my own book collection in its entirety before moving on to outside sources. The Color Purple was in the top left corner of my living room bookcase and seemed a logical place to start. I thought I remembered a lot but to be honest, it was like reading it for the first time. There is no preparing yourself for Celie's narration. You just start reading, frequently reread portions, and keep going. One of the most amazing aspects of Alice Walker's writing, and I have noticed this in The Color Purple, By The Light Of My Father's Smile, and Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart, is that it's apparent nothing in her books is intended for superficial shock effect. Honestly, I don't know how she does it. Perhaps it is because of the strong introspection that takes place throughout all of her narration, I'm not sure. But however this is achieved, the characters develop organically and, most importantly, honestly allowing the dark aspects of their lives and souls to be revealed to the reader without confusion as to intent. Additionally, if the reader feels horror at Celie's memories and experiences (and one often does), it is a mere echo of what Celie herself thinks and feels. From the start she takes on the aspect of a historical figure, not a fictional character. It is very apparent that even though Celie specifically is not "real", she, as well as Sophia, Shug, and Netty to name a few, directly represent entire generations who did live in similar circumstances. This realization makes the story even more poignant and worth reading and rereading. The Color Purple is most recognized for discussing race relations and equal civil rights and treatment, and rightfully so. Sophia's experiences perhaps illustrate this the most clearly. It also has very strong feminist, spiritualist, and imperialist themes as well as an emphasis on social reform, which create a richer narrative in less than 300 pages than most authors can squeeze into 600. This is one of the most fantastic, thought-provoking and ethically-significant books I have ever read, and if you haven't read The Color Purple at all or it's been a while, I strongly recommend sending it to the top of your to-read list.

Mary Beth

{Review} The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Shadow of the Wind (El cementerio de los libros olvidados #1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafon; translated by Lucia Graves
Published by The Penguin Press HC, 2004 (originally published 2001)
Hardcover, 487 pages
ISBN 1594200106
Genres: adult fiction, fantasy, gothic novel, historical fiction, literary fiction, mystery, philosophy, thriller

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Barcelona, 1945—just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes on his eleventh birthday to find that he can no longer remember his mother’s face. To console his only child, Daniel’s widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona’s guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again. Daniel’s father coaxes him to choose a volume from the spiraling labyrinth of shelves, one that, it is said, will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the novel he selects, The Shadow of the Wind by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax’s work. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last one in existence. Before Daniel knows it his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness and doomed love. And before long he realizes that if he doesn’t find out the truth about Julian Carax, he and those closest to him will suffer horribly.

My review: This novel is fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. I knew it would be one of this year's favorites before I was half-way through it. Between the fascinating story line, well-developed characters, and elegant style, The Shadow of the Wind is hard to compete with. What initially drew me in was discovering it is a book about books: a mysterious and secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books and a certain volume discovered within.  The main protagonist, Daniel, enthusiastically delves into this previously-forgotten novel and begins unraveling the mystery of its tormented author, leading to a years-long quest culminating in a stunning ending. This book is part adventure story, part mystery, part historical drama, part thriller, with a sprinkling of fantastical elements and philosophical questions. In addition, it is Daniel's coming-of-age story, bittersweet in that the reader re-experiences all of the doubts, questions and fears of growing up. It is, in my opinion, the perfect cross-genre piece.

The characters evolve and develop, becoming richer and more familiar the farther into the book the reader gets. They are unpredictable and so very human, each with their own temperaments, faults and dreams. I love that although Daniel is the main protagonist, the author has labored to make each and every character unique and indispensable to the plot. The cast of characters is pretty large, though instead of becoming a hindrance for the reader it simply makes the novel that much more enjoyable. Daniel is one of my favorite characters because he is compassionate, curious, and intelligent. Another favorite character would have to be Fermin, a man whom Daniel literally stumbles upon who has been living on the streets. He has an extremely shadowy past, more aliases than you can count, and a case of PTSD that would land a lesser man in a sanitarium (or worse); and yet, through it all, he has an indomitable spirit and an admirable code of honor.

This novel is set mainly in Barcelona, Spain with a small portion taking place in Paris, France. The imagery is incredible and it is obvious the author, who was born in Barcelona, is extremely knowledgeable about its geography. The streets of the two cities literally come alive and while I have always wanted to travel in Europe, my desire has rarely been stronger than while I was reading this novel. It was fascinating to read about life in Barcelona immediately following the Spanish Civil War: the still-apparent signs of destruction, the fragile state of politics on every level, the drudgery of a struggling economy, the deaths of loved ones still hanging in the air. The complexity and multi-faceted nature of The Shadow of the Wind is stunning.

I would strongly recommend reading this book; it is one I would love to own myself. I originally thought it was a stand-alone but am thrilled to report it is actually the first in a series! El cementerio de los libros olvidados (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books) series includes The Shadow of the Wind (#1), of course, The Angel's Game (#2), The Prisoner of Heaven (#3), and The Rose of Fire (#.5), the last being a short story available only in ebook form. I cannot wait to read and review the entire series, as well as Carlos Ruiz Zafon's other works.
Mary Beth

{Review} Fall of the Birds by Bradford Morrow

{cover image courtesy of Open Road Media}

Fall of the Birds by Bradford Morrow
Published by Open Road Publishing, 2011
Ebook, 35 pages
ISBN-13 9781453239339
Genres: literary fiction, novella

My review: This is a powerful novella-- memories of the past, revelations about the present, and a determined resolve concerning the future all woven into thirty-five pages. Instead of detracting from the work's meaningfulness, its compact size makes Fall of the Birds even more poignant, driving home its message concerning the fleeting nature of companionship and life itself. The diction is beautiful, drawing the reader into the lives of the characters so subtly that their pain and sorrow become the reader’s burden. Only on the last page is it remembered that the characters one has come to care so much about are, in fact, fictional, leaving the reader with a sense of catharsis.

From the very beginning I strongly empathized with the narrator and main protagonist, a middle-aged man struggling with his many roles: insurance claims adjuster, birding enthusiast, grieving widower, and struggling step-father. His first-person musings are thoughtful and honest, exposing his extreme vulnerability to the reader as he shares his deepest fears and greatest joys. Throughout the novella he mourns the loss of his wife Laurel to cancer, narrating not only his struggles and loneliness but those of his teenaged step-daughter Caitlin as well. While privately grieving he attempts to maintain as normal a home-life for her as possible, understanding fully that through their mutual loss their single channel of communication has disappeared as well.

Communication becomes increasingly vital, however, when Caitlin notices that, though spring has come, the usual birds have not returned to nest in her and her step-father's back yard or even to eat seed from their overflowing feeders. Then the narrator is called to survey the destruction wreaked on a client's greenhouse when hundreds of birds simply fall from the sky to their deaths. These eerie mass bird deaths become regular occurrences throughout the narrator's region and beyond, though not only are the birds perishing, they are also behaving erratically with many far outside of their typical zones and flight paths. No one, from civilian witnesses to ornithologists, are able to provide any explanation as to why this is happening, and as time goes on the narrator is called to more and more such sites to record the resulting damage.

These violent and disturbing scenes combined with the recent trauma of losing Laurel put both the narrator and Caitlin on edge, straining an already delicate situation with yet more images of death and loss. The seemingly pointless nature of the birds' deaths also reflect the sentiments Caitlin and her step-father feel about Laurel's, though they find it impossible to directly express their true feelings to each other. As the narrator and Caitlin band together to try and determine what is killing the birds, however, a bond grows between them, this very tragedy being the means through which they learn to communicate independently.

This bittersweet story of loss, acceptance, and the discovery of peace through the most unlikely of circumstances is a testament to human resiliency. It serves as a reminder that it is possible to rise up through tragedy and embrace the good that remains in our lives, however little we think we have left. I would encourage any reader to spend just a couple of hours reading this memorable piece, as it carries a significance that far outweighs its small size.

Bradford Morrow {image
courtesy of Open Road Media}

About the author {via Open Road Media}: Bradford Morrow is the award-winning author of six novels and numerous short stories, essays, poetry collections, and children’s books, as well as the founding editor of the celebrated literary journal Conjunctions. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship, the Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Pushcart and O. Henry Prizes, and the PEN/Nora Magid Award, as well as other honors. (For full bio, click here.)

The following video, courtesy of Open Road Media, gives wonderful insight into the author's mind as well as the development of Fall of the Birds.

     

Note: I received this ebook, Fall of the Birds, through Open Road Media via NetGalley in exchange for my wholly honest review and rating.

Mary Beth

{Review} Luka and the Fire of Life: A Novel by Salman Rushdie

Luka and the Fire of Life: A Novel by Salman Rushdie
Published by Random House, 2010
Hardcover, 218 pages
ISBN 0679463364
Genres: adventure, children's fiction, fantasy, literary fiction, magical realism, YA

Synopsis (via Goodreads): With the same dazzling imagination and love of language that have made Salman Rushdie one of the great storytellers of our time, Luka and the Fire of Life revisits the magic-infused, intricate world he first brought to life in the modern classic Haroun and the Sea of Stories. This breathtaking new novel centers on Luka, Haroun’s younger brother, who must save his father from certain doom. For Rashid Khalifa, the legendary storyteller of Kahani, has fallen into deep sleep from which no one can wake him. To keep his father from slipping away entirely, Luka must travel to the Magic World and steal the ever-burning Fire of Life. Thus begins a quest replete with unlikely creatures, strange alliances, and seemingly insurmountable challenges as Luka and an assortment of enchanted companions race through peril after peril, pass through the land of the Badly Behaved Gods, and reach the Fire itself, where Luka’s fate, and that of his father, will be decided. Filled with mischievous wordplay and delving into themes as universal as the power of filial love and the meaning of mortality, Luka and the Fire of Life is a book of wonders for all ages.

My review: First of all, if you read the synopsis above you'll know that this is the sequel to an earlier work by Salman Rushdie entitled Haroun and the Sea of Stories. I would recommend that you read Haroun's adventures before picking up Luka's as there are many minor references in the sequel you may not understand otherwise. Plus, Haroun and the Sea of Stories is delightful in and of itself. However, if you don't get the chance to I wouldn't worry all that much as this book's plot and development is strong enough to be read independently. And now, on to the actual review...

      This is a deliciously written book with a story you can sink into and drift along on. It is rich with mythological figures and tales, as well as many original characters directly from the author's imagination. Luka and the Fire of Life is whimsical and dreamy, even recalling Alice in Wonderland at certain points. I loved it when a little "white rabbit wearing a waistcoat and looking worriedly at a clock" popped up on the bank of the River of Time, for instance.

      There are lots of issues broached that have a universal appeal as well, the main issue being the nature of time. In this book time is represented as a river flowing away from the mists of the past and toward the mists of the future. Luka wrestles with the idea of predestination: does the future already exist so that the course of the river follows a predetermined path? Or can our actions shape, even change, the river's flow? Luka is also told that "...if you want to travel up the River, Memory is the fuel you need." This is a very important concept to plant in the mind of a young reader to help him or her realize that memories are much more than the static remains of the past. Rather, they are the seeds of the future and memories are absolutely vital if a person is to grow and reap knowledge from prior experiences. Towards the end of Luka's journey he begins to reflect on something his father had said that before sounded like nonsense: time is not a constant marching forward, one precise second after another. Rather, it speeds up and slows down depending on what you are doing, and it does not mean the same thing to everybody as each person experiences life differently. There are several other issues presented to the reader for consideration, including whether tyranny is excusable or not if created and maintained in the name of respect, if exemption from consequences when following orders is acceptable or not, and how justifiable the sacrifice of innocents is, even if perceived as benefiting the greater good.

      I love how thought-provoking this novel is, particularly for young readers, and that the author brings issues to the forefront that are not usually discussed in Young Adult literature. I also appreciate that he does not neatly resolve each issue, but rather allows the reader to come to his or her own conclusions.

      The only problem a reader may run into is the fact that the story does move a little slowly. It is definitely a book you need to fully immerse yourself in and forget about the page numbers. Simply read it to enjoy the experience and the journey.

      Ah yes, one more thing I'd like to share: my favorite passage... "Man is the Storytelling Animal, and...in Stories are his identity, his meaning, and his lifeblood. Do rats tell tales? Do porpoises have narrative purposes? Do elephants ele-phantasize? You know as well as I do that they do not. Man alone burns with books."

I hope you enjoy this work as much as I did. Whether you love it or hate it, though, I'm anxious to hear your thoughts! I love a good discussion :) In the meantime, happy reading!

Mary Beth

{Review} The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Published by Random House Publishing Group, 2011
Hardcover, 336 pages
ISBN 034552554X
Genres: adult fiction, contemporary fiction, literary fiction, romance, women's fiction, YA

Synopsis (via Goodreads): A mesmerizing, moving, and elegantly written debut novel, The Language of Flowers beautifully weaves past and present, creating a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own troubled past.

The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings. Now eighteen and emancipated from the system, Victoria has nowhere to go and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. Soon a local florist discovers her talents, and Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But a mysterious vendor at the flower market has her questioning what’s been missing in her life, and when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.

 My review: This is an interesting book and a fast read, though definitely not what I was expecting. I have an affection for the Victorian practice of using flowers to communicate (you can't get much more romantic than that - unless, of course, you're gifting thistles, but anyway...) but because I had been hearing the word "Victorian" so much in connection with this book, I was thinking it was going to be historical fiction. I know this was silly of me, but there it is. Confusion aside, it turns out this book does, in fact, have a potentially great story line, but I am disappointed in its execution and development. 

For one thing, I had a very hard time relating to the characters, mainly Victoria. Some of her experiences I can empathize with, like the postpartum depression (though, and here's my two cents' worth, that is still no excuse for leaving her baby all by herself for hours on end). However, she felt very inconsistent. I honestly couldn't keep up with her mood and personality changes. One moment she was remorseful, practically penitent, and the next hardened to the point of cruelty. And then back, and forth, and back again. I think if Victoria had been developed a little differently, explained a little sooner and more fully, or a third person narrator had been used, she may have seemed more believable. As she is, though, her character comes off as pretty two-dimensional, which is frustrating seeing as she's the main protagonist as well as the narrator.

There's also so much that isn't explained about Victoria and Grant's pasts. Victoria's is kind of glossed over after she leaves Elizabeth's care and Grant's is described as "lonely" and a couple similar adjectives, but there's never any real development in this regard. I also wanted to get to know more about the dynamics between Elizabeth and Catherine (and their mother), but I was left unsatisfied in this respect as well.

Maybe I'm being unreasonable (especially since this is the author's debut work), but these issues really got in the way of my fully enjoying the novel. I look forward to her next book but will probably never be interested in owning this one or reading it again.

Note: my mom is who recommended this book to me because she really enjoyed it. She was disappointed to hear I don't care for it and when I told her I hadn't given it a very good review, she told me to tell my readers that "she liked it and it's still worth reading". So you as my witness, I've passed along the message. Just in case she asks :)

Mary Beth

{Review} These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 (Sarah Agnes Prine #1) by Nancy E. Turner
Published by ReganBooks, 1998
Hardcover, 384 pages
ISBN 0060392258
Genres: adult fiction, adventure, historical fiction, literary fiction, romance, western, women's fiction

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Inspired by the author's original family memoirs, this absorbing story introduces us to the questing, indomitable Sarah Prine, one of the most memorable women ever to survive and prevail in the Arizona Territory of the late 1800s. As a child, a fiery young woman, and finally a caring mother, Sarah forges a life as full and fascinating as our deepest needs, our most secret hopes, and our grandest dreams. She rides Indian-style and shoots with deadly aim, greedily devours a treasure trove of leatherbound books, dreams of scarlet velvet and pearls, falls uneasily in love, and faces down fire, flood, Comanche raids, and other mortal perils with the unique courage that forged the character of the American West. This action-packed novel is also the story of a powerful, enduring love between Sarah and the dashing cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot. Neither the vast distances traveled nor the harsh and killing terrains could quench the passion between them, and the loss and loneliness both suffer only strengthen their need for each other. While their love grows, the heartbreak and wonder of the frontier experience unfold in scene after scene: a wagon-train Sunday spent roasting quail on spits as Indians close in to attack; Sarah's silent encounter with an Indian brave, in which he shows her his way of respect; a dreadful discovery by a stream that changes Sarah forever; the hazards of a visit to Phoenix, a town as hot as the devil's frying pan; Sarah's joy in building a real home, sketching out rooms and wraparound porches. Sarah's story leads us into a vanished world that comes vividly to life again, while her struggles with work and home, love and responsibility resonate with those every woman faces today.

 My review: What a beautiful story - painfully beautiful and cathartic. The characters are entirely believable and enjoyable, so much so that I was hooked before I had even read fifteen pages. I adore Sarah: her spunk, honesty, sense of humor, the intensity of her love. She has a brimming personality and is someone I feel like I would want to be best friends with. And I think I fell a little in love with Captain Elliot. I cried when I finished the book (a couple times, so I'm extra glad I have a sympathetic husband :) because the ending is so bittersweet. I usually don't like endings like this one, but the entire book was written so well, so effectively (and unaffectedly), I won't dare to disagree with how the author chose to end her story. I will admit, though, that I was hoping it would have an "And they lived happily ever after" ending. Ah well, regardless of whether the story closed the way I wanted it to or not, These Is My Words is a poignant book well worth reading. I picked it up inexpensively at a book sale and was planning on trading it at the bookshop for credit, but after finishing it, I decided to hold on to it a while longer.

If you enjoy These Is My Words and would like to continue reading about Sarah, there are two more books in the series:

Sarah's Quilt

The Star Garden

and

I have not read the second two books so I can't tell you how they measure up to the first, but I am extremely interested in reading them. I just keep forgetting to put them on my book list when I go to the library...

What books have you been enjoying this week? Let me know below. Also, don't forget about the december book giveaway ending on 12/21!

Mary Beth