Disgrace

I picked this book out of a huge pile I ordered from the library. It won the Booker Prize in 1999, which was the same prize "Possession: A Romance," by A.S. Byatt, won earlier, which piqued my interest. The plot sounded promising- an aging college professor in South Africa becomes involved with one of his students and, through his refusal to defend himself properly (out of a sense of pride), David is discharged from his post in disgrace.

He then goes out into the country to stay with his lesbian daughter Lucy where she is trying to make a life for herself on a farm. It is a dangerous prospect, being a woman, alone, in this environment. Her neighbor, Petrus, claims the land beside her and they work Lucy's plot together. David, our professor, volunteers to help Bev, Lucy's friend, in a make-shift animal hospital, which is a place people bring their animals at the end- whether sick or simply unwanted, to be humanely ushered onto the next life. In this post-apartheid environment, there is still much resentment and anger to be satiated. In a robbery of her home, Lucy is violated horrifically while her father is helpless to save her. In the aftermath, he struggles to understand Lucy's decision to stay in this unsafe environment. She decides to pay whatever tax she must to stay in this place that she feels she belongs.

So, how did I like it? Well, honestly, I felt a bit underwhelmed, though it touched on many topics of importance and had valuable things to say. It was an easy read, with language and a cadence in a simplistic flow that made the pages turn. There were moments of poignancy, but so much in this book felt muted. It grazed on topics, but did not delve into the depth that they seemed to warrant. Is it because the English sensibility is so much more reserved than the American one? Is it because the story is told by a character of little depth himself, which caused the story to feel flatter than it might if told from another character's perspective?

The thread that had the biggest impact on me was the vulnerability of women and their dependence on men, men that can protect them or harm them, which ran throughout the book. Often we are desperate to be "equal" and while I do believe we have the same WORTH as men, that does not mean we are the same or that the balance of power is even. We see the imbalance when the professor presses himself onto a young student (not physical force, but an abuse of his position as a teacher), when Lucy is violated, and when she accepts the protection of her neighbor as a necessity (though this is her decision, to accept it, so, in some ways, she claims her power in that at least). The physical strength men possess and the natural violence that simmers in some, put our Lucy in her place and it hurts. The powerlessness hurts.

There were other aspects of this book that had meaning and I do consider it to have merit, but would I recommend it? Probably not. There are so many books, limited time, and I don't think this one will sit with me beyond the first pages of my next book.

Finishing Possession

By A.S. Byatt

Well, I said I would do my own review when I finished (why did I say that?). Anything I might say would be inadequate to express what this book made me feel. Hope, tragedy, complexity, love, regret, sadness, relief- all such commonplace words for an extraordinary book with so many layers of human understanding and characters that lived for me in their gradiated honesty.

I find myself thinking of countless things I could say, but it is almost like writing anything would warrant writing everything and I just can't. I will say that I loved it. I am gratefully for the ending- sweet, but not saccharine. Satisfying and whole.

This book, as Dan said, was an experience, a powerful one. I am so glad to have read it and it won't leave me anytime soon.

Possession by A.S. Byatt

Boy. This is one of those tough reviews to write because there is just too much and not enough to say, all at the same time. I've played with words in my head but it's hard to not have the whole review just be thirty different ways to say "this is a great book." Those kind of glowing, vague, hyperbole-laden reviews are uninteresting and unhelpful, but with a book like "Possession" its hard to go beyond that without going over the 20 page mark. But a blog must be written, so - with the clear caveat that this is certainly a book that must be read to be appreciated, and with full apologies that this review is bound to be general, effusive, and glowingly unclear - here it goes.
"Possession" is a stunning book. It is a bit wordy, very British, a little rambling, a tad over-intellectual...but perfect in all those "flaws," and probably because of them. I will not bother with any sort of plot summary, as it could never be done justice. The book's plots (it has several plots that run parallel to one another) are those kind of plots that seem unremarkable and even dull when they are simply rehashed...there are no car chases (though, almost), no flaming nights of passion (though, almost), no shipwrecks (though, again, almost...this is actually getting kind of weird); they are literary plots, internal, subtle - but brilliant, and alive, and character-driven in the best possible way. They are the kind of plots that carry you along not with a hook and jerk, but with the steady and irresistible pull of the human heart toward truth and understanding.
The author - who, if I ever met her, I would not be able to think of thing to say to out of sheer intimidation - pulls off such a feat of writing, storytelling and character development that it nearly drives this aspiring writer to despair. She writes in numerous voices, styles and eras and pulls it all off absolutely convincingly. And her thematic content is profound, delicate, intangible...but she gets it across, both her questions and her answers, with the closest thing to true clarity that one could hope for.
This is the kind of book that resonates in your mind and quiet places, the kind that lives in the back of your thoughts on the days you are reading it and, I'm sure, intends to stay there long after. It says so much about love, and life, and identity and possession (the title is very apt), so much about our limits and how we can strive for something beautiful despite them. It has romance, tragedy, resolution, despair, redemption...but it is all done quietly, with great care, and it leaves behind both quiet golden places of peace and hard, unequivocal stones of sadness.
This is just the worst, most unsatisfying review. It is already too long, and yet it says almost nothing. Sigh.
I'll take a couple more stabs. Reading this book - and I've only read a few books I'd say this about - was very much an experience. The slow unfolding of the story, the living and breathing and losing and loving of the characters, the stumble toward truth and understanding...it was something felt as a reader, something almost lived through, rather than merely observed and noted. It is a true, bleeding slice of the human experience, in all its failures. It does not take, I think, a hopeful view of people, or even of love (again, reference the title); there is, arguably, not a single functional, healthy relationship in the book. But there is truth in that dark view, and even human hope in the constant struggle for something better. We are all broken, in our own ways, the author seems to say...but just calling something broken implies that there is such a thing as "whole," and that therefore we can find redemption, perhaps, in seeking that wholeness together. We may fail...but there is the trying. An excerpt, from near the end, that sums this up well (and gives a taste of the author's power of language): "In the morning, the whole world had a strange new smell. It was the smell of the aftermath, a green smell, a smell of shredded leaves and oozing resin, of crushed wood and splashed sap, a tart smell, which bore some relation to the smell of bitten apples. It was the smell of death and destruction and it smelled fresh and lively and hopeful."
Will everyone like this book? No. Some will yawn and think it boring. Some will actually hate it, I'm sure. Its heavy and thick and has absolutely no gunpowder. It is not for a Da Vinci Code reader (and I don't mean that to be critical...any reading is good reading). But for lovers of literature, this is the book...both because it IS literature, and because it deals so much with literature as a topic and a passion and a human expression. This book is about how we define ourselves, our world, and each other. It is a book for thoughtful grown-ups.
I have far too many books to read, whole shelves full of books waiting for my attention...but as much as I hate to say it, "Possession" might be one I have to take the time to read again.

Possession- up to Pg. 360

I can't quite contain myself any longer. MUST TALK about this book!!! Now please, please, if you've not read this far in yet, don't read what I am going to say here until you have because I am going to spoil you rotten and that would be such a travesty to steal the joy from you that this book has to offer.

This doesn't happen to me all that often that I start to feel consumed by a story, where I am stealing away as many extra minutes as I can because I am so anxious to find out more. But "Possession" has taken hold of me!

First, I relished the trip that Roland and Maud took to retrace the steps of Ash's journey, reading the writing of our 2 masters to find glimpses of evidence to show if Christabel might have been there too. What an exciting journey- the brooch in itself felt like a revelation, but to have the author melt us into the real life time of Randolph and Christabel was such a surprise that, at first, I didn't even realize what was happening. Brilliant! Both Roland and Maud have an other-timeliness about them that the train ride seemed that it could be those 2 contemporaries, riding together, but no, it wasn't. It was Christabel and Randolph! It almost seemed like we were cheating, getting to be there with them when our Maud and Roland would never share the same privilege, but what a gift for the readers.

I honestly was so moved by the pain and duplicity of emotions the coming together of Christabel and Randolph brought. It seemed so sad and honest- not a celebration of love at all, but a resigning to the destiny of it, it seemed, with each knowing they were for each other, but that circumstances would never grant them a true life together. It felt tragic, with no true bliss in their time together for the end was always looming. It was just as inevitable as the beginning.

Then, we're back in the present world where Wolff, Cropper and Blackadder (what a great name) become key players, sucking the trail laid by Roland and Maud. Of course, the mighty dollar (or pound in this case) becomes a key player as well, as the letters, revealing so much are now to be purchased. And here I have left off, with Roland and Maud about to escape to France. I have so much hope for them.

I am so very eager to get back to it, but I just had to spurt my excitement somewhere and what place is more perfect that our little blog? :)

The Truth About Horses, Friends, & My Life as a Coward

Another Sasquatch nominee for 2011.

"Amy," you say, "aren't you supposed to be packing?"

My response is simply, shove it. And yes, I am. I am procrastinating people. Everybody does it. I also did laundry, finished this book, played swords with the boys, went to the store, read some of "Possession" (which is getting SOOOO good, btw), and am baking a delicious dinner, all in the name of procrastination. I HATE packing and I don't want to move. Pbbbbttt!

On to the review! I have to say, I really enjoyed this one (I think I say that a lot after I've I read something). Written by a fearful, math-hating librarian, this book is plain ol' fun. Hilarious, with stories that feel alive, we come to learn that horses have distinct personalities, just like people. They can be fun and frustrating, sweet and crotchety, again, just like people!

Our Sophie, first person narrator, is forced into horse ownership by an artistic mother with fantasies of the perfect girlhood horse riding experience for her 2 daughters. Too bad they start off with a nasty little pony named Really, which they decide is short for "Really Mean" after she shows her true colors. She won't be ridden and attaching her to a cart results in quite a hilarious story for our fearful Sophie.

Plagued by girls at school with moon-eyed dreams of horses wanting to befriend her only for the chance to ride, Sophie does her best to scare them off with stories of horror at the hands of Really the pony and manages to take care of most of them, but not Melissa, a brave, bold young lady that becomes the perfect friend for Sophie. She has courage enough for both of them. As 2 other horses are added to the family, and Sophie takes riding lessons, we start to see her emerge from a self-declared scaredy cat into a horse rider with a little confidence. She works on developing meaningful friendships throughout the story and we get a peek into her relationships with family (both sane and nutty).

And boy, are there a lot of GREAT horse stories in here. This author knows how to make the stories appear in your mind like you're sitting right there, watching it happen. They are so descriptive and funny that you really wish you could be there! This one is going to be a hit with the girls, no doubt about it. I think the stories hold up enough to entertain the boys too, but the subject matter and almost all girl cast will likely be a turn-off for many of the male crew.

I am excited to book talk this one to the kids. Many a girl has had equestrian dreams and this book will give them a little more realistic view of horse ownership, in addition to being a book about developing friendships.

He-he! I just got to use the word "equestrian."

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

I picked this book up for an inauspicious reason: I wasn't interested in it, and didn't care if I ruined it. I was heading into the mountains for a backpacking trip and wanted a book that was light, small, paperback, and expendable. "Good Omens," by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, was the perfect candidate; it was lent to me years ago by a now-disgraced and reviled ex-boyfriend of my sister-in-law...I would be perfectly happy using it as toilet paper if the need arose (and on a backpacking trip, it just might).
It is a happy surprise that the book turned out to be one of the more fun, entertaining, original and clever stories I've read in quite some time.
The authors are both famous in their own right (Neil Gaiman as a fantasy/comic book/modern myth writer - including Newbery Award winner "The Graveyard Book," which I've already reviewed - and Terry Pratchett as a Science Fiction author) who wrote this book collaboratively on somewhat of a whim. As they explain in the lengthy afterword, it was written before email, so they would literally talk on the phone, take turns writing the next few passages, and then send the manuscript back and forth to each other in the mail...pretty remarkable. What they miraculously came up with has turned into something of a cult favorite and commercially/critically successful modern classic of sorts.
The premise, boiled clumsily down, goes something like this: the Angel who originally guarded the Garden of Eden (Aziraphale) and the demon who tempted Eve (Crowley) have lived on Earth among men ever since, casually doing their respective evil and good duties; they've developed, over the thousands of years, two things: a friendly camaraderie and mutual appreciation, and a grudging love for the planet and us flawed beings who live here. So when they discover that the Antichrist has been born and Armageddon is approaching, they decide to band together to derail the plans and save the world so they can continue to enjoy it. Its a fun premise, and it is executed perfectly. The book is a rollicking, irreverent, non-stop comedic adventure full of wit, hilarity, memorable characters, and a surprising amount of heart and sensitivity. Although it drips with satire and sarcasm, the book has a beating heart; it is actually, in its amusing and charming way, quite thought-provoking, articulate and intelligent in the questions it raises about morality, ethics, religion, and humanity.
It was, in short, a great read, and one I'd enthusiastically recommend. In one fell swoop it upgraded that erstwhile ex-boyfriend from "useless ass, best forgotten" to "useless ass, best forgotten, who once lent me a pretty great book."
I'm keeping the book.

Possession by A.S. Byatt : 200 Pages In

Since this is one that we are all reading, I thought it might be good for us to share some impressions and reflections as we go along. This post...written as I reach the 200 page mark...is an effort in that direction. Some of you may not be as far as I am yet (or all you all already done?), so I'll be sure to avoid any "spoilers" or detailed plot points.
Now...if you haven't started yet, don't get put off by how I begin this review; it will seem to start negative, but I promise it ends well.
As I began this book and worked through the first 30-50 pages, I began to remember exactly why I don't generally like contemporary British fiction. In my experience, it seems to be overly wordy, unconscionably lengthy, and intolerably loaded with obscure references and allusions. This book, in the beginning, was no exception. Byatt's guiding premise seemed to be, "why say something with 100 words when I could use 1,000?" He packed references to classical literature and art in cheek-to-jowl, and I found myself sighing and eyeing the clock as I read. Honestly, that first 30 pages felt like they could've been accomplished in under 10.
That being said...I'm very glad I soldiered on. I soon found myself utterly absorbed in the two parallel plots (one contemporary, one historical) and their gradual coming together, and was also surprisingly taken with and interested in the four main characters (Roland, Maud, Christabel, and Randolph Ash). I was also, considering my biases, increasingly impressed with the author's skill in weaving the four characters and two plots together so convincingly and compellingly together, and in his ability to make a fairly sedate and cerebral plot seem so vibrant and intriguing. In short, I got hooked. Between pages 50 and 200 "Possession" transformed from a book that was a bit of a chore to read to one that I didn't want to put down.
So, well done, A.S. Byatt. You got me. I'll deal with the extraneously detailed descriptions in order to uncover the plot, and I'll fight through the deluge of archaic allusions to spend more time with those characters. I'm really and truly looking forward to the next 350 pages.

The Missing: Book 1 Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

This book is another children's novel, and again is a nominee for this year's Sasquatch (kid's choice) Award.
"Found" is the first book in a new series...and its an attention-grabber, to be sure. The book opens with a passenger jet arriving unscheduled in the middle of the night at an airport; there is no pilot, no record of the flight, no crew - and the only living things on the plane are babies, one to each seat.
It's a good opener, and the book continued to hold my interest from there. The pacing is good, the tension and forward plot momentum is sustained, and the characters are believable and realistic. Kids who are confident readers will not want to put this book down, and it also scores points for being one of those rare gems that will appeal equally to boy and girl readers. I don't want to give too much away, but suffice it to say that this book falls into the "X-files" genre of fantasy/science fiction: the truth is out there and, yes, it does involve both time travel, sinister clandestine organizations, and a government conspiracy. Its good, gripping, page-turning writing.
My only fault with the book would be its length; although 314 pages is not over the top, it's really the fact that the length is just gratuitous. There seemed to be a lot of unnecessary filler and details in the book that could/should have been edited out. It almost seemed like the author or publisher just wanted a fat-looking book, and padded the story accordingly. I think this book could have weighed in at a more kid-friendly 250 pages and been even more brisk and captivating.
That's just personal preference, though; at the end of the day, this was a book that I really enjoyed reading, and one that I know my students will enjoy reading as well. Now it's just a matter of waiting for Book 2...

New Contributor

I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome another contributor to our Literate Librarian blog. Candida, or Dida to the lay person ;), is my best girl friend in the whole wide world. Smart, funny, loving, passionate, dedicated, and beautiful from epidermis to soul... How is that for an endorsement? Dida lives in the Seattle area with her hubby, mothers 2 spritely boys, is educated in many things and is an avid reader. She has a passion for bringing gardens to schools and improving the quality of school food through these gardens. She is very environmentally conscious and also has mad miming skills. I know Dida will bring a unique perspective to our group and I look forward to reading her first blog post.

Welcome Candida- blog away my friend!