Just Finished: And Then There Was White Noise

Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None is the classic mystery novel, and it sat on my shelf for approximately 20 years before I read it. Rather than finish a 500 page book that was killing me with all its baseball talk, I decided to go pick up this slim and decaying volume on my shelf.

A quick read, And Then There Were None, which was previously titled Ten Little Indians, starts with a hodgepodge of characters making their way to an island off the coast of Devon. From an elderly military man who thinks he's meeting up with old colleagues to a young woman who believes she's been hired as a temporary secretary, each visitor to the island has a different and cryptic story of who invited them to the island.

Once they arrive, however, the "10 little Indians" who have been summoned realize that there is some strange about their supposed holiday. One by one they begin to die as their own dark histories come to light. The remaining guests try to figure out whodunnit while becoming increasingly suspicious of each other. Will anyone survive the l'isle mysterious?

Being such a brief read with that precise British-ness, And Then There Were None, doesn't ever get very gruesome, but it does raise some questions about right, wrong and the proper carrying out of justice. More interesting than entertaining.

White Noise...I'm not sure I'm smart enough to review this book. Don DeLillo is clearly more intelligent than I am, and he has social commentary/satire down.

The main character, Jack Gladney, is a thrice divorced college professor who gained credibility by establishing a Hitler studies program at the small private university where he works. Somewhat amusing is the fact that Jack can't even speak German well, something he's working on before his next big Hitler conference.

At home is Jack, his current wife Babbette (who he often talks to in the third person), and their son and collection of children from previous marriages are a peculiar postmodern group. One child loves burnt toast, another analyses her mother's gum chewing habits and so on.

Neurotic as they all are, Jack, his family and his colleagues all have a semi-symbiotic relationship, but trouble lies beneath the surface and an "airborne toxic event" raises fears about mortality, the meaning of life and other postmodern problems. As Babbette reveals fears about death, Jack tries to keep the family going in his own intellectual way.

As you can see, I'm butchering any attempt at explaining this book. In any case, this is probably the best of the three or four postmodern books I've ever read (and that is saying something). There were some really witty observations on American culture, but it was also thought provoking – particularly the fear of death and how one acts on that fear. Anyway, I'm sure there's a New York Times review somewhere.

Just Finished: The Glass Castle

In The Glass Castle author Jeannette Walls proves that truth is stranger than fiction. Jeannette grew up living a vagabond life as her aloof parents dragged she and her siblings from one place to the next, often with the cops on their heels.

Jeannette's father is an alcoholic dreamer who is as brilliant as he is flawed. Always with the promise of creating an invention that will propel the family into infinite wealth (and with it a castle made of glass), he one by one loses the faith of all his children, Jeannette last.

Jeannette's mother is just as much a dreamer and after living with a supposedly overbearing mother, she wants nothing to do with established order (even to the point of denying her eldest daughter glasses). Despite her teaching degree she lets the children go hungry while she spends the days painting and reading. When the children force her to get a job, she throws tantrums, gets depressed and eventually loses her job and the only income the family has. Without food much of the time, they rummage through dumpsters and sneak food out of other students' lunchboxes at school.

The Wall children eek out an existence despite their parents neglect but not without significant scars. Because their parents believe in being "open" to the world around them, they leave the doors of their house in New Mexico (left to them by Jeannette's grandmother) unlocked day and night. At one point a pervert accosts Jeanette yet her parents still refuse to lock the door with a flippant 'what doesn't kill you...' attitude.

At times there are glimpses of love from the parents, but their own selfishness wins out. As the parents try to escape the lives they had as children, they completely fail to provide any stability or care for their kids. In their escapism, they reject even the smallest social norms without realizing their children are incapable of doing the same.

Over the years their parent's care deteriorates as Jeanette's father dives headlong into his addiction and her mother the same, though hers is simply doing what she wants. The family leaves the Southwest for an impoverished area of West Virginia, where they are the poorest of the poor, living in a shack they can barely afford with no running water or electricity and leaking ceilings. What little money they have gets spirited away to alcohol as the kids go to school dirty and disheveled.

After a few years the Wall children begin to make their escape each moving to New York city where they try to make something of their lives and their history.

The Glass Castle is something of a page turner as life at the hands of the Wall parents gets worse and worse. Yet Jeannette never veers into cynicism or bitterness. Her anger is tightly contained and she shows true love for her parents, though it's hard to imagine how she mustered it...or how she even functions as a human being. I definitely recommend this read. You'll be hard pressed to come up another one similar to it.

Just Finished: Nickel & Dimed

Journalist Barbara Ehreneich's exploration into the world of America's working class is an important book but, in some ways, disappointing book. In Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Ehrenreich spends a month or so each in three different cities where she works as a waitress, maid, Wal-mart employee and other minimum wage jobs.

She acknowledges from the beginning that she's starting her experiment at an economic and physical advantage to those who rely completely on such jobs for survival. Ehrenreich gives herself a start up budget (also something the average joe wouldn't have) and sets out to find an apartment and jobs in each location. She discovers pretty quickly that cheap but decent housing a convenient distance from jobs is hard to find and working only one job is never enough to cover expenses (or get proper rest and nutrition).

In each job some significant law (or at least ethical code) is broken - a table outside the bathroom door instead of a break room (and no breaks to speak of), overtime with no overtime pay, exposure to toxic chemicals, etc. Ehrenreich marvels at her uncomplaining co-workers who don't try to assert their rights or look for better positions. Several jobs also keep the first month's pay of employees, which is a major deterrent for already strapped employees to switch to a better job.

Throughout Ehrenreich's three cities, she discovers how hard it is for honest, unskilled workers to get ahead. Everything is stacked against them from the lack of health care to scarce housing to poor food options. Even getting assistance turns out to be a nearly impossible task.

It's hard to read this book and look at the woman folding clothes at Wal-mart without a new respect. While some look down on the unemployed or poor, this book shows how hard it is to break even without the resources you naturally have if you come from a more affluent, educated background. Imagine trying to go to night school on minimum wage after working 10 hours with 2 15-minute breaks, gas prices on the rise, driving a jalopy, etc. It's nearly impossible and a few mistakes earlier in life can mean falling into a demeaning cycle of poverty.

My biggest issue with the book is that Ehrenreich's own experience rings a bit untrue. I wanted her to stick it out longer, but she doesn't spend very long at any location. (Who would want to if they could go back to the upper middle-class?) Her experiment would have been more valuable after a year trying to survive. I also would have liked to hear from Ehrenreich's co-workers directly, rather than her assumptions after a month or so with them.

Still, I think it's a topic we need to see from the inside and a crucial one for everyone (especially the Christian community) to be acquainted with. These are the poor and the widows and we need to figure out how to share the wealth.

Just Finished: The Remains of the Day

"Why, Mr. Stevens, why, why, why do you always have to pretend?"

This line sums up Mr. Stevens, the narrator of Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day. Stevens is a  traditional English butler facing the changing world of postwar Britain. When his new American boss encourages him to take time off, Stevens embarks on a road trip through the countryside and through his past.

As Stevens meticulously reminisces about his life in Darlington Hall, he recounts the honor of serving the great Lord Darlington through the trials and aftermath of war. Stevens sets himself up as indispensable to the Lord who in turn played an imperative role in securing peace for the entire European continent.

But even as he prides himself on being a high caliber butler, maybe even comparable to the greatest, Stevens shoots holes through his own stories as he allows subtle doubt in about the small world he has dedicated himself to--the way he mostly ignored his own father's fatal illness as it coincided with an important meeting at Darlington or the anti-semitic turnings of his master.

Interwoven through all his memories is his relationship with Miss Kenton, the head housemaid, with whom Stevens was clearly enamored. In fact, Stevens is driving to see the now married Miss Kenton, harboring hopes he cannot admit to himself.

Like many of Ishiguro's narrators, one must question their reliability, and Stevens is no different. The above quote spoken by Miss Kenton is crucial to understanding him. Ishiguro masters this character through his  verbose recollections and obsessive details through which he hides truth within propriety, custom and the pride of his position. Nothing is exactly as it seems because Stevens pretends to everyone, especially himself. Also like Ishiguro's novels there are peculiar situations that don't ever seem to line up.

The Remains of the Day is my third Ishiguro novel and ranks somewhere in the middle with Never Let Me Go by far my favorite and When We Were Orphans one of the worst books I've ever read. Ishiguro's genius in creating his characters here resulted in exhausting paragraphs of skim-able information, but it effectively made Stevens' character and causes the reader to reflect on the veracity of the truth of their own actions and memories.

Read and judge for yourself.

Just Read: Love Finds You in Liberty Indiana

Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana by Melanie Dobson: Ya, what are the odds I'd read another Christian romance? Book club! I have to say this one was a thousand times better than Shadow in Serenity so I'll stop being sarcastic now.

This one actually wasn't so much a romance. Anna Brent is a young Quaker woman with deep abolitionist convictions. Along with her father and housekeeper, she helps escaped slaves on their journey north on the Underground Railroad. Because of this, they keep quiet about their anti-slavery even as the outspoken editor of the local paper catches Anna's eye.

Danger mounts as slave hunters come to town in search of a runaway and her baby who were harbored at the Brent home and Anna gets deeper into the railroad. Meanwhile tensions in the town mount and Anna must weigh the consequences of acting on her faith that God created all people to be free.

I appreciated that as Anna faced various challenges and temptations she evaluated her feelings and seeks to bring herself inline with the truth of the Gospel, but it sometimes felt too simplistic and easily wrapped up. My main beef with this book is that, despite dealing with a heavy subject, it still ends like all rom coms with everything basically coming together like a rom com in the end.

January Reads: The Trilogy, Christian romance & Montaigne

I read 5 books last month, and yes I did pat myself on the back. There are just so many books that I want to read and I bought as many books in January as I read. Oh man. Barnes & Noble's sale table in the front. Have you been there? They have quality books at around $6 each! How can I be expected to not buy them, especially when they're actually on my to-read list. (That's a rhetorical question.)

   

The Hunger Games, Mockingjay & Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins – Several people told me to read these books, but it wasn't until I saw the movie trailer for the first book that I decided to go for it. Unlike other extremely popular young adult fiction that has made teenage girls sweat and fawn, there are no vampires, shirtless werewolves or wizards. So for those of you who haven't read these thinking there was some relation to those other two series (no offense HP fans), trust me when I say--give them a chance. Have I steered you wrong in the past?

It's hard to describe the books without giving away too much important information, but here goes...

The Hunger Game Trilogy takes place in Panem, a country built on the ruins of America. Made up of 12 impoverished districts, all control is from the ever watchful Capitol--an outrageously lavish place in stark contrast to the rest of the country. Each year 2 young tributes are chosen at random from each district to be part of the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death.

Our narrator, 16 year old Katniss Everdeen of District 12, volunteers to take her sister's place when she is chosen as tribute and so sets in motion the events of the three novels. Katniss is a wonderfully flawed character--she's tough, a hunter, a survivor, but also honest and not immune to weakness. When she leaves her family and best friend Gale to go to the games, she fully expects to never return.

After a life of hunger and hardship, Katniss has little patience for her fellow District 12 tribute, Peeta Mellark, the son of a baker who once gave her much needed bread and their drunken mentor Haymitch, the only other District 12 winner.

As Katniss and Peeta train for the grueling games, its obvious there is more to the baker's son than meets the eye and while Katniss knows little about him, Peeta has watched her from afar for years. Yet Katniss can't afford to trust anyone because only one person is coming out of the Hunger Games alive, and once they're in the arena it's every man for himself. What follows are ingenious twists and turns as well as the internal struggle Katniss experiences as someone who is tested in every way.

2011 Reads

I love year end lists. They were always especially great in China where it was easy to miss all the best new books, movies, and music. For the past few years I've been keeping a list of books read for the year.

Here are all the books I finished in 2011 (in order of completion) with brief commentary. Top five are in green.

Howards End by E.M. Forster  Two British sisters lives are dramatically changed by their romantic entanglements and their romantic philosophies. Read the Norton edition.

Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman  Biography of marriage, motherhood, tragedy & faith. A genuine voice and a heartbreaking story.
 
The Imperfectionists by Mark Rachman (great cover by the way)  An English magazine in Italy is the intersection point for a variety of characters over several decades. Fast and compelling read that was just slightly contrived but worth a read. Each character's story was unique.

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan  Friendship and betrayal by the master of the sad ending. Well written but like tying a lead weight to your leg and jumping in the ocean. Read Atonement instead.
 
Eat This Book by Eugene Peterson  Great book on consuming the Bible by a thoughtful Christian author. Full of wisdom. Made me excited to glean new things from the Word!
 
Factory Girls by Leslie T. Chang  A true look at the lives of female migrant workers in one of China's factory hubs. Started out well but Chang lost her edge and went on a tangent part way through.
 
Next by James Hynes  Discontented Midwestern businessman goes on a job interview in the midst of terrorist activity. Took a gamble on this book and didn't love it.
 
Nothing to Envy By Barbara Demick  L.A. journalist explores life in North Korea by interviewing defectors from the same area. Great book and a rare look into the horrific situation north of the DMZ.
 
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen College boy runs away to the circus and falls in love with the star of the show. I DO NOT understand why anyone liked this book. Writing was horrible--like reading the directions on a script) and the story was contrived. I'm sure the movie's better.
 
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides Haunting and nostalgic tale of the Lisbon girls and their inexplicable suicide. Great descriptions and sentences, leaves you wanting answers that you know from page one you're not going to get. Good read.
 
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen You've read this already right? My favorite line is still from the movie version - "Surely you and I are beyond speaking when words are clearly not enough.
 
The Painted Veil by Somerset Maugham Self-centered woman marries a research doctor who lives in Hong Kong and faces mortality and morality during a plague. Completely different from the movie. Good read but I liked the redemptive story of the movie better. Eek.
 
Little Bee by Chris Cleave Nigerian refugee moves in with a British editor after her husband's suicide. Not sure how to describe this story but it had honest voices. Ending was fairly implausible.
The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne  The journey to creating a radical Christian community amongst the least of these. Very challenging read on living the Gospel and being a peacemaker. Too deep to summarize.
 
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith  A girl from an eccentric (make that cooky) family living in a dilapidated castle documents her coming of age. Book and movie are equally beautiful and breathtaking. Must read/see.
 
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson  If you're a beginning photographer, read this. If you've been taking pictures for a year or two, you should probably still read this. I should probably read it again.
 
Oliver Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout  Pulitzer prize winning book of short stories that feature one curmudgeony woman. Interesting read but many of the stories featured romantic betrayals.
 
The Psycopath Test by Jon Ronson Investigative journalist of unusual topics, Ronson explores the word of psychology and psychopaths. A little disjointed but still fascinating look at the cult of psycology.
 
The Help by Kathryn Stockett  You've already read this right? If not, ask yourself this...why not?
 
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan  Super popular book (at least among the NPR crowd) about the mostly separate lives of a music producer and his secretary. Told with some unusual devices (one chapter is a ppt). Eh, seemed more about experimenting with form than creating a memorable story. I like straightforward plot better so judge this one for yourself.
 
The Paris Wife by Paula McClain  Fictional (but well researched) tale of Hemingway's first wife over the course of their marriage. Didn't love it at the beginning, but I got more engrossed in Hadley Hemingway's story as it progressed.
 
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom  The autobiography of a Christian woman who worked to save Jews during the Holocaust and was put in a concentration camp as a result. Amazing story of God's faithfulness and miracles. Must read.
 
The Marriage Plot by Jeffery Eugenides  Does the famous marriage plot work in real life? Boy loves girl who loves another boy and being that they're Brown students, they analyze everything. Oh I was hoping I'd like this better. Story didn't grab me like Virgin Suicides.

What were your favorite reads of 2011?

Just Finished: Understanding Exposure

Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera by Bryan Peterson

If you want to take better pictures, read this book from cover to cover. From the title it might sound like Understanding Exposure covers a very limited area of photography, but that's where you're wrong. Peterson, a successful photographer, has everything the beginner needs to take beautiful pictures. The book begins with how to use ISO, shutter speed, and aperture together to create pictures that are technically and artistically good. From there Peterson explains the different techniques to get a variety of cool effects such as panning. Even though I had been taking pictures for over a year, I found the book extremely helpful and the lighting section provides invaluable information on how to adjust exposure for different times of day and situations. There are pictures on almost every page to illustrate Peterson's instructions. My only criticism is that some terms are mentioned numerous times but not explained until the last third of the book. But that's just another reason to go through the whole thing.

Do you photographers out there have any other recommendations for photography manuals?