Doctor Zhivago

By: Boris Pasternak

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1958/pasternak-bio.html

5 Beers

Doctor Zhivago holds a special place in my heart; I was named after the love interest. I had this book on my bookshelf for years and years, it moved ump-teen times with me, and I just now got around to reading it. I'm not sure what took me so long. I tend to go through phases where I read trash, get sick of the bad writing, and switch over to actual pieces of great literature. I guess it just finally floated to the top.

The book actually took me quite a while to get through. That's odd for me. I fly through books but this one made me pause and really think. It seemed like the only reason some chapters were written was to put forth a philosophical argument. It doesn't distract from the story at all though. In fact, as the story got moving, I started to realize that it really helped explain the characters' motivation throughout their lives. The story does get hard to follow when it comes to character names. Every character has his or her formal name, familiar name, and nickname. And none of these names really have much to do with each other, or maybe they do if you speak Russian but it's completely lost in the translation.

The book follows the lives of Yura (Yurii, Yurochka) Andreievich (Zhivago) and Larisa (Lara) Feodorovna (Antipova) and how their paths crisscross throughout their lives. Yurii and Lara live during the Russian Revolution in the early 20^th century. I don't know much at all about Russian history and all I remembered from high school world history was that they went from parliamentary rule to a communist government. This book assumes that the reader knows a whole lot more. It was written just a few years after the Russian civil war and revolution and it was written for Russians. Truthfully, I really didn't worry too much about which side was the "Reds" and which side was the "Whites". It didn't matter to the story really. Or maybe it did and I just didn't get it. Either way, my ignorance of history didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book.

It's ultimately the story of love. Love of self, love of family, love of country, and romantic love. The extremes one person will go to for all of those loves, what they will go through and endure, and how loving one does not detract from loving another even if it seems very contradictory. It's an uplifting story but I cried at the end. It gave me hope and broke my heart. And the book, like all good things in life, is so worth the time, effort, and rollercoaster ride of emotions.

Authors I Love…

So I know I this is a book review blog, but it's my blog and damn it, I want to talk about a few authors that always get a full 6-pack. The truth is, I was trying to think which books by each of these authors to review and just couldn't choose. Any book you come across by these guys is sure to be one of the best out there. Enjoy!

 

Chuck Palahniuk

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/
 

Most people know Chuck Palahniuk for writing the book Fight Club; as in the Brad Pitt and Edward Norton movie. I've read every book Chuck has written except his newest, Tell All. Just haven't gotten there yet. (I will as soon as I get my butt to the library and will write up a proper review for you.)

Chuck is a very modern writer. He plays with perspective, diction, and timeline. He keeps the stories interesting by overly describing the tiniest of details so you almost miss that he's held back huge chunks of detail and story. Some of the stories have a big reveal at the end, others don't and he lets the reader decipher what's happening; kind of like real life where things aren't explained fully. But these aren't mysteries. They are crazy, twisting stories and dynamic characters.

He peddles in the bazaar. But the stories are weaved in such a way that you follow him willingly into the strange lives and situations of his characters. And every situation has an element of truth. Chuck put together a book called Stranger Then Fiction that chronicles the research he's put into his fictional books and stories. For example, for his research into Fight Club, Chuck attended many support groups and gathered amazing stories from the attendants and basically got a feel for the types of people who attend support groups. That experience led to another book, Choke. All of this research and genuine interest in his subjects leads to characters with real depth and stories we can all, somehow, relate to.

I would recommend all of Chuck Palahniuk's books. The only one I didn't enjoy as much as the others was Diary. But it was still a good book, just not my favorite. Some of the stories are more bazaar then others and most of them are quite graphic. If you are offended easily by sex or violence, then this is not the author for you. And I'm not talking about hot, romance book sex or stylized violence, but the dirty, gritty kind of real life sex and violence. It's not written to make you feel comfortable but to smack you in the face with reality.

I've been trying to decide if I should recommend one or two of his books for someone completely new to Chuck Palahniuk. But as someone who started with Rant, I think just jumping in with both feet is your best bet. Pygmy may be a little tough to get into because the entire book is written in broken English but well worth the effort to read. Beyond that, pick one and enjoy the ride.




 

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

By: Kim Edwards
www.memorykeepersdaughter.com/

2 Beers

I found this book grueling to get through. I had no interest in the characters and even less in the plot. Something kept me reading, but I really can't put my finger on it.
The story starts in 1964 where the young wife of a doctor goes into labor during an ice storm. Her husband calls his trusty nurse to meet them at his office and delivers his twins (surprise!). Only problem, the girl-twin has downs syndrome. So the doctor/husband, being a caring, upstanding kind of guy, decides to give the little girl to the nurse to take to an institution for mentally handicapped people. He then tells his wife, who was too doped up to realize what was happening, that the baby died and it's all ok because they have a perfect little boy. The nurse ends up keeping the daughter and raising her as her own.
The book has a dual narrative; the nurse raising this downs syndrome girl as a single mom, fighting for the rights of her daughter to have an education and the doctor's family raising the son but being torn apart by the wife's depression and the husband's lies. It all sounds interesting but really isn't at all. The story of the nurse and downs syndrome daughter could have been really good if it had been given the time and space it deserved. Unfortunately, it feels like an after-thought. There's no real character development for either of them. They are very cookie-cutter and have the depth of an after-school special. The author sets the doctor up as a complete asshole at the beginning of the book and spends the second half trying to show him as an upstanding guy. Doesn't work. He's just an ass. And his wife isn't all that much better. She's selfish and whiney.
I really wanted to like this book and that may be why I kept reading. I was hoping it would get better and it just really didn't. I wonder if I would have enjoyed it more if I was a wife or mother, but I doubt it. Avoid this book. The cover is pretty and the back-cover summary sounds great, but don't get sucked in.

The Sookie Stackhouse Collection

By: Charlaine Harris
http://www.charlaineharris.com/    http://www.hbo.com/true-blood/index.html

Books 1 – 7

Dead Until Dark        Living Dead In Dallas        Club Dead         Dead to the World        Dead as a Doornail    Definitely Dead        All Together Dead

4 beers

Yes, these are the books on which the HBO series "True Blood" is based. I'm reviewing the first seven books all together for a very specific reason; I read all seven within a week and a half. Could not put them down. And because I read them all together, non-stop, the story-line gets a little jumbled in my already jumbled brain. While you can purchase the paperbacks individually, they do come in a handy box-set that is well worth the money.
Most of us know the basic story. Sookie is a 20-something telepath who finds solace in a vampire, Bill. She's spent her entire life hearing every thought ever thought of every person in her small town. When Sookie meets Bill, she discovers she can't read the minds of vampires. Her telepathy, and super hotness, is highly coveted in the crazy politics of the vampire world. Even though vampires have recently "come out of the coffin", Sookie discovers that the supernatural world contains every fairytale monster and they all want her for her talent.
In every book, we're introduced to a new mystery or two, new types of supernatural beings: every kind of were-animal you could imagine, fairies, witches, demons. At least one person, or being, is trying to kill Sookie in every book but the plot gets pretty twisted and exciting. There's great smut and romance in most all the books. (Side note, for all you Eric fans, go ahead and skip to book 4, Dead to the World, for a fantastic, sexy shower scene. Meow!!)
What makes this story great really is Sookie. She's smart, sexy, and a fierce friend. She always stands up for what's right and those she loves. One of the things I really enjoyed was looking in on Sookie's thought process while she worked out what's the right thing to do, how to help her friends, and if she can do anything to change the wrongs she sees. She's not a vampire hunter, she's not a detective; she's a waitress who is confident in herself and her beliefs. Charlaine Harris gives Sookie a lot of heart and soul.
There are some pretty big inconsistencies through out the books that the author readily acknowledges. But they are a fun, exciting, and easy to read. Don't expect to think too deeply when reading these books. Just sit back, grab a long island iced tea, and enjoy the ride.