(pb; 1982: Book Three in the Tales of the City series)
From the back cover:
"The calamity-prone residents of 28 Barbary Lane are at it again in this deliciously dark novel of romance and betrayal. While Anna Madrigal imprisons an anchorwoman in her basement, Michael Tolliver looks for love at the National Gay Rodeo, DeDe Halcyon Day and Mary Ann Singleton track a charismatic psychopath across Alaska, and society columnist Prue Giroux loses her heart to a derelict living in a San Francisco park."
Review:
Another reader-charming entry in the warm, wild and briefly morbid Tales of the City series: worthwhile follow-up to Tales of the City and More Tales of the City.
Followed by Babycakes.
Further Tales of the City, the television mini-series, aired stateside on May 6, 2001. It was scripted by James Lecesne and book author Armistead Maupin (who also has a non-speaking cameo as "Man exiting Glory Holes").
Pierre Gang, who directed More Tales of the City, directed this.
Olympia Dukakis reprised her role of Anna Madrigal. Laura Linney reprised her role of Mary Ann Singleton. Whip Hubley reprised his role of Brian Hawkins (from More Tales of the City). Paul Hopkins reprised his role of Michael "Mouse" Tolliver (from More Tales of the City). Bill Campbell reprised his role of Jon Fielding.
Barbara Garrick reprised her role of DeDe Day Halcyon. Françoise Robertson reprised her role of D'orothea/Dorothy Williams (from More Tales of the City).
Mary Kay Place reprised her role of Prue Giroux (from Tales of the City).
Jackie Burroughs played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey (whose character is absent from the book version of Further Tales of the City).
Sandra Oh played Bambi Kanetaka. In 2006, Oh played Anna, the grown-up version of DeDe Day Halcyon's daughter, in The Night Listener. (Anna's relationship to DeDe isn't mentioned in the movie version of The Night Listener, but it is in the book version of it.)
Joel Grey plays Guido. Parker Posey reprised her role of Connie Bradshaw Fetzner.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
'Q' Is For Quarry, by Sue Grafton
(pb; 2002: seventeenth book in the Kinsey Millhone mysteries)
From the inside flap:
"Back in 1969, a lot of young people were hitting the road and disappearing. More than one of them wound up dead -- including the girl in daisy-patterned pants who was found in a quarry off Highway 1 in Lompoc, the victim of multiple stab wounds. Eighteen years later, she's still a Jane Doe -- and the cops who found her are still haunted by the case. Anxious to solve it, but no longer in their prime, they turn to Kinsey Millhone for help. If nothing else, they'd just like to identify the body. But this ice-cold case heats up more quickly than they expect. And for Kinsey, it will lead to a lot of dangerous discoveries -- including some about her past."
Review:
Con Dolan, retired police lieutenant and Kinsey's friend, requests her help in helping solve an eighteen-year old Jane Doe case he and his deathly-ill ex-cop partner (Stacy Oliphant) were unable to close the file on.
This request brings Dolan, Oliphant and Kinsey into contact with a variety of small-town suspects, many of whom are afraid, and/or have something to hide.
Suspenseful, character-progressive, hard-to-put down read -- like all of Grafton's "alphabet mystery"/Kinsey Millhone novels.
Check this series out.
Side-note: this is loosely based on a real-life cold case (readers should check out the "Author's Note" that follows the novel, complete with a facial reconstruction photo).
Followed by 'R' is for Ricochet.
From the inside flap:
"Back in 1969, a lot of young people were hitting the road and disappearing. More than one of them wound up dead -- including the girl in daisy-patterned pants who was found in a quarry off Highway 1 in Lompoc, the victim of multiple stab wounds. Eighteen years later, she's still a Jane Doe -- and the cops who found her are still haunted by the case. Anxious to solve it, but no longer in their prime, they turn to Kinsey Millhone for help. If nothing else, they'd just like to identify the body. But this ice-cold case heats up more quickly than they expect. And for Kinsey, it will lead to a lot of dangerous discoveries -- including some about her past."
Review:
Con Dolan, retired police lieutenant and Kinsey's friend, requests her help in helping solve an eighteen-year old Jane Doe case he and his deathly-ill ex-cop partner (Stacy Oliphant) were unable to close the file on.
This request brings Dolan, Oliphant and Kinsey into contact with a variety of small-town suspects, many of whom are afraid, and/or have something to hide.
Suspenseful, character-progressive, hard-to-put down read -- like all of Grafton's "alphabet mystery"/Kinsey Millhone novels.
Check this series out.
Side-note: this is loosely based on a real-life cold case (readers should check out the "Author's Note" that follows the novel, complete with a facial reconstruction photo).
Followed by 'R' is for Ricochet.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Star Wars: Death Troopers, by Joe Schreiber
(hb; 2009)
From the inside flap:
"When the Imperial prison barge Purge -- temporary home to five hundred of the galaxy's most ruthless killers, rebels, scoundrels and thieves -- breaks down in a distant, uninhabited part of space, its only hope appears to lie with a Star Destroyer found drifting derelict, and seemingly abandoned. But when a boarding party from the Purge is sent to scavenge for parts, only half of them come back -- bringing with them a horrific disease so lethal that within hours nearly all aboard the Purge die in ways too hideous to imagine.
"And death is only the beginning.
"The Purge's half-dozen survivors -- two teenage brothers, a sadistic captain of the guards, a couple of rogue smugglers, and the chief medical officer, the lone woman on board -- will do whatever it takes to stay alive. But nothing can prepare them for what lies waiting aboard the Star Destroyer amid its vast creaking emptiness that isn't really empty at all. For the dead are rising: soulless, unstoppable, and unspeakable hungry."
Review:
Solid melding of the Star Wars, Alien and Night of the Living Dead franchises.
Schreiber, an entertaining and fast-paced writer, doesn't bring much that most readers haven't seen before, but his writing has a spooky and classic-cinematic sense of dread, resulting in some B-flick-worthy, memorably scary-gory moments.
Good read; eye-catching book cover -- both are edgy for a Star Wars novel. Worth your time, but not your money (at least not in book form).
Check it out.
From the inside flap:
"When the Imperial prison barge Purge -- temporary home to five hundred of the galaxy's most ruthless killers, rebels, scoundrels and thieves -- breaks down in a distant, uninhabited part of space, its only hope appears to lie with a Star Destroyer found drifting derelict, and seemingly abandoned. But when a boarding party from the Purge is sent to scavenge for parts, only half of them come back -- bringing with them a horrific disease so lethal that within hours nearly all aboard the Purge die in ways too hideous to imagine.
"And death is only the beginning.
"The Purge's half-dozen survivors -- two teenage brothers, a sadistic captain of the guards, a couple of rogue smugglers, and the chief medical officer, the lone woman on board -- will do whatever it takes to stay alive. But nothing can prepare them for what lies waiting aboard the Star Destroyer amid its vast creaking emptiness that isn't really empty at all. For the dead are rising: soulless, unstoppable, and unspeakable hungry."
Review:
Solid melding of the Star Wars, Alien and Night of the Living Dead franchises.
Schreiber, an entertaining and fast-paced writer, doesn't bring much that most readers haven't seen before, but his writing has a spooky and classic-cinematic sense of dread, resulting in some B-flick-worthy, memorably scary-gory moments.
Good read; eye-catching book cover -- both are edgy for a Star Wars novel. Worth your time, but not your money (at least not in book form).
Check it out.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Fire in the Blood, by Irène Némirovsky
(hb; 1941, 2007: translated by Sandra Smith)
From the inside flap:
"Written in 1941, the manuscript for Fire in the Blood was entrusted in pieces to family and a friend when the author was sent to her death in Auschwitz. The novel -- only now assembled in its entirety -- teems with the intertwined lives of an insular French village in the years before the war, when 'peace' was less important as a political state than as a coveted personal condition: the untroubled pinnacle of happiness.
"At the center of the tale is Silvio: in his younger years he fled the boredom of the village and made a life of travel and adventure. Now he's returned, living in a farmer's hovel in the middle of the woods, and, much to his family's chagrin, perfectly content with his solitude.
"But when he attends the wedding of his favorite young cousin -- 'she has the thing that, when I was young, I used to value most in women: she has fire' -- Silvio begins to be drawn back into the complicated life of this small town. As his narration unfolds, we are given an intimate picture of the loves and infidelities, the scandals, the youthful ardor and regrets of age that tie Silvio to the long-unguarded secrets of the past."
Review:
Nuanced, intimate work, narrated by an old man (Silvio), whose youthful wandering ways still haunt him, even as decades-old secrets begin surfacing amongst his fellow villagers.
Excellent read, worth owning, perfect.
From the inside flap:
"Written in 1941, the manuscript for Fire in the Blood was entrusted in pieces to family and a friend when the author was sent to her death in Auschwitz. The novel -- only now assembled in its entirety -- teems with the intertwined lives of an insular French village in the years before the war, when 'peace' was less important as a political state than as a coveted personal condition: the untroubled pinnacle of happiness.
"At the center of the tale is Silvio: in his younger years he fled the boredom of the village and made a life of travel and adventure. Now he's returned, living in a farmer's hovel in the middle of the woods, and, much to his family's chagrin, perfectly content with his solitude.
"But when he attends the wedding of his favorite young cousin -- 'she has the thing that, when I was young, I used to value most in women: she has fire' -- Silvio begins to be drawn back into the complicated life of this small town. As his narration unfolds, we are given an intimate picture of the loves and infidelities, the scandals, the youthful ardor and regrets of age that tie Silvio to the long-unguarded secrets of the past."
Review:
Nuanced, intimate work, narrated by an old man (Silvio), whose youthful wandering ways still haunt him, even as decades-old secrets begin surfacing amongst his fellow villagers.
Excellent read, worth owning, perfect.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
More Tales of the City, by Armistead Maupin
(pb; 1980: Book Two in the Tales of the City series)
From the back cover:
"The divinely human comedy that began with Tales of the City rolls recklessly along as Michael Tolliver pursues his favorite gynecologist, Mona Ramsey uncovers her roots in a desert whorehouse, and Mary Ann Singleton finds love at sea with the amnesiac of her dreams."
Review:
All the warmth, wit, bawdiness, and often-surprising twists that made Tales of the City such a joy to read are seamlessly recreated, with several of the first book's bizarre mysteries and hanging plotlines concluded in its follow-up -- even as new ones are tantalizingly offered to readers.
Vivacious, organic (as in: it reads like real-life) sequel to a landmark San Francisco-centric read.
Worth owning, this.
Followed by Further Tales of the City.
More Tales of the City, the television mini-series, aired stateside on June 7, 1998. It was scripted by Nicholas Wright, and directed by Pierre Gang.
Laura Linney reprised her role of Mary Ann Singleton. Olympia Dukakis reprised her role of Anna Madrigal. Nina Siemaszko replaced Chloe Webb in the role of Mona Ramsey. Jackie Burroughs played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey. Paul Hopkins replaced Marcus D'Amico in the role of Michael "Mouse" Tolliver. Bill Campbell (billed as "William Campbell") reprised his role of Jon Fielding. Whip Hubley replaced Paul Gross in the role of Brian Hawkins. Colin Ferguson played Burke Christopher Andrew.
Barbara Garrick reprised her role of DeDe Day Halcyon. Françoise Robertson replaced Cynda Williams in the role of D'orothea/Dorothy Williams. Thomas Gibson reprised his role of Beauchamp Day.
Ian McKellen reprised his role of Archibald Anson Gidde. Paul Bartel reprised his role of Charles Hillary Lord. Parker Posey reprised her role of Connie Bradshaw. Suzanne Girard played [Brian's mysterious] "Woman at Blinds".
Book author Armistead Maupin played a "Priest".
From the back cover:
"The divinely human comedy that began with Tales of the City rolls recklessly along as Michael Tolliver pursues his favorite gynecologist, Mona Ramsey uncovers her roots in a desert whorehouse, and Mary Ann Singleton finds love at sea with the amnesiac of her dreams."
Review:
All the warmth, wit, bawdiness, and often-surprising twists that made Tales of the City such a joy to read are seamlessly recreated, with several of the first book's bizarre mysteries and hanging plotlines concluded in its follow-up -- even as new ones are tantalizingly offered to readers.
Vivacious, organic (as in: it reads like real-life) sequel to a landmark San Francisco-centric read.
Worth owning, this.
Followed by Further Tales of the City.
More Tales of the City, the television mini-series, aired stateside on June 7, 1998. It was scripted by Nicholas Wright, and directed by Pierre Gang.
Laura Linney reprised her role of Mary Ann Singleton. Olympia Dukakis reprised her role of Anna Madrigal. Nina Siemaszko replaced Chloe Webb in the role of Mona Ramsey. Jackie Burroughs played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey. Paul Hopkins replaced Marcus D'Amico in the role of Michael "Mouse" Tolliver. Bill Campbell (billed as "William Campbell") reprised his role of Jon Fielding. Whip Hubley replaced Paul Gross in the role of Brian Hawkins. Colin Ferguson played Burke Christopher Andrew.
Barbara Garrick reprised her role of DeDe Day Halcyon. Françoise Robertson replaced Cynda Williams in the role of D'orothea/Dorothy Williams. Thomas Gibson reprised his role of Beauchamp Day.
Ian McKellen reprised his role of Archibald Anson Gidde. Paul Bartel reprised his role of Charles Hillary Lord. Parker Posey reprised her role of Connie Bradshaw. Suzanne Girard played [Brian's mysterious] "Woman at Blinds".
Book author Armistead Maupin played a "Priest".
Sunday, October 18, 2009
A Dish Taken Cold, by Anne Perry
(hb; 2000: novella)
From the inside flap:
"It is 1792 in the terror-ridden Paris. . . In the three years since the storming of the Bastille, the economy has failed and the power of the monarchy has withered into utter ineffectuality. Chaos reigns in the steamy summer streets. The city is hungry -- for justice, for vengeance, for bread. So is Celie.
"Employed in the household of the celebrated Madame de Staël, the young, unwed Celie daily leaves her baby in the care of a friend, Amandine. One day, grievously, Celie's infant suffers an accidental, inexplicable death, which apparently occurred, so Celie learns later, while Amandine lay in the arms of her lover, Georges. Her woe flaring into rage, Celie plots a sure but horrific revenge among revolutionaries ready to put to death any woman or man named traitor."
Review:
Well-written, straightforward work whose characters and prose vividly convey the terror, fervor and chaos of a revolution-torn country, in this case France, specifically Paris. The character-based end-twist is obvious early on, but it's a decent read from an excellent writer.
From the inside flap:
"It is 1792 in the terror-ridden Paris. . . In the three years since the storming of the Bastille, the economy has failed and the power of the monarchy has withered into utter ineffectuality. Chaos reigns in the steamy summer streets. The city is hungry -- for justice, for vengeance, for bread. So is Celie.
"Employed in the household of the celebrated Madame de Staël, the young, unwed Celie daily leaves her baby in the care of a friend, Amandine. One day, grievously, Celie's infant suffers an accidental, inexplicable death, which apparently occurred, so Celie learns later, while Amandine lay in the arms of her lover, Georges. Her woe flaring into rage, Celie plots a sure but horrific revenge among revolutionaries ready to put to death any woman or man named traitor."
Review:
Well-written, straightforward work whose characters and prose vividly convey the terror, fervor and chaos of a revolution-torn country, in this case France, specifically Paris. The character-based end-twist is obvious early on, but it's a decent read from an excellent writer.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Promenade Of The Gods by Koji Suzuki
(hb; 2003, 2008: translated by Takami Nieda)
Review:
Caveat - (possible) spoilers in this review.
Shirow Murakami, a thirty-something slacker-ish teacher, begins investigating the disappearance of his close boyhood friend (Kunio Matsuoka), with help from Kunio's wife, Miyuki.
Shirow and Miyuki soon find out that others -- including Ryoko Kano, a television actress -- have also disappeared, in much the same manner. More than that, Ryoko and Kunio may be somehow linked to an obscure polytheistic religion ("Halo of Heaven and Earth") whose roots began in the later years of World War II, before going underground after 1986. . .
What have the cult members really been doing these past nine years? (It's 1995.) And why are they, seemingly dormant all these years, suddenly back in the Halo fold?
Promenade, like Suzuki's other stateside-published works, is tightly plotted, character-focused, with surreality peppering the clever plot.
Despite these promising elements, this is a disappointing, style-over-substance read from Suzuki. It's ordinary, not distinctive like Suzuki's other works.
Not only that, the mystery surrounding the cult -- not much to begin with -- will probably be figured by most readers long before the novel's dramatic-but-ultimately-limp finish.
This is for hardcore Suzuki fans only. If you don't fall into that category, skip this one.
Review:
Caveat - (possible) spoilers in this review.
Shirow Murakami, a thirty-something slacker-ish teacher, begins investigating the disappearance of his close boyhood friend (Kunio Matsuoka), with help from Kunio's wife, Miyuki.
Shirow and Miyuki soon find out that others -- including Ryoko Kano, a television actress -- have also disappeared, in much the same manner. More than that, Ryoko and Kunio may be somehow linked to an obscure polytheistic religion ("Halo of Heaven and Earth") whose roots began in the later years of World War II, before going underground after 1986. . .
What have the cult members really been doing these past nine years? (It's 1995.) And why are they, seemingly dormant all these years, suddenly back in the Halo fold?
Promenade, like Suzuki's other stateside-published works, is tightly plotted, character-focused, with surreality peppering the clever plot.
Despite these promising elements, this is a disappointing, style-over-substance read from Suzuki. It's ordinary, not distinctive like Suzuki's other works.
Not only that, the mystery surrounding the cult -- not much to begin with -- will probably be figured by most readers long before the novel's dramatic-but-ultimately-limp finish.
This is for hardcore Suzuki fans only. If you don't fall into that category, skip this one.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Assassination Vacation, by Sarah Vowell
From the back cover:
"Sarah Vowell exposes the glorious conundrums of American history and culture with wit, probity, and an irreverent sense of humor. With Assassination Vacation, she takes us on a road trip like no other -- a journey to the pit stops of American political murder, and through the myriad ways they have been used for fun and profit, for political and cultural advantage.
"From Buffalo to Alaska, Washington to Dry Tortugas, Vowell visits locations immortalized and influenced by the spilling of politically important blood, reporting as she goes with her trademark blend of wisecracking humor, remarkable honesty, and thought-provoking criticism. We learn about the jinx that was Robert Todd Lincoln (present at the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley) and witness the politicking that went into the making of the Lincoln Memorial. The resulting narrative is much more than an entertaining and informative travelogue -- it is the disturbing and fascinating story of how American death has been manipulated by popular culture, including literature, architecture, sculpture, and -- the author's favorite -- historical tourism. Though the themes of loss and violence are explored and we make detours to see how the Republican Party became the Republican Party, there are all kinds of lighter diversions along the way into the lives of the three presidents and their assassins, including mummies, show tunes, mean-spirited totem poles, and a nineteenth-century biblical sex cult."
Review:
This chuckle-worthy, humorously macabre read is focused, even with Vowell's many sidebar observations, sometimes-ironically linked events and people, and various past and modern-day facts.
Vowell makes no secret of her dislike of the then-current U.S. President (George W. Bush, whose name she can barely utter) and what the current crop of Republicans are doing, but she's fair in her presentation of how, in small ways, the Republican Party came to its current state. Vowell's listing of these events is not exhaustive nor complete - it's simply another subtheme sidebar, in a parade of odd links, characters, and an honest look at old-time politicking (even Abraham Lincoln is not spared).
Worth your time, this, if your humor runs dark, snarky and politically liberal.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Hit Hard, by Joey Kramer with William Patrick & Keith Garde
(hb; 2009: memoir/autobiography. Introduction by Nikki Sixx)
From the inside flap:
"In 1997, amid Aerosmith's sold-out world tour and number one album release, word about Joey's troubles was reported in the press. Despite the advice he had received to play it down, Joey revealed in an interview his ongoing struggles with depression. The response from fans and people battling those same internal demons was overwhelming. Joey -- who has been the drummer in Aerosmith since it was founded in 1970 and is the first member of the band to release his own book -- now tells the complete story: the early days of the band, glamorous drug-addled events leading up to their eventual sobriety, battles within his family and among bandmates, and the explosive internal dynamics in Aerosmith that continue to unleash a fury of endless creativity.
"This is not just another rock n' roll memoir. In addition to the never-before-told Aerosmith war stories that abound in the book, Hit Hard unpacks the history of a rock star who was both fragile and tough, who, after years of insane wildness, became willing to accept help and finally kick a serious alcohol and drug addiction, only to find that the real terrors and hard work were still ahead. It's the story of an average kid from an average American suburb who went through physical and emotional trauma. It's about years of depression and the nervous breakdown at the height of the band's comeback success. Ultimately, Hit Hard is about how Joey recognized his confusion between love and abuse, awakening to the kind of self-acceptance and compassion that make relationships possible in the 'real world' as a member of the biggest band in American history."
Review:
Straightforward, no-frills memoir/autobiography.
Kramer, Patrick and Garde write about: Kramer's Bronx childhood in the Fifties, born to a tough, emotionally-stilted father and strict mother; how, early on, he discovered rock n' roll, and later, r&b and other styles of drumming; about how he and rock drummer/singer Steven Tallarico (later named Steven Tyler) grew up in nearby neighborhoods, and met at key moments in both their lives; and how Kramer, over the course of thirty-plus years, overcame a cycle of depression and emotional abuse (at the hands of his father, Steven Tyler, and ex-wife April) to finally become a stronger, sober musician and man.
Kramer and his co-authors don't skimp on the main selling point of the book (Aerosmith's media-fabled chemical and musical decadence), nor do they make these already-chronicled years the main point of the book, which sets this apart from other rock/drug-addiction memoirs.
The closest memoir I've read of this sort is Nikki Sixx's The Heroin Diaries; fittingly, Sixx provides a thoughtful, punkish Introduction to the book. As Sixx writes in his Introduction: "Joey had the balls to see what's underneath the hood, and fix it. Being a rock star was easy compared to that."
Solid, don't-rush-to-read memoir about one man's emotional maturation, from youth to middle age. Any readers seeking salacious and scandalous books about Aerosmith might want to check other tell-alls about the band.
From the inside flap:
"In 1997, amid Aerosmith's sold-out world tour and number one album release, word about Joey's troubles was reported in the press. Despite the advice he had received to play it down, Joey revealed in an interview his ongoing struggles with depression. The response from fans and people battling those same internal demons was overwhelming. Joey -- who has been the drummer in Aerosmith since it was founded in 1970 and is the first member of the band to release his own book -- now tells the complete story: the early days of the band, glamorous drug-addled events leading up to their eventual sobriety, battles within his family and among bandmates, and the explosive internal dynamics in Aerosmith that continue to unleash a fury of endless creativity.
"This is not just another rock n' roll memoir. In addition to the never-before-told Aerosmith war stories that abound in the book, Hit Hard unpacks the history of a rock star who was both fragile and tough, who, after years of insane wildness, became willing to accept help and finally kick a serious alcohol and drug addiction, only to find that the real terrors and hard work were still ahead. It's the story of an average kid from an average American suburb who went through physical and emotional trauma. It's about years of depression and the nervous breakdown at the height of the band's comeback success. Ultimately, Hit Hard is about how Joey recognized his confusion between love and abuse, awakening to the kind of self-acceptance and compassion that make relationships possible in the 'real world' as a member of the biggest band in American history."
Review:
Straightforward, no-frills memoir/autobiography.
Kramer, Patrick and Garde write about: Kramer's Bronx childhood in the Fifties, born to a tough, emotionally-stilted father and strict mother; how, early on, he discovered rock n' roll, and later, r&b and other styles of drumming; about how he and rock drummer/singer Steven Tallarico (later named Steven Tyler) grew up in nearby neighborhoods, and met at key moments in both their lives; and how Kramer, over the course of thirty-plus years, overcame a cycle of depression and emotional abuse (at the hands of his father, Steven Tyler, and ex-wife April) to finally become a stronger, sober musician and man.
Kramer and his co-authors don't skimp on the main selling point of the book (Aerosmith's media-fabled chemical and musical decadence), nor do they make these already-chronicled years the main point of the book, which sets this apart from other rock/drug-addiction memoirs.
The closest memoir I've read of this sort is Nikki Sixx's The Heroin Diaries; fittingly, Sixx provides a thoughtful, punkish Introduction to the book. As Sixx writes in his Introduction: "Joey had the balls to see what's underneath the hood, and fix it. Being a rock star was easy compared to that."
Solid, don't-rush-to-read memoir about one man's emotional maturation, from youth to middle age. Any readers seeking salacious and scandalous books about Aerosmith might want to check other tell-alls about the band.
Friday, October 09, 2009
A Touch of Dead, by Charlaine Harris
(hb; 2009: story anthology. Tenth/side entry in The Sookie Stackhouse Novels)
From the inside flap:
"In 'Fairy Dust,' Sookie finds her mind-reading talents in demand when a fairy from a set of triplets gets dusted.
" 'Dracula Night' may be the commemoration of the Prince of Darkness's birth, but it's Sookie who gets a tasty-looking present.
"Learning that her cousin is dead is shocking enough for Sookie. Learning that her cousin was a vampire who got staked leaves her speechless in 'One Word Answer.'
"When Sookie teams up with her witchy friend Amelia to discover who has it out for Bon Temps's most successful insurance agent, they get 'Lucky.'
"A solo Sookie has the holiday blues in 'Gift Wrap,' until she has an unexpected encounter with someone who has bigger problems than loneliness."
Overall review:
Caveat: (possible) spoilers in this review.
Fun, non-essential Sookie read.
These stories fill in certain event-blanks between the Sookie novels, but, for regular Sookie readers, there's an element of ok-get-to-the-#$%-point impatience to these pieces. The reason for this: Harris does a lot of necessary novel plot-/character-recapping in these stories, recaps that may bore those who have read the novels.
These pieces aren't bad, but, like I said before, they're non-essential.
One of the nice things Harris does, in her Introduction, is tell readers where these stories lie in the Sookie timeline (e.g., "The action in 'Fairy Dust' takes place after the events in Dead To The World.").
Not wondering when these stories happened eliminates any unncessary distractions for Sookie readers like myself, who read (and write) according to the timelines of the serial books we read (and write).
Also, Lisa Desimini's interior art imbues the pieces with additional warmth and much-needed quirkiness (there's not a lot of quirk in these stories).
"Gift Wrap" was my least favorite story. Its plot, barely saved by a character-based twist at the end, was otherwise pure Paranormal Harlequin romance.
Standout stories: "Dracula Night" (I liked seeing Eric get geek-fanboy about something), and "Lucky" (the most interesting, least-predictable story in this mix).
Decent read, unnecessary for ongoing Sookie-book fans.
From the inside flap:
"In 'Fairy Dust,' Sookie finds her mind-reading talents in demand when a fairy from a set of triplets gets dusted.
" 'Dracula Night' may be the commemoration of the Prince of Darkness's birth, but it's Sookie who gets a tasty-looking present.
"Learning that her cousin is dead is shocking enough for Sookie. Learning that her cousin was a vampire who got staked leaves her speechless in 'One Word Answer.'
"When Sookie teams up with her witchy friend Amelia to discover who has it out for Bon Temps's most successful insurance agent, they get 'Lucky.'
"A solo Sookie has the holiday blues in 'Gift Wrap,' until she has an unexpected encounter with someone who has bigger problems than loneliness."
Overall review:
Caveat: (possible) spoilers in this review.
Fun, non-essential Sookie read.
These stories fill in certain event-blanks between the Sookie novels, but, for regular Sookie readers, there's an element of ok-get-to-the-#$%-point impatience to these pieces. The reason for this: Harris does a lot of necessary novel plot-/character-recapping in these stories, recaps that may bore those who have read the novels.
These pieces aren't bad, but, like I said before, they're non-essential.
One of the nice things Harris does, in her Introduction, is tell readers where these stories lie in the Sookie timeline (e.g., "The action in 'Fairy Dust' takes place after the events in Dead To The World.").
Not wondering when these stories happened eliminates any unncessary distractions for Sookie readers like myself, who read (and write) according to the timelines of the serial books we read (and write).
Also, Lisa Desimini's interior art imbues the pieces with additional warmth and much-needed quirkiness (there's not a lot of quirk in these stories).
"Gift Wrap" was my least favorite story. Its plot, barely saved by a character-based twist at the end, was otherwise pure Paranormal Harlequin romance.
Standout stories: "Dracula Night" (I liked seeing Eric get geek-fanboy about something), and "Lucky" (the most interesting, least-predictable story in this mix).
Decent read, unnecessary for ongoing Sookie-book fans.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Bukowski And The Beats, by Jean-François Duval
(pb; 1998, 2002: non-fiction)
From the back cover:
"There are several reasons for this book. The principle one is pleasure -- the pure joy of returning to Charles Bukowski and to the Beats, by dipping into their legend -- particularly since the Beat movement is now enjoying a lively revival of attention through new editions, appearances of previously unpublished material, exhibitions, and other events.
"There is also the pleasure of rediscovering Charles Bukowski, cult author whose reputation continues to grow steadily all over the world. The full drama of his humor, fits of anger, memories, frustrations, and distinctive grace come to life during Dvual's long interview with Buk -- An Evening at Buk's Place. In February 1986, drinks in hand, the two hit it off with unusual rapport, providing a dialogue that is an essential part of Bukowski's canon.
"The pleasure also consists of having a close look at the links and contradictions between Bukowski and the Beat constellation -- a subject on which the enfant terribles of American literature have variously reacted with hatred, resentment, and, at times, actual admiration.
"Jean-François Duval, novelist, essayist and journalist, gives us an inspired commentary, plus a bibliography, a Who's Who, some never-before-seen photos, and much more."
Review:
Entertaining, informative read about Charles "Buk" Bukowski's relationship with the Beat writers and the rest of the world, on and off the page.
First, an abbreviated Beat-related history.
According to Duval:
"Originally 'Beat' was an imprecise term created in Times Square, New York by the poet and thief Herbert Hunke. Kerouac took the term and gave it it content. At the beginning the expression was quite meaningless -- 'Man, I'm beat,' Hunke would say. He hadn't a cent to his name, he slept in the Underground, it didn't really bother him that nothing ever went right. Straight away, seeing the light in Hunke's eyes, the light that radiated from him, Kerouac understood that 'beat' didn't simply mean worn out, but also blessed -- blessed because he was worn out. This light contradicted the apparent state of degeneration that the expression entailed.
"In 1948, John Clellon Holmes (future chronicler of the movement) asked how Kerouac would characterize the term, and conscious of Hunke's words [Kerouac] replied: 'I guess you might say we're a beat generation.' Holmes used the expression for the first time in a famous article in The Sunday Times on November 16, 1952, and also in his novel Go in which he used Kerouac's material. . . [Kerouac's] On The Road appeared only five years afterwards in 1957." (p. 38)
In the year prior to On The Road's publication, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, founder of the publishing house City Lights (now City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco), had published Allen Ginsberg's politically provocative poem Howl. Publication of this poem cemented Ginsberg's celebrity in the literary world, and earned Ferlinghetti a court conviction: when he published the poem, Ferlinghetti had violated obscenity laws.
These two events started a literary firestorm that inflamed society -- especially pop culture.
According to Duval, "soon it was everywhere, the new look, the 'twisted' slouchy look; finally it began to appear in movies (James Dean) and on television. . . the bop visions became common property. . . carried over to the new rock n' roll youth via Montgomery Clift (leather jacket), Marlon Brando (T-shirt) and Elvis Presley (long sideburns). . ." (p. 48)
Bukowski began getting published in the mid-Fifties, and his raw (a word usually associated with Bukowski), crude-language style inevitably got him compared to the Beats, who, in their own distinctive ways, eschewed the narrative rules: Kerouac loved his rambly, poetic, nostalgic descriptions; William S. Burroughs was hygenically stark and/or hallucinogenic, depending on which novel you read; Ginsberg was political, provocative, with his crazy word flights; Ken Kesey's love of psilocybine, mescaline and LSD impelled him to write the novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest; there are others, but I don't want to belabor the point.
The truth of it was that Bukowski (born Henry Bukowski) didn't get on with most of the Beat writers -- e.g., the cold, "disturbing" (Duval's word) Burroughs had no interest in meeting Bukowski (the feeling was mutual); Ginsberg was too "silly" (Bukowski's word) and shrill in his political posturings, on and off the page; Kerouac was off on his own trip, as was Bukowski.
And so it goes.
Given the scope of these authors' popularity, an inevitable cross-pollination of influence seeped into some of these writers' works and lives (sometimes, years later, as was the case with Bukowski).
However, for the most part, Bukowski and the Beats were separate entities, born of similar societal and literary dynamics.
This excellent, reader-friendly study is, appropriately, published with Duval's February 1986 interview with Bukowski. Titled "An Evening At Buk's," Bukowski's grace, humor and warmth, usually glimpsed between the lines of his sex- and booze-drenched works, shines through.
At heart, Bukowski comes off as a honest guy who understands all too well that everyone has their own store of bullsh*t that they have to sort through, and that one's walk should gibe with his talk. For the most part, Bukowski seems to accomplish the latter, as well.
Exemplary, fascinating book, this. Check it out. For Bukowski fans, it's (probably) worth owning.
From the back cover:
"There are several reasons for this book. The principle one is pleasure -- the pure joy of returning to Charles Bukowski and to the Beats, by dipping into their legend -- particularly since the Beat movement is now enjoying a lively revival of attention through new editions, appearances of previously unpublished material, exhibitions, and other events.
"There is also the pleasure of rediscovering Charles Bukowski, cult author whose reputation continues to grow steadily all over the world. The full drama of his humor, fits of anger, memories, frustrations, and distinctive grace come to life during Dvual's long interview with Buk -- An Evening at Buk's Place. In February 1986, drinks in hand, the two hit it off with unusual rapport, providing a dialogue that is an essential part of Bukowski's canon.
"The pleasure also consists of having a close look at the links and contradictions between Bukowski and the Beat constellation -- a subject on which the enfant terribles of American literature have variously reacted with hatred, resentment, and, at times, actual admiration.
"Jean-François Duval, novelist, essayist and journalist, gives us an inspired commentary, plus a bibliography, a Who's Who, some never-before-seen photos, and much more."
Review:
Entertaining, informative read about Charles "Buk" Bukowski's relationship with the Beat writers and the rest of the world, on and off the page.
First, an abbreviated Beat-related history.
According to Duval:
"Originally 'Beat' was an imprecise term created in Times Square, New York by the poet and thief Herbert Hunke. Kerouac took the term and gave it it content. At the beginning the expression was quite meaningless -- 'Man, I'm beat,' Hunke would say. He hadn't a cent to his name, he slept in the Underground, it didn't really bother him that nothing ever went right. Straight away, seeing the light in Hunke's eyes, the light that radiated from him, Kerouac understood that 'beat' didn't simply mean worn out, but also blessed -- blessed because he was worn out. This light contradicted the apparent state of degeneration that the expression entailed.
"In 1948, John Clellon Holmes (future chronicler of the movement) asked how Kerouac would characterize the term, and conscious of Hunke's words [Kerouac] replied: 'I guess you might say we're a beat generation.' Holmes used the expression for the first time in a famous article in The Sunday Times on November 16, 1952, and also in his novel Go in which he used Kerouac's material. . . [Kerouac's] On The Road appeared only five years afterwards in 1957." (p. 38)
In the year prior to On The Road's publication, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, founder of the publishing house City Lights (now City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco), had published Allen Ginsberg's politically provocative poem Howl. Publication of this poem cemented Ginsberg's celebrity in the literary world, and earned Ferlinghetti a court conviction: when he published the poem, Ferlinghetti had violated obscenity laws.
These two events started a literary firestorm that inflamed society -- especially pop culture.
According to Duval, "soon it was everywhere, the new look, the 'twisted' slouchy look; finally it began to appear in movies (James Dean) and on television. . . the bop visions became common property. . . carried over to the new rock n' roll youth via Montgomery Clift (leather jacket), Marlon Brando (T-shirt) and Elvis Presley (long sideburns). . ." (p. 48)
Bukowski began getting published in the mid-Fifties, and his raw (a word usually associated with Bukowski), crude-language style inevitably got him compared to the Beats, who, in their own distinctive ways, eschewed the narrative rules: Kerouac loved his rambly, poetic, nostalgic descriptions; William S. Burroughs was hygenically stark and/or hallucinogenic, depending on which novel you read; Ginsberg was political, provocative, with his crazy word flights; Ken Kesey's love of psilocybine, mescaline and LSD impelled him to write the novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest; there are others, but I don't want to belabor the point.
The truth of it was that Bukowski (born Henry Bukowski) didn't get on with most of the Beat writers -- e.g., the cold, "disturbing" (Duval's word) Burroughs had no interest in meeting Bukowski (the feeling was mutual); Ginsberg was too "silly" (Bukowski's word) and shrill in his political posturings, on and off the page; Kerouac was off on his own trip, as was Bukowski.
And so it goes.
Given the scope of these authors' popularity, an inevitable cross-pollination of influence seeped into some of these writers' works and lives (sometimes, years later, as was the case with Bukowski).
However, for the most part, Bukowski and the Beats were separate entities, born of similar societal and literary dynamics.
This excellent, reader-friendly study is, appropriately, published with Duval's February 1986 interview with Bukowski. Titled "An Evening At Buk's," Bukowski's grace, humor and warmth, usually glimpsed between the lines of his sex- and booze-drenched works, shines through.
At heart, Bukowski comes off as a honest guy who understands all too well that everyone has their own store of bullsh*t that they have to sort through, and that one's walk should gibe with his talk. For the most part, Bukowski seems to accomplish the latter, as well.
Exemplary, fascinating book, this. Check it out. For Bukowski fans, it's (probably) worth owning.
Monday, October 05, 2009
'P' Is For Peril, by Sue Grafton
(pb; 2001: sixteenth book in the Kinsey Millhone mysteries)
From the back cover:
"Kinsey Millhone never sees it coming. She's mired in the case of a doctor who disappeared, his angry ex-wife, and beautiful current one -- a case that is full of unfinished business, unfinished homes, and people drifting in and out of their own lives. Then Kinsey gets a shock. A man she finds attractive is hiding a fatal secret -- and now a whole lot of beauty, money and lies are proving to be a fatal distraction from what Kinsey should have seen all along: a killer standing right before her eyes."
Review:
Another blaze-through-that-f*cker read from Grafton, who keeps the plots, pace, and characters a-jumpin', and her readers a-guessin'.
Excellent, as usual. Check it out!
Followed by 'Q' Is For Quarry.
From the back cover:
"Kinsey Millhone never sees it coming. She's mired in the case of a doctor who disappeared, his angry ex-wife, and beautiful current one -- a case that is full of unfinished business, unfinished homes, and people drifting in and out of their own lives. Then Kinsey gets a shock. A man she finds attractive is hiding a fatal secret -- and now a whole lot of beauty, money and lies are proving to be a fatal distraction from what Kinsey should have seen all along: a killer standing right before her eyes."
Review:
Another blaze-through-that-f*cker read from Grafton, who keeps the plots, pace, and characters a-jumpin', and her readers a-guessin'.
Excellent, as usual. Check it out!
Followed by 'Q' Is For Quarry.
Friday, October 02, 2009
Tales of the City, by Armistead Maupin
(pb; 1978: Book One in the Tales of the City series)
From the back cover:
"Anna: a mystical landlady, an Earth-Space Mother, the kind of woman F. Scott Fitzgerald would have kissed. Mary Ann: a child of Ohio who caught the last dream leaving Cleveland for the coast. Michael: a gay person singular who wanted another person plural with whom he could buy a Christmas tree. And Mona: a writer, a little lonely, a little looney, and a lotta lovable.
"Shooting sentiment and joy straight from the hip, Tales of the City tells what happened to reality when it moved to San Francisco."
Review:
Warm, witty, and occasionally bawdy and sad work, this. The characters come from wildly-varied backgrounds, allowing San Francisco -- which, true to the cliché, is a character itself -- to be seen from many different views.
The year is 1976. The hippie movement has largely burnt out, leaving the more street-savvy or idealistic characters (Anna Madrigal, Mona Ramsey, Michael Tolliver, Brian Hawkins) to deal with its bittersweet ashes. Idealism still abounds in the city, but it's taken a few bruises, and, accordingly, its adherents have become more practical in their attitudes, goals and methods.
Maupin wrote a celebratory, life-affirming work when he penned this. I've read this a couple of times before, and the third time was no less effective in sparking its effervescent, occasionally-shaded moods in me.
Worth owning, this.
Followed by More Tales of the City.
Tales of the City, the PBS television mini-series, aired stateside on January 10, 1994. Richard Kramer wrote the teleplay. Alastair Reid directed.
Laura Linney played Mary Ann Singleton. Olympia Dukakis played Anna Madrigal. Donald Moffat played Edgar Halcyon. Chloe Webb played Mona Ramsey. Cynda Williams played D'orothea/Dorothy Williams. Marcus D'Amico played Michael "Mouse" Tolliver. Bill Campbell (billed as "William Campbell") played Jon Fielding. Paul Gross played Brian Hawkins.
Barbara Garrick played DeDe Day Halcyon. Thomas Gibson played Beauchamp Day. Robert Downey Sr. (father of Robert Downey Jr.) played Edgar's doctor. Parker Posey played Connie Bradshaw.
Mary Kay Place played Prue Giroux. Ian McKellen played Archibald Anson Gidde. Rod Steiger played "Bookstore Owner". An uncredited Janeane Garofalo played "Coppola Woman". Paul Dooley played Herbert "Herb" L. Tolliver. Michael Jeter played Carson Callas. Paul Bartel played Charles Hillary Lord. Karen Black played herself. Country Joe MacDonald played Joaquin.
Book author Armistead Maupin, in an uncredited role, played "Writer in window".
From the back cover:
"Anna: a mystical landlady, an Earth-Space Mother, the kind of woman F. Scott Fitzgerald would have kissed. Mary Ann: a child of Ohio who caught the last dream leaving Cleveland for the coast. Michael: a gay person singular who wanted another person plural with whom he could buy a Christmas tree. And Mona: a writer, a little lonely, a little looney, and a lotta lovable.
"Shooting sentiment and joy straight from the hip, Tales of the City tells what happened to reality when it moved to San Francisco."
Review:
Warm, witty, and occasionally bawdy and sad work, this. The characters come from wildly-varied backgrounds, allowing San Francisco -- which, true to the cliché, is a character itself -- to be seen from many different views.
The year is 1976. The hippie movement has largely burnt out, leaving the more street-savvy or idealistic characters (Anna Madrigal, Mona Ramsey, Michael Tolliver, Brian Hawkins) to deal with its bittersweet ashes. Idealism still abounds in the city, but it's taken a few bruises, and, accordingly, its adherents have become more practical in their attitudes, goals and methods.
Maupin wrote a celebratory, life-affirming work when he penned this. I've read this a couple of times before, and the third time was no less effective in sparking its effervescent, occasionally-shaded moods in me.
Worth owning, this.
Followed by More Tales of the City.
Tales of the City, the PBS television mini-series, aired stateside on January 10, 1994. Richard Kramer wrote the teleplay. Alastair Reid directed.
Laura Linney played Mary Ann Singleton. Olympia Dukakis played Anna Madrigal. Donald Moffat played Edgar Halcyon. Chloe Webb played Mona Ramsey. Cynda Williams played D'orothea/Dorothy Williams. Marcus D'Amico played Michael "Mouse" Tolliver. Bill Campbell (billed as "William Campbell") played Jon Fielding. Paul Gross played Brian Hawkins.
Barbara Garrick played DeDe Day Halcyon. Thomas Gibson played Beauchamp Day. Robert Downey Sr. (father of Robert Downey Jr.) played Edgar's doctor. Parker Posey played Connie Bradshaw.
Mary Kay Place played Prue Giroux. Ian McKellen played Archibald Anson Gidde. Rod Steiger played "Bookstore Owner". An uncredited Janeane Garofalo played "Coppola Woman". Paul Dooley played Herbert "Herb" L. Tolliver. Michael Jeter played Carson Callas. Paul Bartel played Charles Hillary Lord. Karen Black played herself. Country Joe MacDonald played Joaquin.
Book author Armistead Maupin, in an uncredited role, played "Writer in window".
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