mojosmom

Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe & Alexander Selkirk, by Stu and Stevey Bruce

Despite the presence on my bookshelf, for many years, of my mother's copy of Defoe's book (kept for that reason and for the N.C. Wyeth illustrations), I cannot say that it was ever a favorite of mine. Certainly the heavy doses of sermonizing did not attract me as a youngster.

Reading it again, in this version annotated with notes comparing Defoe's fictional character's life with that of his real-life inspiration, Alexander Selkirk, I found more to enjoy. Though the sermonizing still detracts from the book for me, I am mature enough now to accept it in its context, and let myself be drawn into the story. The story of a man marooned on a desert island for "eight and twenty years, two months, and nineteen days", filled with all the details of how he sheltered himself, fed himself, entertained himself, how he filled his days, is told by Defoe in a surprisingly interesting fashion. I say "surprisingly" because, after all, the days must run together in much of a muchness, with little variety, in the constant struggle for survival. Yet Defoe manages to draw us in, and not a little of that is due to describing, not merely Crusoe's actions, but his thoughts.

Now the Bruces come along and give us, side by side with Defoe's text, glimpses into Selkirk's life, so that we may, as was often said in high school English class, "compare and contrast" the two. By doing so, they give us a glimpse into how a writer can take an event and transform it, keeping the nub of it but expanding on it, and using it to present a philosophy as well as a rousing good story. Indeed, if I have any criticism of this presentation, it is that I would have liked to have had a short biographical sketch of Selkirk at the beginning of the book. This would, I think, make it easier for those not familiar with his story to follow the notes.

I must add that the Bruces' descriptions of their visit to the actual island on which Selkirk was marooned, and of their researches in England and Scotland, were a definite bonus!


The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy, by Robert Leleux

The latest entry in the "growing up gay in a dysfunctional, eccentric southern household" sweepstakes won't get first prize, but it definitely places!

Previously supported by the in-laws, Robert and his mother find their emotional and financial lives in turmoil when his father abandons them for another woman. Like another southern belle who tried to conquer the world dressed in her mother's portières, Jessica calculates that all she needs to do is attract a rich husband, and so she is off to the plastic surgeon and the wigmaker. Robert, in the meantime, is dealing with the fact that he's gay. Now you would think that a boy who watches Bette Davis movies, keeps Vanity Fair magazines under his bed and considers Neiman-Marcus to be heaven on earth, would have realized this sooner, but it's not until he auditions for a community theatre program and falls immediately in love with the choreographer that he gets it. Mother, of course, knew it all his life.

I have to say that my first impression of Robert's mother was not a very positive one. She comes across as shallow, overly concerned with money and appearances, and just not very nice. But, eventually, one realizes that she is playing the hand she was dealt, the only way she knows how.

The second half of the book is primarily concerned with Robert and Michael's relationship, how it develops, and, more important, how Robert's relationship with Michael's family leads him, eventually, to the beginnings of a reconciliation with his father.

And how do you not love a book that is dedicated, in part, to some of my favorite Texas women - Molly Ivins, Sissy Farenthold and Ann Richards.

Don't expect lengthy reviews. I'm just trying to get everything in here before the end of the year.

#71
Rhapsody in Blood, by John Morgan Wilson
A Benjamin Justice mystery, involving murders during the filming of a movie about an old murder.

#72
A Hole in Juan, by Gillian Roberts
An Amanda Pepper mystery


#73
The Art of Detection, by Laurie R. King
A Kate Martinelli mystery. A rabid Sherlock Holmes fan and collector is murdered, and the reason may be a previously unpublished story. There are references that hark back to King's Mary Russell series, but you don't need to have read those to enjoy this.


#74
The Iron Girl, Ellen Hart
A Jane Lawless mystery. Those who have read this series are familiar with the references to Jane's late partner, Christine. While finally clearing out some of Christine's effects, Jane discovers a gun. At the time of her death, Christine, a realtor, was selling the home of a prominent local family, three of whose members were murdered the night before Christine died. This book shifts back and forth between past and present as Jane tries to find out what happened.


#75
The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece, by Jonathan Harr

This was a disappointment. The hunt for a lost Caravaggio, the digging about in archives, the scientific test to see "is it really?", should be fascinating. But it's not. And I cannot stand non-fiction writers who think they have to make their books read like fiction. Where is the critical analysis? Where is the index? Where are the footnotes? Non-fiction needs references. You cannot expect me to believe what you are writing unless you tell me where you got the information. A bibliography and acknowledgements don't cut it.

I'm seeing this more and more in non-fiction and it drives me right up the wall.

And who the heck had the idea of publishing a book about a Caravaggio painting with NO, I repeat NO, illustrations?


#76
S is for Silence, Sue Grafton
A Kinsey Milhone mystery, involving a 30-year old disappearance.

#77
Possible Side Effects, by Augusten Burroughs

Good, not great.

#78
The Aspern Papers, by Henry James
Gorgeous, evocative story set in Venice, based on a real incident involving Lord Byron. Jeffrey Aspern's old lover lives in Venice, sitting on a treasure trove of letters and other papers written by the romantic poet. The narrator, a literary editor, has had his request to see them turned down, so he introduces himself under a pseudonym to Julianna and her niece, and becomes a lodger at their home. When she catches him hunting for the letters, Julianna collapses. But after her death, the niece offers the letters to the narrator -- if he will marry her.


#79
Courtroom 302: a Year Behind the Scenes in an American Criminal Courthouse, by Steve Bogira

Bogira is a journalist who frequently writes about the court system for the Chicago Reader. He spent a year in one courtroom, and this book is the result. It's pretty good. He's got a keen eye for the absurd, though I think that sometimes he does not fully comprehend the competing interests that the players must contend with. The judge, Daniel Locallo, does not come off well at all, but, hey, why should he be any different from all the other "ex"-prosecutors at 26th Street?


#80
Espresso Tales, by Alexander McCall Smith
The sequel to 44 Scotland Street, which I l“. . . joy unshared was a halved emotion, just as sadness and loss, when borne alone, were often doubled.”


#81
The Right Attitude Toward Rain, by Alexander McCall Smith
The latest in his Sunday Philosophy Club series

#82
Scherzo, by Jim Williams

A fairly silly conspiratorial mystery set in Venice, involving Freemasons, a castrato, a Frenchman who may or may not be Voltaire, and Casanova.

More later.

#53
A Gladiator Dies Only Once: The Further Investigations of Gordianus the Finder, by Steven Saylor

Another collection of short stories featuring Saylor's Roman investigator, Gordianus. While a few of these stories touch on Roman politics, which figure prominently in Saylor's full-length Gordianus mysteries, some are quietly domestic, including my favorite, "If a Cyclops Could Vanish in the Wink of an Eye", in which some of Bethesda's trinkets go missing. As usual, one learns a great deal about ordinary daily life in ancient Rome from Saylor.

#54
The Lambs of London, by Peter Ackroyd

Ackroyd has written an interesting short novel about Charles and Mary Lamb, and their relationship with the young literary forger, William Ireland. They champion his "discoveries", and Mary falls in love with him. One problem: there is no evidence that the Lambs and Ireland ever met. I find this sort of thing annoying, even when well-written (which this book is). It's one thing to try to fit historical characters into settings or relationships which were possible or even probable. But when it's contrary to known fact, well, I have a problem with that.

#55
The White Robin, by Miss Read

One of Miss Read's usual heartwarming village tales, though, as one finds also with her books, a bit of tragedy as well. One spring morning, one of the school children announces that she has seen a "white bird". Despite her teacher's skepticism, it turns out that there is indeed a white robin in town. The local birding expert warns the townsfolk not to expect any more in the next nesting cycle, but naturally they don't listen to him. In the meantime, a boy whose mother is ill comes to stay, and the headmistress' friends are still trying to marry her off. A nice, quick read when you want a bit of uplift.

#56
The Beauty Queen, by Patricia Nell Warren

Ripped from the headlines, a born-again former beauty queen turned politico decides to use an anti-gay platform to promote her run for governor. She expects her very wealthy father to support her campaign financially, but he's dubious. He's also in the closet, sneaking of for nooners with his long-time lover.

The characterizations here are really loaded. Dad is a real estate developer, but not a nasty Trump-type. Oh, no. Rather than tear down beautiful buildings, he renovates and repurposes them. Daughter is not only virulently homophobic, she is also a pill-popping, mentally unstable mother who physically abuses her kids.

No contest.

#57
The Duel, by Giacomo Casanova, translated by Tim Parks

Two, two, two books in one! Casanova wrote two accounts of his duel with the Polish Count Branicki. One was a thinly-disguised autobiographical novella, written in Italian, the other was included in his Memoirs and written in French. The first is more fleshed out, with whole sections of dialogue and much greater description and ruminations. It's interesting to compare the two. All the formality and etiquette of honor and duelling is strange to us, but was quite acceptable in Casanova's time. It is quite curious how Branicki and Casanova duel, while at the same time they deny that their fight is a duel since certain technical requirements are not complied with (no seconds, for instance). Yet they still engage in ritual compliments and deferrals to one another, though there's a bit of treachery on Branicki's part. Casanova was a fascinating character, with much more to him that the Don Juan/Don Giovanni part that he's famous for.

#58
Shadows Over Baker Street, edited by Michael Reaves and John Pelan.

"Sherlock Holmes enters the nightmare world of H.P. Lovecraft", says the cover, and quite a few writers are gathered in this volume, trying their hand at blending the cold logic and rationality of Holmes with the miasmic, eldritch atmosphere of Lovecraft. But I'm afraid that despite the best efforts of such excellent writers as Neil Gaiman, Poppy Z. Brite and others, the conceit does not come off. Baker Street, despite its Victorian fog, is just too far from Dunwich's horrors. (Some of the stories are downright silly, as in "The Adventure of Exham Priory" in which Moriarty and the Old Ones lose because, at the last moment, Moriarty "remembered what it meant to be an Englishman". Oh, please.)

#59
Who Let the Dogs In?: Incredible Political Animals I have Known, by Molly Ivins

A collection of Ivins' columns dating back to the Reagan years. If you think you can predict Ivins' opinions, if you think she's a doctrinaire Democratic liberal, read this book and think again. I had forgotten how tough she was on Clinton, for instance. It's interesting, too, to see how her view of Dubya changes. She gives him well-deserved credit for his political skills, and for more intelligence than most people give him, but she doesn't let you forget for a minute what he did to Texas. Many "awful warnings" here. But my favorite part of this book is the section devoted to tributes to such folks as Barbara Jordan, John Henry Faulk, and some you never heard of. Ivins has a way with a phrase!

#60
The Garden of Eden and other Criminal Delights, by Faye Kellerman

A collection of short stories, some featuring Rina Lazarus and Peter Decker, others not, as well as a couple of autobiographical sketches. As with many novelists, particularly crime novelists, Kellerman has a hard time with short stories. Perhaps it's because the length does not allow for plot development, but this seem pretty contrived. And look, just because you're a writer doesn't mean you should do a collaboration with your 11- and 15-year-old kids and foist it on the general public.

#61
An Iliad, by Alessandro Baricco

Yes, "an", not "the". Working from an Italian translation of Homer, Baricco has pared this epic work to its bones, eliminating the gods, and, more significantly, shifting the point of view. No longer told by the omniscient narrator, this Iliad is told from the viewpoints of various participants in the conflict. It's an new and interesting take on an old tale, though I think it works best if one has read Homer first. As always, Baricco's language is clean and spare and beautiful. I can well understand his being drawn to Homer. One of the things that strikes one about his novel, Silk, is the repetition not just of words and sentences, but whole paragraphs. Very Homeric.

No, I'm not a super-fast reader. There was an exhibition at the Art Institute called Honoring Heroes in History: Illustrations from the Coretta Scott King Award Books, 2001 - 2005, and reading copies of the books were available to be perused. So peruse I did.

#s 32 - 39
God Bless the Child, by Billie Holiday & Arthur Herzog, Jr., illustrated by Jerry PInkney The Great Migration from the rural South to the urban North
Ellington Was Not a Street, by Ntozake Shange, illustrated by Kadir Nelson A group of friends before they were famous
Visiting Langston, by Willie Pearlman, illustrated by Bryan Collier A little girl who wants to be a poet is wearing her favorite pink blouse, because her daddy is taking her to Langston's house!
Uptown, written and ilustrated by Bryan Collier The sights and sounds of Harlem
Almost to Freedom, by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by Colin Bootman Oh, man, give me a hankie. I was sniffling up a storm. Taking a note from the finding of dolls in hidden rooms on the Underground Railway, Nelson writes the story of one family's escape from slavery from the point of view of their little girl's doll.
Rap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles -- Think of That!, written and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon This one had me tapping my toes right there in the gallery!
Goin' Someplace Special, by Patricia C. McKissack, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney 'Tricia Ann is on her way to "Someplace Special", but Jim Crow has her discouraged. But she gets there -- it's the library! Based on the true story of the quiet desegration of the Nashville (Tennessee) Public Library.
Thunder Rose, by Jerdine Nolen, illustrated by Kadir Nelson Thunder Rose is talking from the day she is born, with superpowers and a super heart!

Two Books

And a movie:

Brokeback Mountain

Well! For once, a film that: a) lives up to the hype, and b) is not only as good as the short story on which it is based, but enhances it. So, go see it. That is all.

#12
Close Quarters, by Marissa Piesman

#13
Tomb of the Golden Bird, by Elizabeth Peters

#14
Trojan Gold, by Elizabeth Peters

#15
Music and Silence, by Rose Tremain

#1
Challenging the Daley Machine: A Chicago Alderman's Memoir, by Leon M. Despres (with Kenan Heise, and foreword by Mike Royko)

For twenty years, Leon Despres was a lone voice in the Chicago City Council, a voice for reform, a voice for integration, for architectural preservation, city planning, urban renewal - except, of course, when his microphone was cut off. Now 97, and still going strong, he has graced us with this memoir of those years. Here we learn how he was first cajoled in to running for office, how the Machine tried to oust him after his first term, how his proposed legislation would be first defeated and then co-opted by the party. A lesson in old-time patronage politics is here, and the first signs of how the Machine is breaking down.

Not the best written book (a more severe editor would have been helpful), but nevertheless an invaluable contribution to the history of Chicago politics.