The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is perhaps F. Scott Fitzgerald's most famous short story. It was adapted into a 2008 film starring Brad Pitt.
Benjamin Button is born an old man in 1860 and ages in reverse from then on. Over time, Benjamin gets married, has a child, goes to college, and fights in a war -- while his mind slowly regresses. By the end of the book, he returns as a baby to the care of a nurse.
This book was rich for its length. In fifty-two pages, Fitzgerald portrays an impossible situation while making the themes of youth and age seem relatable. He uses a depressing tone to describe aging which is still relevant today.
Fitzgerald's writing is the perfect mix of being concise yet still infused with richness and meaning. This novella is short but enjoyable. Five out of five stars.
I would like to wish all my readers from around the world happy holidays and a happy new year.
Inherit the Wind is a 1955 stage version of the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial. In the real-life trial, John Scopes, a substitute high school teacher, was accused of violating the state of Tennessee's "Butler Act" by teaching the theory of evolution in a state-funded public school.
This book is set in the sleepy southern town of Hillsburo, US. The town's torpor is disrupted by the arrival of Matthew Harrison Brady for the prosecution and Henry Drummond for the defense. The event is reported by E. K. Hornbeck. Most of the action takes place in the courtroom between Brady and Drummond.
The best parts of this play are the science and religion puns. For example, there is a character called "Mrs. Krebs" named after the Krebs Cycle, a scientific process directly related to evolution. These little references added smart humor.
The many symbols and motifs added depth to the play. For example, people named "clock-stoppers" represent Southerners still clinging to the Bible. Conversely, the radio symbolizes Northern believers of evolution.
Overall, this piece of fiction stands out because it brings to life the way that new ideas can influence people's opinions. Five out of five stars.
The Principles of Uncertainty is a book by the noted children's book illustrator, Maira Kalman, who has in the past drawn covers for The New Yorker.
The Principles is Kalman's memoir of "everything that is in her heart." Her heart is filled with tales of travel, possessions, people, and other interesting things. She shares her thoughts by writing and drawing them.
This book is unique. On each of the book's 325 pages, there is a hand-drawn picture or photograph accompanied by few or no words. In this case, a picture is really worth a thousand words. Just by looking at a picture, I really understood what she was thinking in her reminiscence. Usually, I don't read heavily illustrated books but this was a great change of pace from my steady diet of prose.
The drawings in this book are phenomenal. The detailed and colorful miniatures contribute much to the story and put a whimsical spin on Kalman's memoir. The comments are in her hand in script. You can see her thought process and where she made changes and crossed words out. I had never seen that before and it was creative.
The best parts of this book are Kalman's drawings and her observations about life which are honest and relatable. A solid five out of five stars.
Published in 2013, Orkney is Amy Sackville's second novel. Her first, The Still Point, won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 2014.
Newlyweds Richard, a sixty-year old literature professor, and his wife (her name is never mentioned), his twenty-one-year old ex-student, venture to the Orkney Islands for their honeymoon. As the two weeks of their honeymoon pass, we discover just how little Richard really knows about his wife.
Richard narrates the story in diary style (he starts each chapter with the day of the week). I liked this style because it established a genuine voice for Richard and it helped me get to know his character best.
The writing in this book is sublime. The descriptions of Orkney are beautiful and there is much imaginative imagery, symbolism, and figurative language. There is also a plethora of literary allusions shared by the couple. All of this made the book a rich and savory stew.
On the other hand, I found the book sometimes repetitive. Each night is the same: Richard's wife has a nightmare about the ocean and wakes him up. Each morning is the same: they wake up quietly and eat the wife's bad cooking. Each afternoon is the same: Richard's wife goes out alone to walk on the beach while he tries to concentrate on writing his book, but he can't because he is obsessed with watching her. I did not need to read this five times to get that Richard's wife is not who he thinks she is.
This novel and Gone Girl (previously reviewed) share some strong parallels. The husbands in both novels are completely unaware of their wives' depths. They try to connect to their wives and it becomes harder over time. Then, both wives do something radical to their husbands, but to say more would ruin Orkney's plot for you.
The writing in Orkney is excellent, however, the redundant plot scenarios and lack of resolution are not. Three out of five stars.
Published in 1999, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an American teen novel written by screenwriter Stephen Chbosky. The book served as an adaptation for the 2013 movie starring Emma Watson.
Charlie is a sensitive boy in high school. He has no friends and is still dealing with the deaths of his favorite aunt and best friend. Charlie meets two step-siblings - Patrick and Sam - and they make his world a whole lot better.
This book is told in a unique way. Charlie writes letters to an unknown recipient and always starts with "dear friend" and always ends with "love always". This added a sense of intimacy and made for an honest, informal voice, which I appreciated.
Charlie is by far the most interesting character in the novel. He is very sensitive and cries over anything remotely emotional. He also annoys his family and, as a result, they don't usually communicate with him. When he finally gets into good situations, he messes them up and transforms them to bad ones.
Despite this, it is hard not to feel sorry for Charlie. He had a tough childhood and close people to him have died, so I understand why he is the way he is. However, as a reader who wants this protagonist to succeed and overcome his misfortune, it is frustrating to see him screw it all up.
This book strongly echoes The Catcher in the Rye (previously reviewed here). I believe that Charlie is an exaggerated version of Holden Caulfield. They are both teens. Their families don't interact with them. They get emotional about many things. They both have a teacher in their lives who is a strong influence. They both have siblings in college. They both turn to substances to help with their problems. Overall, Charlie is more emotional than Holden. The set-up of Perks was overwhelmingly similar to The Catcher. I prefer the latter.
The main problem with this book is that its plot, characters, and message seem tired and familiar. A shaky two out of five stars.
