Flashback Friday Reads: Swamplandia!

My daughter and I were discussing a Tiger King read alike list she found. She pointed out Swamplandia! by Karen Russell on the list as looking pretty good.

Anyone who has read this blog for any amount of time know how much I love Karen Russell. [Click here for all the love; warning, it's a lot love.]

I book talked Swamplandia! to her and did a super fast Libby check and saw it was ready for immediate download as an ebook or an audio book at my library. She's busy with school reading now, but put it on her list for the future.

But, she also gave me the idea to re-post my original review of the novel today. I have also recommended or mentioned the work of Russell dozens of times here on the blog. So while below and here you can find my review of Swamplandia! from 2011, I want to also remind you that this link will bring you to my other reviews of Russell's story collections and the other times I have suggested her as a readalike for other books

Every one of her books I have read have subsequently ended up in that year's "Best Books I Read This Year" list too.

Finally, click here to run a Google search for Tiger King Readalikes

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CLick here for original post

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2011

What I'm Reading: Swamplandia!

I recently finished the heralded Swamplandia! by Karen Russell.  This is one that I felt lived up to the hype.  But a disclaimer here, Swamplandia! is exactly the type of book I adore:  dark, odd, completely character driven (almost without a plot really), quirky, and just plain fascinating.

This book is more of a character sketch of a family in transition, during said transition, than it is a typical story.  The plot follows the Bigtree family, owners of a shabby alligator wrestling tourist attraction called Swamplandia!, deep in the Ten Thousands Islands of the Florida Everglades.  When we meet the Bigtree's things have taken a grave turn for the worse.  The mother, the star of the show, has recently died of cancer and their grandpa has just been put into a nursing home.  Left is the father, Chief, and three siblings: oldest brother Kiwi, middle sister Osceola, and our main narrator, 13 year old Ava.  We also do get some alternating view points from Kiwi when he goes off to take a job at an amusement park on the mainland.

The story stretches over a few months period as the family completely falls apart.  Chief goes to the mainland in an effort to raise funds to save Swanplandia, Kiwi leaves, Osceola tires to elope with a ghost, and Ava goes on an adventure to try to save her sister, getting more than she bargained for along the way.  Each must come to terms with their grief and face reality; some just take longer than others.  As the novel ends, they have been reunited and there is a plan to finally move forward again as a family, albeit probably without Swamplandia!.

This "slice-of-life" quality of the story is one of the reasons someone would either love or hate this novel.  All we see is this transitional period.  As readers we do not see the glory days of the past or know what will become of the Bigtrees once they are reunited.  We are just along for the ride during the most trying period of their lives.  I enjoy this type of book.  It is more like a big character sketch; however, many readers will be frustrated by the lack of a clear plot.

This novel's sense of place is the next big appeal.  Russell nails the descriptions here.  I could feel, see, smell and hear the Everglades.  She meticulously describes the islands, the waterways, the vegetation, the animals, the humidity....everything.  I felt like I was there.  It is beautiful and secluded, but also sinister and creepy.  She relayed that dichotomy perfectly.  It almost made me want to visit.

The time period here is unclear too.  It seems like it is set in the recent past, but that feeling could be from their isolated home too.  No matter when it is supposed to be set, the story has a timeless feel which I enjoyed.

Other key appeals are the methodical pace, the magical feeling of the story without any actual supernatural elements, the two adolescent narrators, and the open ending.  This is a character centered story about loss, mourning, and independence.  It is ultimately about growing up and being forced to face the real world.

Before I finish, I should also say that there is one fairly disturbing scene involving Ava in the last third of the book.  It is not graphic, but it is upsetting.  It may taint the book for some readers.  I thought it made sense and pushed the novel from the magical realism realm firmly back into the cold hard truth.  I thought it made sense as a symbol of Ava's maturation from dreamy to serious.  Although I wish she could have been spared the hurt, I think the story needed it as a plot development for the reader to believe that she too was ready to move on.  Everyone else in the family had their reality check moments, hers was just the most disturbing.


Three Words That Describe This Book:  slice-of-life, sense of place, quirky

Readalikes:  I have been suggesting Swamplandia! to my readers who enjoyed The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff.  Click here (and scroll down) to see my report on when I read this novel.  Also from that report, I would also suggest these readalikes for Swamplandia!:

But in terms of readalikes matched by the overall appeal of The Monsters of Templeton, I would suggest 3 novels: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield which is a Gothic novel that also recounts a twisted family history (click here to see my take on this novel); Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl in which a Yale Freshman (with a narrative voice eerily similar to Willie's) recounts her life history as if it were a class in Western Literature including her interesting family history and the death of a high school teacher (again, click here to see my take); andThe Stolen Child by Keith Donohue which is a magical tale of a 7 year-old who is kidnapped by a pack hobgoblins to be replaced by one of them. It is the story of the two boys' experiences and their concurrent struggle to find where they came from.

Two other novels that come to mind are Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer and Edwin Mullhouse: The Life and Death of an American Writer 1943-1954 by Jeffrey Cartwright by Steven Millhauser.  Both are quirky, slice-of-life novels about times of transition involving young people.  These two novels also happen to be 2 of my favorites of all time.  I don't think Swamplandia! is in that tier for me, but it was very good.

If you loved the setting and want to read more books set in Florida, no one describes the place better than Carl Hiaasen.

For nonfiction, try Washington Post writer Michael Grunwald's The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise.  It is the perfect book for people who want to learn more about the region depicted here.  It received starred reviews when it came out in 2007 and Grunwald is an award-winning journalist.  We even own it at the BPL.

I was also reminded of Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession which also takes place in the Everglades and has a similar magical, timeless feel to it.

Look for more reviews of What I'm Reading the rest of this week leading into the holiday weekend.

Friday Reads: Flashback to Homegoing and The Mothers

When I talk about using the the backlist as your BEST resource for suggestions to patrons, I often remind you that the "sweet spot" are titles that are 2-5 years old. This is because those titles will probably still be in the library. If they were award winning and popular 2-5 years ago, they are probably not currently checked out and also aren't weeded yet.

But I don't just talk about suggesting backlist titles, I practice it.

Recently, I have fund myself suggesting The Mothers by Brit Bennett everywhere I go. When I pulled up my review of the book I found it is paired with another title I suggest all of the time too-- Homegoing by Yah Gyasi.

I have found both of these titles to be sure bet options for a wide range of readers. Currently, I am suggesting The Mothers to people who like Jodi Picoult type stories of families with issues.

Ands Homegoing is a title I give to Historical Fiction fans of all stripes, but especially those who like the wide time span a saga brings, but don't want to 800 page count.

These books are still, 3 years later, great reads and chances are more of your patrons than not haven't read them. They are "new to them," and that is all that matters.

Click here or see below for my more details reviews of these amazing 2016 debut novels. Now if only we could have a second book by these talented women. Oh well, for now, these will more than suffice.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

What I’m Reading: Homegoing and The Mothers-- Two Amazing Debut Novels

Today I have my last two reviews of books I read in 2016 that will be making my year end best list [which is why they need full reviews and don’t just get comments in my Goodreads account.  Sorry Wangs vs the World. I loved you, but you just missed the cut, but only because of a fifth grade book club. Confused? It will all become clear in tomorrow’s post.]

Here we go....

The best audiobook I listened to this year was Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Plot summary from Goodreads:

The unforgettable New York Times best seller begins with the story of two half-sisters, separated by forces beyond their control: one sold into slavery, the other married to a British slaver. Written with tremendous sweep and power, Homegoing traces the generations of family who follow, as their destinies lead them through two continents and three hundred years of history, each life indeliably drawn, as the legacy of slavery is fully revealed in light of the present day.

Effia and Esi are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and lives in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle. Unbeknownst to Effia, her sister, Esi, is imprisoned beneath her in the castle’s dungeons, sold with thousands of others into the Gold Coast’s booming slave trade, and shipped off to America, where her children and grandchildren will be raised in slavery. One thread of Homegoing follows Effia’s descendants through centuries of warfare in Ghana, as the Fante and Asante nations wrestle with the slave trade and British colonization. The other thread follows Esi and her children into America. From the plantations of the South to the Civil War and the Great Migration, from the coal mines of Pratt City, Alabama, to the jazz clubs and dope houses of twentieth-century Harlem, right up through the present day, Homegoing makes history visceral, and captures, with singular and stunning immediacy, how the memory of captivity came to be inscribed in the soul of a nation.

Appeal: First and foremost this is an original, engaging, and epic historical saga. Anyone who loves broad scoped stories of a family over centuries will LOVE this novel. The historical, family saga in general is hugely popular and Homegoing will be enjoyed by all fans of this subgenre.

The way Gyasi tells the story was also part of the enjoyment.  We begin with the two half sisters’ stories, one and then the other. Told entirely separate from each other, but paired in tandem. And then each chapter alternates in the same order with two specific people in the next generation. Each time, the person we follow in the next generation, is about to be born in the generation before. And then it repeats, over and over again until we get to the present.

The effect of this frame has a ripple effect. First, it increases the pacing. You want to keep reading to see what happens next. But also, each protagonist has a short turn at the helm of the story, so the entire book reads like a series of connected short stories which significantly speeds up what is an epic tale.  It also helps the pacing that each “story” ends in a cliff-hanger.

Second, the characters are enhanced by this frame. Now that may seem counter intuitive at first since we only get to see each quickly and for a specific moment in their lives as the protagonist, but because the generations pile upon each other, and people reappear in the next generation, the resulting effect is that all of the characters we meet get more detailed, more well rounded, and more real with each story.

Third, the huge scope of centuries is brought under control because we are taking the generations and the story in bit by bit, two people at a time. The scope of this novel is broad enough that other novelists tell similar tales in hundreds if not a thousand pages, but because of Gyasi’s unique  narrative choice, she can tell a story with as much depth of character and emotion as others do in triple the page count.

I do need to comment on the ending. Yes it is kinda obvious and a little “set up” but that doesn’t matter. It is a beautiful reuniting of the characters and their stories, stories that divided early, moved back and forth, gaining in strength in our hearts, and pulling us in, and then in the end, it all goes back home. [But you knew that from the title, right?]

You do not need to know anything about the slave trade or Africa in order to enjoy this book. All you need to be is someone who loves a compelling story of a family across centuries and oceans. All you need know is that this is a historically framed story about home, love, and family.  All you need is to sit back and let Gyasi tell you the story of two half sisters and where the generations took them.

Audio Narration: Over on Audible there are a wide range of opinions about Dominic Hoffman’s narration. I for one enjoyed it. Yes it was only 1 person and he did the male and female voices, but I liked how the character’s voices were done by one person because all of the characters are related in some way, even if the relation gets fairly distant by the end. Having a man for the male voices and a woman for the female voices would add a layer of separation between the characters that would be in direct contradiction to the way the tale is written. Keeping the same narrator, even if some chapters are better narrated than others, keeps the tenuous thread connecting all of the characters across time and space taut. That is why I think the narration is perfect.

Three Words That Describe This Book: historical saga, connected stories, engaging 

Readalike: Let’s start with the obvious readalikes here, other African American historical family sagas like Roots by Alex Haley. A newer book that fits this bill is Grace by Natashia Deon. But also don’t forget one of my all time favorites, The Known World by Edward P. Jones.

Now let’s take the readalikes options out of the box a bit more. Another one of my all time favorites tells a story over centuries beginning in the 1700s in Ireland, goes aboard a slave ship, and ends up in New York up through 9/11, but this epic historical saga has a magical element and our narrator is alive throughout these centuries. He is our only narrator. It’s Forever by Pete Hamil and it is a backlist gem I still hand out all of the time. People who enjoyed Homegoing and are okay with the magical realism element should give Forever a try.

Also a bot outside the box because it is Science Fiction, I would also suggest Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. It spans 5,000 years of 7 families and tackles the issue of racism head on. It was one of my favorite reads last year too.

Back to more traditional epic, family sagas that are not only African American based. As I mentioned above, this is a popular type of book, one that transcends the character’s country of origin. Here are some suggestions, but there are literally thousands of options:

• Anything by Edward Rutherford
• No Country by Kalyan Ray
• The Son by Philipp Meyer
• Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Some readers may want to know more about the slave trade. To them I recommend, The Door of No Return: The History of Cape Cast Castle and the Atlantic Slave Trade by William St. Clair as a good place to start.

Now onto The Mothers by Brit Bennett for which I read the ARC passed on to me by my friend, Magan Szwarek, after she turned in her star review for Booklist. Here is the plot summary from Goodreads:

A dazzling debut novel from an exciting new voice, The Mothersis a surprising story about young love, a big secret in a small community—and the things that ultimately haunt us most. Set within a contemporary black community in Southern California, Brit Bennett’s mesmerizing first novel is an emotionally perceptive story about community, love, and ambition. It begins with a secret. 

“All good secrets have a taste before you tell them, and if we’d taken a moment to swish this one around our mouths, we might have noticed the sourness of an unripe secret, plucked too soon, stolen and passed around before its season.” 

It is the last season of high school life for Nadia Turner, a rebellious, grief-stricken, seventeen-year-old beauty. Mourning her own mother’s recent suicide, she takes up with the local pastor’s son. Luke Sheppard is twenty-one, a former football star whose injury has reduced him to waiting tables at a diner. They are young; it’s not serious. But the pregnancy that results from this teen romance—and the subsequent cover-up—will have an impact that goes far beyond their youth. As Nadia hides her secret from everyone, including Aubrey, her God-fearing best friend, the years move quickly. Soon, Nadia, Luke, and Aubrey are full-fledged adults and still living in debt to the choices they made that one seaside summer, caught in a love triangle they must carefully maneuver, and dogged by the constant, nagging question: What if they had chosen differently? The possibilities of the road not taken are a relentless haunt. 

In entrancing, lyrical prose, The Mothers asks whether a “what if” can be more powerful than an experience itself. If, as time passes, we must always live in servitude to the decisions of our younger selves, to the communities that have parented us, and to the decisions we make that shape our lives forever. 

Appeal: The coolest things about this novel is how Bennett uses “The Mothers,” the older woman of the church, as a Greek Chorus. They comment on the actions and the choices of the characters and lead us through the story, for example, telling us when time passes and what we have missed. It is an ancient storytelling tradition, but one that is not used much anymore. It was refreshing but it also worked; it was not simply a “look at how smart I am author trick.” It enhanced the novel.

This is a short book (under 300 pages), but beware, it moves at a leisurely pace. It is not slow. It is reflective and lyrical. You are supposed to sit and savor the characters, their actions, and the language here. It is not a book you read for plot.  In fact, I noticed that the description I posted above basically tells you everything that happens in this novel, but it does not give away any of the joy of the experience of reading this book.

The novel is all about the characters and our reflection on their choices. The reader must be an active participant if he or she wants to enjoy this book. There is no judgment or preaching here (despite the fact that the church plays a huge part in the novel). As a result, we delve deeply into every character. We see things the other characters do not. And not every question we have about each of them is answered fully, just like in real life. How intensely the reader interacts with the prose and reacts to the characters will determine whether or not he or she enjoys this book.

This focus on characters over plot also allows for the development of a handful of solid secondary characters; more than you would normally find in a book this length. I especially liked Nadia’s father and the solider Aubrey befriends.

I also love that the fact that all of the characters are African American is not the main point of the novel. It is just who they are and the world they live in. This is the story of people. Their race is there and it does inform the story and the characters decisions, but it is not why you read this novel. This is a universal story about a community and three specific young people at its center. 

The Mothers surpassed me in that it was the most honest, nonjudgemental, nonpolitical, and fair discussions of abortion and its ramifications that I have ever read. Nadia has the abortion and then we see what happens. Again, we watch and reflect. Nothing catastrophic happens, but her life is also not infinitely better because of it either. It is just one among the many decisions made in a collection of lives. That was very refreshing. With such a divisive issue, it was nice to see it handled without judgment. [Although very passionate pro-life people may not agree with my statement.]

As much as I enjoyed reading Homegoing and was impressed with the storytelling for a debut, The Mothers possesses a maturity and sense of restraint that shocked me. Debuts are not normally this complex and well crafted.

Three Words That Describe This Book: lyrical, thoughtful, coming of age

Readalikes: I see that NoveList lists Marilynne Robinson’s classic Housekeeping as a readalike saying:

"After their mothers commit suicide, the girls in these lyrical coming-of-age novels adapt to their newly broken existence with the help of surrogate mothers while simultaneously longing to leave their claustrophobic small towns. Both character-driven stories are moving and reflective”

I read that novel years ago [pre blog] but I agree.

I also thought of a few other lyrical, character centered, coming of age stories. Please click on the titles to see more detail and readalike options.

• The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez [scroll down to find my notes from the ARRT Book Discussion on this book]
• Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement 
• The Round House by Louise Erdrich
• The Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
• Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka
• Rush Home Road by Lori Lansens

Interestingly, a bunch of these books I listed are also debuts. Hmmm.

Flashback Friday: What I Read, Loved, But Forget to Suggest Anymore

Earlier this week I was looking in the way back machine of the blog to see some of my favorite reads since 2007 and I was surprised by how some  are still in my regular arsenal of backlist suggestions while others aren't. There were some really good books that I never suggest anymore and I am sad that they have been lost by the wayside. So I'm bringing them back to the forefront.

This is why I am always telling everyone to write down something about every book you read, well, something that isn't just the plot. Something about the "why" the book works, for you or for its best reader.

Going back and looking at my own reading has now given me a whole new set of backlist titles that I can suggest to readers. These are books I enjoyed previously, libraries still own them, and while the titles are a bit older, they will probably appear fresh and new to patrons as you suggest them. Why? Because they are new to them. This is where we can shine as library workers. Suggesting titles they wouldn't find somewhere else or on their own.

And here's the kicker, if you have been listening to me, and keeping track of your reading, you have built your own database of suggestions. Now just mine it for titles.

I'll start. Here is 1 book off of my "favorite reads of the year" list from 2007-2014. I have included 3 appeal terms [even before I did that for every book] and a link to the full review. I was going to keep going forward for every year I have had the blog, but as I got to 2015 and forward I realized I still regularly suggested these titles.

Feel free to use this list I created from my own "favs of the year," but also, go in your own way back machine and find more.

• 2007: Finn by Jon Clinch [dark, classic reimagined, lyrical]
• 2008: Dangerous Laughter by Steven Millhauser [macabre, lyrical, captivating
• 2009: Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger [atmospheric, character centered, intricately plotted]
• 2010: Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde [dystopian fantasy, thought provoking, great characters]
• 2011: The Known World by Edward P. Jones [fluid time frame, lyrical, new view of history]
• 2012: The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson [political thriller, introspective, haunting]
• 2013: Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang [character center, moving, both sides of the story]
• 2014: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki [meta, reflective, throughout provoking]

Flashback Friday: Gay Marriage Edition

In honor of today’s Supreme Court ruling making same-sex marriage a right, I am reposting my list of GLBTQ resources and authors with wide appeal.

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2011

Reading for the First Day of Civil Unions

Today, Illinois finally begins offering Civil Unions to gay couples.  Personally, this is an issue I feel very strongly about.  Both as a happily married person and as someone who believes everyone deserves equal treatment under the law, I am ecstatic that homosexual couples can now be joined legally by a judge in my adopted home state.

To celebrate this day and the start of Gay Pride Month all over the country, I want to offer you some reading options.  Before I start however, I want to remind everyone out there that you don't have to be gay to read books by or about gay issues.  It is no different than me reading a book by a male author, or a non-Jew reading Philip Roth.  In fact, many of the authors I will list below are bestsellers in their own right and one particularly (David Leavitt) is one of my personal favorite authors.

So try one of the books I mention below or explore one of the resources I suggest, and help to celebrate the proliferation of equal rights.  Better late than never.

GLBTQ Authors Who Will Appeal to a Wide Audience:

• Michael Cunningham: start with The Hours
• David Leavitt: try The Lost Language of Cranes
• Ellen Hart: try the Jane Lawless mystery series which begins with Hallowed Murder
• Carol Anshaw: Aquamarine is a powerful, magical realism novel 
• Michael Thomas Ford: try anything
• Mark Zubro: two gay mystery series set in the Chicago area-- the Paul Turner series and the Tom and Scott Mysteries
• E. Lynn Harris: try Invisible Life
• David Levithan: although it is YA, Boy Meets Boy is a great read for anyone  
• Alison Bechdel: Fun Home is one of my favorite graphic novels, ever

One of my favorite gay themed novels ever is the YA title, Hero by the recently deceased Perry Moore.  It is a superhero and gay coming out novel.  He saves the world AND gets the boy.

GLBTQ Reading Resources Worth Anyone's Time:

• I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read?  This site has won many awards for its superior reviewing; it is also easy to navigate despite being filled with a ton of information
• The Lambda Literary Foundation is THE leading resource for LGBT reviews, author interviews, and opinions.  Click here for their extensively compiled list of literary links.
• Women and Children First is an awesome Chicago independent book store with a Lesbian slant,; however.  I personally patronize both the store and the website.
• Our fearless leader at the BPL RA desk, Kathy,  used to work for another well regarded independent book store geared toward a gay audience, Unabridged Bookstore.  

Finally, I want to highlight Berwyn's local gay rights organization, BUNGALO. Its members are HUGE BPL suporters both with their time and their money, and they have been supporting us for many, many years.  Thank you.

Flashback Friday: Under the Radar Book Discussion Suggestion

I am getting reading for next week’s Re-Charge Your Book Club presentation with the Massachusetts Library System, which means you are getting a post about book clubs today.

One of the easiest ways to jolt a book group back to the vibrancy it once had is to find that one great title, a book that will relight the flame and keep the group burning for months to come. [It’s not enough of a jolt to save the group entirely, by the way, but it is enough to get the rehabilitation process started].

However, how do you find this magical title?  Ahh, that is the tricky part. You need a book that is not well known, but will still make for a great discussion.

In my presentation, I give a few tips and tricks on how to identify these titles; where to find these diamonds in the rough. I will share one of those tips here today [but for more, watch one of my webinars, or better yet, hire me to do it for your group].  Pick a well known author, one everybody knows, but then read one of his or her more obscure titles.

My example [which I also share in the presentation] is Italian Shoes by Henning Mankell. Yes, that Mankell of Kurt Wallander, Nordic Noir fame.  But this is not a Wallander story.

See for yourself as I am reposting the discussion we had 4 years ago this month on Italian Shoes. It still ranks as one of our best, and I still suggest this book to other book clubs all of the time. The author has just enough name recognition to keep people reading long enough to discover the heartbreaking and thought provoking beauty inside this slim but powerful novel.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

BPL Book Discussion: Italian Shoes

This week, our regular group met to discuss Henning Mankell's  contemplative and brooding novel, Italian Shoes.  This is not a Kurt Wallander mystery, rather, it is a character study of a man who has removed himself from the world, but during one year, he is jolted into confronting his mistakes and begins to live again.

In order to start us all out on the same foot, here is the publisher's description of the plot:

From the bestselling author of the Kurt Wallander series comes a touching and intimate story about an embattled man’s unexpected chance at redemption. Many years ago a devastating mistake drove Fredrik Welkin into a life as far as possible from his former position as a surgeon, where he mistakenly amputated the wrong arm of one of his patients. Now he lives in a frozen landscape. Each morning he dips his body into the freezing lake surrounding his home to remind himself he’s alive. However, Welkins’s icy existence begins to thaw when he receives a visit from a guest who helps him embark on a journey to acceptance and understanding. Full of the graceful prose and deft characterization that have been the hallmarks of Mankell’s prose, Italian Shoes shows a modern master at the height of his powers, effortlessly delivering a remarkable novel about the most rewarding theme of all: hope.

Before I talk about the details of our discussion, I want to say that this one of the deepest and most comprehensive discussion we ever had.  This is a difficult book.  It is dark and Fredrik is infuriating, but he grows and changes in a satisfying way, albeit very slowly.  As a group, we decided this would be a difficult book to suggest to a wide audience as a simple leisure read; however, we did agree that any serious book discussion group would benefit greatly by reading and discussing this surprisingly intricate novel.

Now the discussion:

• We began the usual way, with our vote on who liked, disliked, and was so-so on the book: liked (5), disliked (2), and so-so (6).  Normally so many so-sos would be bad for discussion, but in this case it was perfect.  Why?  These so-so people felt VERY strongly about the book.  These were readers who were frustrated with the darkness and Fredrik's inaction, by the end, they were happy enough in his evolution, that they could not honestly say they disliked the book.  They were in a love-hate relationship with this book and with Fredrik.  Many of these so-so participants also said that they would not have finished the book if it were not for the discussion.  Ultimately, they were happy they finished it.
• "Liked" initial comments:  One participant liked how it was written; it's technique; the language; the division into 4 "movements;" the frame of happening within the span of 1 full year.  Another person shared that she felt it was a beautiful interpretation of Swedish culture and the Swedish man.  Yet another shared how while the plot was thin and bumpy at times, she loved the lovely sentences that were slipped in throughout.  She also liked the setting the characters and their interactions, and the use of the seasons.  Many liked how Sweden itself was a character, and how much they learned about the country and its different areas.
• "Disliked" initial comments:  It was about as un-American and un-Female as you could get, so this participant could not relate.  Some cited the intense deprivation and despair as a bit much.  The tone was oppressive.  These people agreed that Fredrik became more humane by the end, but these readers thought it was too little, too  late.
• This led us to start discussing Fredrik in earnest.  One lady began by saying, "Fredrik amputated himself from the world when he amputated the wrong arm."  This sums up his life at the novel's beginning.  The book is the story of how this man who always dealt with the problems in his life by running away, was forced to confront his own mistakes and begin living again.  We liked how the women in his life are the catalyst to this change.  When Harriet shows up on the ice, after almost 40 years, Fredrick can no longer ignore the world.
• On a side note, the group was so wrapped up in Fredrik and his choices that I had to remind them more than once that he was a fictional creation.  That is the sign of a great fictional character, by the way.  If the reader loses track of the fact that he or she is not real, the author has done a very good job.
• The title, Italian Shoes, was discussed.  The title is an odd choice, but we came up with two related but different reasons as to what it "means." First, there is the literal presence of Italian shoes in the book.  Harriet worked for an Italian shoe maker and Louise (Fredrik's daughter) takes Fredrik to the famous Italian shoe maker who lives in the Swedish woods upon their first meeting.  When Fredrik receives the handmade shoes close to a year later, putting them on is the signal that his evolution has come full circle.  He has begun to completely change his life, and by wearing the shoes, he confirms that it will stick.  The shoes are the complete opposite of his former stark and emotionless life.  They are sensual, extravagant, warm, and from the grown daughter he never knew existed.  We also felt that the title is setting up the Italian and Swedish people as polar opposites.  Fredrik talks about his visit to Rome as a young man when he was brutally mugged.  Louise is obsessed with the Italian painter CaravaggioFredrik's experiences in Italy himself, are the exact opposite of Fredrik and his life.
• And then, we moved on to the best part of the discussion: the anthill!  Fredrik has an anthill growing in his living room.  Every single person had something to say about this literary device.  Here are the comments:
• The anthill was the physical manifestation of Fredrik's emotional baggage. 
• Ants are very busy and productive, while Fredrik was not. 
• Fredrik could not bear to remove the anthill since it was the only living and vibrant thing in his life.  He had pets, but both were old and actively dying.
• Watching the anthill grow is a symbol of Fredrik's inertia.
• The anthill shows that life goes on.  Even if you try to ignore the world, you cannot stop it from continuing.
• When Fredrik picks up the anthill and removes it at the end, it is a very power symbol of the fact that he had changed his life.
• Harriet put a bottle with a note in the anthill because she knew that when he was ready to remove the anthill, he would also be ready to read the note.  She also knew this moment would be after she succumbed to the cancer that was killing her.
• The anthill was an extremely effective metaphor.  No one likes having ants in their home.  It is a visceral image.  It got us talking.  We all thought it was a very clever inclusion.
• We moved on to other characters.  People found Agnes, the woman who Frederik had amputated incorrectly, one of the most intriguing characters.  We only get the beginning of her story; in fact, one participant wished we got more of her point of view.  We liked how the book is about Fredrik, but it is the women who force him to confront himself.  We were also intrigued by how the women were all suffering on the inside, yet they could still function within the world.  They needed to teach him how to move on. 
• We talked about the 4 movements which make up this book and how they were loosely tied to the seasons.  Each was also a setting itself.  Here is some of what we said.  First was "Ice.  Here Harriet shows up on the ice to start the story, but also, ice signifies no feeling, no emotion.  Second was "Forest." This is when Fredrik meets Louise (in the Forest), but also the forest is life, it is green, full of life, and spring is coming so it is awakening (like Fredrik).  Third is "Sea." The sea is a symbol of journeys.  This is when the story has the most movement; both physical, literal, and emotional movement. And the fourth is called "Winter Solstice." This is the longest night of the year, but it is also the symbol of a new beginning because the next day the nights begin to shorten again.
• Some final comments:
• The book ends hopefully.  We are glad Fredrik did not die just as he was turning his life around.  It was uplifting to see a man who had created his own prison begin to break free.
• All of the women in the book functioned with severe limitations: Harriet is dying and needs a walker, Agnes is without an arm, Louise has spent her entire life looking for her father.
• For such a bleak book, we spent a lot of time during the discussion laughing.  I cannot figure out why; maybe it was to counteract the dark tone, but we were lively (as one library staff member put it).
• Mankell is so talented, shared one participant.  His technique alone drew this reader in.
• While the story was depressing at times, the words, the style, and the story were so consciously constructed some of us were wrapped up in how it was written and how Mankell was manipulating our emotions.
• We agreed that this short book must have taken a long time for him to write.

Readalikes:  When Kathy's Night Owl's group discussed Italian Shoes, she suggested these readalikes.  Fiction:  The Sea by John Banville, Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson, and Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (a book I have always meant to read).  Nonfiction:  Rogue River Journal by John Daniel, On My Swedish Island by Jule Catterson Lindhal, and Lonely: A Memoir by Emily White.

Our group also felt that those who enjoyed the story line of Agnes, Sima, and the refugee girls, would also enjoy Little Bee, which we discussed here.

Flashback Friday: BPL Book Discussion: Italian Shoes

We did have our book discussion this week, but the report on that books is delayed due to me having too many other irons in the fire.

However, I do have a book discussion related treat for this beautiful [at least here in Chicago] Friday-- a flashback to one of the best under the radar books we ever discussed in my group-- Italian Shoes by Henning Mankell.

Here it is.  Have a great weekend.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

BPL Book Discussion: Italian Shoes

This week, our regular group met to discuss Henning Mankell's  contemplative and brooding novel, Italian Shoes.  This is not a Kurt Wallander mystery, rather, it is a character study of a man who has removed himself from the world, but during one year, he is jolted into confronting his mistakes and begins to live again.

In order to start us all out on the same foot, here is the publisher's description of the plot:

From the bestselling author of the Kurt Wallander series comes a touching and intimate story about an embattled man’s unexpected chance at redemption. Many years ago a devastating mistake drove Fredrik Welkin into a life as far as possible from his former position as a surgeon, where he mistakenly amputated the wrong arm of one of his patients. Now he lives in a frozen landscape. Each morning he dips his body into the freezing lake surrounding his home to remind himself he’s alive. However, Welkins’s icy existence begins to thaw when he receives a visit from a guest who helps him embark on a journey to acceptance and understanding. Full of the graceful prose and deft characterization that have been the hallmarks of Mankell’s prose, Italian Shoes shows a modern master at the height of his powers, effortlessly delivering a remarkable novel about the most rewarding theme of all: hope.

Before I talk about the details of our discussion, I want to say that this one of the deepest and most comprehensive discussion we ever had.  This is a difficult book.  It is dark and Fredrik is infuriating, but he grows and changes in a satisfying way, albeit very slowly.  As a group, we decided this would be a difficult book to suggest to a wide audience as a simple leisure read; however, we did agree that any serious book discussion group would benefit greatly by reading and discussing this surprisingly intricate novel.

Now the discussion:

• We began the usual way, with our vote on who liked, disliked, and was so-so on the book: liked (5), disliked (2), and so-so (6).  Normally so many so-sos would be bad for discussion, but in this case it was perfect.  Why?  These so-so people felt VERY strongly about the book.  These were readers who were frustrated with the darkness and Fredrik's inaction, by the end, they were happy enough in his evolution, that they could not honestly say they disliked the book.  They were in a love-hate relationship with this book and with Fredrik.  Many of these so-so participants also said that they would not have finished the book if it were not for the discussion.  Ultimately, they were happy they finished it.
• "Liked" initial comments:  One participant liked how it was written; it's technique; the language; the division into 4 "movements;" the frame of happening within the span of 1 full year.  Another person shared that she felt it was a beautiful interpretation of Swedish culture and the Swedish man.  Yet another shared how while the plot was thin and bumpy at times, she loved the lovely sentences that were slipped in throughout.  She also liked the setting the characters and their interactions, and the use of the seasons.  Many liked how Sweden itself was a character, and how much they learned about the country and its different areas.
• "Disliked" initial comments:  It was about as un-American and un-Female as you could get, so this participant could not relate.  Some cited the intense deprivation and despair as a bit much.  The tone was oppressive.  These people agreed that Fredrik became more humane by the end, but these readers thought it was too little, too  late.
• This led us to start discussing Fredrik in earnest.  One lady began by saying, "Fredrik amputated himself from the world when he amputated the wrong arm."  This sums up his life at the novel's beginning.  The book is the story of how this man who always dealt with the problems in his life by running away, was forced to confront his own mistakes and begin living again.  We liked how the women in his life are the catalyst to this change.  When Harriet shows up on the ice, after almost 40 years, Fredrick can no longer ignore the world.
• On a side note, the group was so wrapped up in Fredrik and his choices that I had to remind them more than once that he was a fictional creation.  That is the sign of a great fictional character, by the way.  If the reader loses track of the fact that he or she is not real, the author has done a very good job.
• The title, Italian Shoes, was discussed.  The title is an odd choice, but we came up with two related but different reasons as to what it "means." First, there is the literal presence of Italian shoes in the book.  Harriet worked for an Italian shoe maker and Louise (Fredrik's daughter) takes Fredrik to the famous Italian shoe maker who lives in the Swedish woods upon their first meeting.  When Fredrik receives the handmade shoes close to a year later, putting them on is the signal that his evolution has come full circle.  He has begun to completely change his life, and by wearing the shoes, he confirms that it will stick.  The shoes are the complete opposite of his former stark and emotionless life.  They are sensual, extravagant, warm, and from the grown daughter he never knew existed.  We also felt that the title is setting up the Italian and Swedish people as polar opposites.  Fredrik talks about his visit to Rome as a young man when he was brutally mugged.  Louise is obsessed with the Italian painterCaravaggioFredrik's experiences in Italy himself, are the exact opposite of Fredrik and his life.
• And then, we moved on to the best part of the discussion: the anthill!  Fredrik has an anthill growing in his living room.  Every single person had something to say about this literary device.  Here are the comments:
• The anthill was the physical manifestation of Fredrik's emotional baggage. 
• Ants are very busy and productive, while Fredrik was not. 
• Fredrik could not bear to remove the anthill since it was the only living and vibrant thing in his life.  He had pets, but both were old and actively dying.
• Watching the anthill grow is a symbol of Fredrik's inertia.
• The anthill shows that life goes on.  Even if you try to ignore the world, you cannot stop it from continuing.
• When Fredrik picks up the anthill and removes it at the end, it is a very power symbol of the fact that he had changed his life.
• Harriet put a bottle with a note in the anthill because she knew that when he was ready to remove the anthill, he would also be ready to read the note.  She also knew this moment would be after she succumbed to the cancer that was killing her.
• The anthill was an extremely effective metaphor.  No one likes having ants in their home.  It is a visceral image.  It got us talking.  We all thought it was a very clever inclusion.
• We moved on to other characters.  People found Agnes, the woman who Frederik had amputated incorrectly, one of the most intriguing characters.  We only get the beginning of her story; in fact, one participant wished we got more of her point of view.  We liked how the book is about Fredrik, but it is the women who force him to confront himself.  We were also intrigued by how the women were all suffering on the inside, yet they could still function within the world.  They needed to teach him how to move on.
• We talked about the 4 movements which make up this book and how they were loosely tied to the seasons.  Each was also a setting itself.  Here is some of what we said.  First was "Ice.  Here Harriet shows up on the ice to start the story, but also, ice signifies no feeling, no emotion.  Second was "Forest." This is when Fredrik meets Louise (in the Forest), but also the forest is life, it is green, full of life, and spring is coming so it is awakening (like Fredrik).  Third is "Sea." The sea is a symbol of journeys.  This is when the story has the most movement; both physical, literal, and emotional movement. And the fourth is called "Winter Solstice." This is the longest night of the year, but it is also the symbol of a new beginning because the next day the nights begin to shorten again.
• Some final comments:
• The book ends hopefully.  We are glad Fredrik did not die just as he was turning his life around.  It was uplifting to see a man who had created his own prison begin to break free.
• All of the women in the book functioned with severe limitations: Harriet is dying and needs a walker, Agnes is without an arm, Louise has spent her entire life looking for her father.
• For such a bleak book, we spent a lot of time during the discussion laughing.  I cannot figure out why; maybe it was to counteract the dark tone, but we were lively (as one library staff member put it).
• Mankell is so talented, shared one participant.  His technique alone drew this reader in.
• While the story was depressing at times, the words, the style, and the story were so consciously constructed some of us were wrapped up in how it was written and how Mankell was manipulating our emotions.
• We agreed that this short book must have taken a long time for him to write.

Readalikes:  When Kathy's Night Owl's group discussed Italian Shoes, she suggested these readalikes.  Fiction:  The Sea by John Banville, Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson, and Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (a book I have always meant to read).  Nonfiction:  Rogue River Journal by John Daniel, On My Swedish Island by Jule Catterson Lindhal, and Lonely: A Memoir by Emily White.

Our group also felt that those who enjoyed the story line of Agnes, Sima, and the refugee girls, would also enjoy Little Bee, which we discussed here.