I read through several GoodReads reviews and was struck by how often the recent movie version (which I'd never heard of and obviously not seen) is refI read through several GoodReads reviews and was struck by how often the recent movie version (which I'd never heard of and obviously not seen) is referenced and given higher marks than the novel. A Google search of "The Painted Veil" brings up not a single reference to the book until the third "Results" page, as if the book was an unworthy afterthought to Hollywood's schemes. Apparently the movie- at least the 2006 version- turns this story into a romance with an ending far more pleasing to sensitive hearts than the original prose.
What rubbish.
This novel was published in 1925 and is set in Hong Kong and mainland China (and briefly, England) in the years immediately after WWI. This was still a time when young English women of genteel breeding were raised to marry respectably and, hopefully, with distinction. Marrying for love was perhaps an ideal, but not one above marrying for social advancement.
Maugham's treatment of the marriage as a complicated and messy social construct strikes me as so far ahead of his time. Infidelity, the struggle for personal identity, the nature of platonic love versus lust, the blind eye we turn to the true nature of our partners and the punishments and manipulations we bestow in our own peculiar ways all ripple through a spare and bitter storyline that has shining moments of peace and redemption (paraphrasing one of my favorite images in the book- like a ray of brilliant sun on a bleak moor).
I've always found Maugham to write women with fullness and respect. He is a feminist in the purest sense- presenting women with a full range of emotions and behaviors, not confined by the mores of his time. He doesn't spare women any sentimentality or paint them with a patina of romance; therefore, Kitty is a selfish, self-absorbed, and cruel, but also a product of her sheltered and surreal upbringing. When she is finally forced to live without structure, social cues or sympathy, she rises to show a strength and compassion that shocks her to her core. Yet her path to redemption is not without its two-steps-backwards. She is flawed but worthy.
Maugham also demonstrates, rather than lectures on, racism and the absurdity of the colonial civil service and its blundering, blustering whisky-soaked, pampered servants.
I wouldn't recommend this as a first read of W. Somerset Maugham. It is as beautifully and precisely written as all others I've read, but perhaps too much so. I would like to have known more of Walter and wish he hadn't been dispensed of so conveniently.
But his writing is so gorgeous- I'm left always in awe. ...more
At long last I read, nay-devoured- this gorgeous meal of a novel. (I highly recommend beginning it during a 2:00 a.m. bout of jet-lag insomnia, whilstAt long last I read, nay-devoured- this gorgeous meal of a novel. (I highly recommend beginning it during a 2:00 a.m. bout of jet-lag insomnia, whilst the Mistral is crashing into your little cottage at the foot of the Provencal Alpilles. And if possible, finish it as you are being whisked through the French countryside on a train- the romance is irresistible...). It's everything my fellow readers here had promised- so rich with imagery, characters, legends- all that a great novel should be. You are quickly lost in a time and a place that hover just outside our world- like a dream that contains all the components of reality, but with threads of the bizarre, the glorious, the delightful, the terrifying- that you know you are visiting a strange and wonderful beyond.
It was one that brought tears to my eyes as I turned the final page. Not because of a sad ending, but because there had to be an ending at all... ...more
Such a beautifully written, un-putdownable story of a Ukrainian immigrant family struggling to settle a homestead in the prairies of Alberta. It is soSuch a beautifully written, un-putdownable story of a Ukrainian immigrant family struggling to settle a homestead in the prairies of Alberta. It is some of the best storytelling I've read this year- full, rich characters, suspense and drama without melodrama, historical accuracy without pedantry.
I had to remind myself while reading that this was set in 1938 and not the 1870's. The families in the novel lived hand-to-mouth, farmed, built their homes, and lived their lives without electricity or machinery other than plow and hand tools, and counted their wealth in pennies, chickens and embroidered linens.
While there is no shortage of novels focused on the immigrant experience in North America, there can never be too many wonderfully crafted stories of characters for whom you develop strong feelings, set in places that inspire the imagination, relating experiences that dramatize history and make it come alive. ...more
Five stars for Flavia! With the precocity of my beloved Harriet (the Spy), the sensibility of Miss Marple, the poetic heart of Dalgliesh and the bemusFive stars for Flavia! With the precocity of my beloved Harriet (the Spy), the sensibility of Miss Marple, the poetic heart of Dalgliesh and the bemused cynicism of DI Rankin, Flavia has stolen my British-mystery-lovin' heart. Toss a little Kate Atkinson-inspired bizarre and tender wit and this heroine and her auteur take the cake. Hip Hip Hooray!
Why does it have to be a spectacularly beautiful day out and why do I have to be embarking upon a bike ride when all I want to do is curl up with Flavia de Luce! ;)...more
The upside of reading this book is that you will walk away with a clearer understanding of how different models of health care work, how massive reforThe upside of reading this book is that you will walk away with a clearer understanding of how different models of health care work, how massive reforms in health care have been undertaken recently and with success, and you will have the knowledge to debunk myths many Americans hold about health care systems outside of the United States.
The downside of reading this book is that you may walk away and want to keep on walking- directly north to Canada, or to don your fins and cross the Atlantic or Pacific to join the ranks of those who receive excellent health care at minimal or no out-of-pocket costs.
All of this, offered in 275 pages of succinct, clear and fascinating text. Anyone familiar with T.R. Reid's NPR commentaries as a correspondent in Japan and the U.K or his articles in the Washington Post will recognize his warm, engaging, self-effacing tone that is both professional and inclusive.
Rather than prescribing solutions, Reid's central theme is that we can and must learn by example. There is nothing in universal coverage that precludes competition, choice, and access. It is highly probable that universal coverage would result in the United States spending less and providing better care, while increasing the quality of life and life expectancy of all. As a portion of GDP, the US spends significantly more than the nations featured in this book, yet ranks well below in life expectancy, and measures of quality, fairness and progressive financing of health care.
Reid demonstrates again and again that the primary difference in the approach to health care between the United States- the only free-market, industrialized nation that relies on an out-of-pocket model- and those which offer universal coverage is a moral one. The countries he features have made the decision that access to health care is a basic human right and that government has a moral imperative to provide the same standard of care to all of its citizens, regardless of economic status.
On the other hand, the United States has determined that only those who can afford health care have a right to it. We continue to support systems (insurance companies) that ration care, cherry-pick their consumers and routinely deny coverage to those who pay into their system, all while placing the burden of coverage on employers. Reid posits that medical facilities and the training of medical personnel in the United States are the best in the world. Too bad over 20,000 Americans die every year because they cannot access this superiority.
We are foolish enough to listen to the pundits and talk-radio celebrities who decry "socialized medicine" without acknowledging that our nation's soldiers, veterans, Native Americans and those over 65 are all provided for by government-run, government-funded health care systems, one of which (Medicare) is a replicate of the Canadian system from which it takes its name.
To those who may think that Reid is preaching to the choir, be assured that he paints a "fair and balanced" picture. The long waiting lists for specialized care in Canada and the underfunded facilities in Japan are two examples of significant stumbles in universal coverage.
There is a bitter irony in pointing out that the same fearmongerers who warned that American life as we know it would be jeopardized if we did not pursue war in Iraq and continue it in Afghanistan are the same voices who cry out that the sky will crash down if we restructure our system to provide an equal standard of and access to health care for all our citizens. The immorality of these brutal stances makes me sick. ...more
I read this in the solitude of a pre-dawn surrender to insomnia. What resonates in these moments immediately after turning the final page is the signiI read this in the solitude of a pre-dawn surrender to insomnia. What resonates in these moments immediately after turning the final page is the significance of the pre-stroke events that Bauby chose to share: the missed opportunity of winning big at the races, the trip to Lourdes, the the memory of shaving his father, the wild fabrications created by Olivier, his childhood friend and compulsive liar. Of all the events and people that populated a rich and busy life, I am reflecting on why Bauby offered these memories as a way to connect to his current physical and emotional state.
The description of the interminably long, lonely and vacant Sundays left me breathless with despair, yet this narrative is immediately followed by soaring travels around the world as Bauby's imagination takes flight from the prison of his body.
We who are able-bodied of course take for granted the wonder of the body's most simple functions. To live for a moment in Bauby's world, where the blink of an eye is a conscious effort and the only means of communication, is uncomfortable at best, devastating if we linger too long in Bauby's physical nightmare. Yet there is joy and wonder in Bauby's voice. There is also humor, wretched and wry, but full of the spirit that remains in his mind, even as his physical being is locked away.
This begins as a smart, savvy book about nothing, really. The story is told by Anne Rosenbaum, a whip-smart, whip-thin, maddeningly articulate polygloThis begins as a smart, savvy book about nothing, really. The story is told by Anne Rosenbaum, a whip-smart, whip-thin, maddeningly articulate polyglot, who possesses an ambiguous posh accent which causes everyone to swoon when she elucidates bits of the vast literary canon she carries in her brain. She is the wife of Hollywood exec, Howard, who is among the power players of an industry that creates and rules pop culture from its shimmering Los Angeles manses. Anne, coddled by a loyal staff, an adoring husband, and by son Sam, a well-adjusted and multi-lingual high school senior, appears to have a life that demands little more from her than cultivation of an exotic garden and participation in her husband's dinner meetings with equally pampered colleagues.
Book groups being so in vogue, Anne becomes a sought after, if reluctant, guide through the world of Western literature. She begins a series of book clubs catered to various Hollywood power sub-groups (what exactly IS a line director, anyway?) and begins to craft a position for herself as a script reviewer and producer.
As the plot forms and takes a darker turn, the layers of pretense fall away. The themes of cultural and religious identity emerge, racism and bigotry are confronted, and the fragility of marriage and the thudding obligations of family are weighted and tested against the desperate desire for acceptance and belonging that we all harbor. ...more
A beautifully rendered, harrowing account of one month during the four-year long siege of Sarajevo (1992-96). It is remarkable that in such a slim worA beautifully rendered, harrowing account of one month during the four-year long siege of Sarajevo (1992-96). It is remarkable that in such a slim work the characters could be so completely drawn and with such dignity. I noted in the author's acknowledgments those he thanked for helping him think like a Sarajevan and was touched that he allowed real voices to inform his work and speak through his characters. These voices of the four characters, whose survival in a destroyed city is linked by the strings of a cello, resonate deeply in me. The four Sarajevans recall the beauty of their city and the sweet simplicity of their former lives in such a detached way, as if calling up scenes of a cherished film.
Galloway makes room for incidental characters whose brief appearance add to the depth of narrative and elaborate on the horrors of war. I will be forever haunted by the image of the man who survived Nazi concentration camps and believed the world would never again allow genocide choosing suicide over being an innocent at war.
As I type this review, I am hearing news that Radovan Karadizc failed to show for his trial today at The Hague. Stories of lives destroyed by this war no longer make the headlines, only its doomed celebrities. It is works like Galloway's that keep the voices of the survivors and of the lost in our hearts and intellect. If only poets ran the world instead of politicians......more
The suspense that kept me eagerly turning the pages of this compelling and entertaining read didn't emanate **spoiler alert** SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER!
The suspense that kept me eagerly turning the pages of this compelling and entertaining read didn't emanate from the evils seemingly hidden in the walls of the crumbling estate, Hundreds. I'm generally not attracted to books featuring paranormal mysteries and I withhold a fifth star because of the Twilight Zone elements that set my eyes to rolling (only Stephen King has kept me up at night, afraid of my very furniture). Fortunately, the climax of haunted house bits happens so close to the end that it is in fact anticlimactic and you've already enjoyed a great story.
Waters deftly wields her suspense wand around her characters (one of which is this magnificent and tragic mansion). What held me enthralled was the relationships between the characters. Their encounters, memories & conversations as seen through the perspective of a hapless country doctor feel like a walk on thin ice- disaster seems imminent in this idyllic Warwickshire setting. Questions of who is suspect, who is genuine, how coded are their interactions, how real is the attraction, how dangerous is the crumbling of spirits are woven through the events that show the destructive forces of Hundreds. I wasn't entirely certain I was reading a ghost story and forgot about that premise as I got lost in the subtle power of the narrative.
Just darn good storytelling. Clap clap clap clap!...more
**spoiler alert** What a great romp this was! A mystery, a history, a wild ride through the creation of the free market in these United States and the**spoiler alert** What a great romp this was! A mystery, a history, a wild ride through the creation of the free market in these United States and the push toward settling the wild frontier (which in this case was western Pennsylvania).
Captain Saunders assumes the role of the classic detective/spy antihero: a once-celebrated soldier of the American Revolution ruined by shame and alcohol, he is a debauched and conniving sot who unwittingly receives an opportunity at redemption. The husband of his still beloved ex-fiancee goes missing and Saunders is recruited to find him, aided by his slave, Leonides and Lavien, a Jew with samurai-like fighting skills.
Paralleling his adventures is the story of the Maycotts- a young couple lured by the promise of fertile land and a promising new life in the newly settled west of Pittsburgh. Their dreams are brutally shattered and Joan Maycott crafts a revenge plan that dangles the entire US economy on tenterhooks.
This swirling tale of power, greed, corruption, economic machinations is a fitting read for our times- clearly Wall Street cares not a whit for history! It's eerie how the trading rooms (pubs!) of the 1780's so closely resembled the highrise trading floors of 1980's, 1990's, 2000's.....
One complaint about pacing- it slowed down in the latter third with some unnecessary (in my opinion) spots of trouble in which Saunders found himself. These and some judicious editing of expository bits would have made for a tauter, tighter tome. ...more
A poignant, sensual and carefully written book that will remain quietly in my mind for a long time to come. What strikes me, why I gave it a fifth staA poignant, sensual and carefully written book that will remain quietly in my mind for a long time to come. What strikes me, why I gave it a fifth star, is how it has remained relevant, fresh, shocking and provoking fifteen years after it was written. The United States in 2010 is closer to the brink than Ms Hegland envisioned in 1995; it is not much of a stretch to imagine a country that simply can't afford to pay its bills, where civil war erupts between political parties, where disease cannot be halted by technical innovation.
But this story holds the outside world at bay; we have only vague notion of the collapse of modern society outside the northern California forest where two sisters in their late teens struggle to survive. Living with their parents in a home 30 miles from the nearest town, home-schooled and pursuing solitary passions, Eva and Nell are accustomed to isolation. But as their connections to society are severed and as society dies away, the sisters are forced to become pioneers on their own land, guardians of their homestead and safety.
What Hegland does so skillfully is to convey the diminution of the girls' physical impact as the natural world seeks to reclaim her ground, yet also the strengthening of their characters and bodies as they are forced to work for their survival. Their belongings slowly compost along with their sense of time, their ambitions, and their childhood.
There are scenes of horror, violence and passion that will make the reader wince, but they are rendered with great intelligence and beauty. There is also great hope and wisdom embodied in these two girls who become father, mother, lover and protector in the months that we are allowed into their world. This is not an easy novel to set aside and one that will be impossible to forget.
Thinking again about this lovely book, nearly seven years after I first read it, how it has stayed with me, how Tóibín has moved and influenced me as Thinking again about this lovely book, nearly seven years after I first read it, how it has stayed with me, how Tóibín has moved and influenced me as a reader and a writer.
Original Review, posted June 7, 2009
This gentle, quietly resonant novel showed me a new side of Colm Tóibín's writing. At first blush it seems a simple coming-of-age story of a young Irish immigrant alone in New York. But Tóibín, though he writes with affection, keeps enough distance from his characters to allow his reader to form opinions about the choices these characters make and the motivations behind their actions.
He shows, rather than tells, the bewilderment and liberation that are part of a willing immigrant's experience; how the absence of the familiar can lead one to behave in bold or reckless or shameful ways. He also captures perfectly the returned immigrant's experience—the reverse culture shock that occurs when returning to one's homeland. The immigrant, the sojourner, has changed, yet everything and everyone at home remains as it was. Tóibín reveals this sense of dislocation, how it feels to be of both worlds yet not belonging fully to either. Tóibín allows Eilis, his young immigrant, to experience her life without clouding her actions in pop-psychology self-awareness. This is a gracious, sweet and subtle story from a master of nuance and heart....more
I adored this novel! It contained all the elements of my favorite contemporary fiction: impeccable historical research, geographic locales that are asI adored this novel! It contained all the elements of my favorite contemporary fiction: impeccable historical research, geographic locales that are as strong as the characters, characters who are multi-dimensional & believable, a plot that weaves multiple threads and themes in good pace and with precision. With this, Brooks moves into my favorite authors column. ...more
To me, this novel represents literary perfection. The writer presents her characters without judgment, unrolls a plot that is simple in the outline buTo me, this novel represents literary perfection. The writer presents her characters without judgment, unrolls a plot that is simple in the outline but incredibly nuanced in the detail, a story that is so utterly of its era and location yet timeless in its themes.
This novel is set in Barcelona in the early 1940's, but as Mario Vargas Llosa notes in his introduction, references to the Spanish Civil War are very few and vague. Yet the physical, intellectual and cultural destruction of the war are personified in the wretched and brutal family of aunts, uncles and grandmother with which Andrea spends her first year of university.
It is a coming of age tale, a intimate glimpse into a young woman's existential crisis, a complex and unresolved display of class and gender inequality. That this semi-autobiographical portrait was written by Laforet in her early twenties is astonishing; that it isn't presented in high school or university literature classes is tragic.
To again quote Vargas Llosa, it is a "beautiful and terrible novel" but not without tremendous hope and strength of character. I ended it feeling uplifted!
"That was when I began to realize that it is much easier to endure great setbacks than everyday petty annoyances."
I read this line spoken by the novel's narrator, Andrea, and it struck me- so simple, yet profound. It's the way I'm feeling about this novel-its clean & quiet style belies the complexity of the story and the chaos of its characters' lives. I find Andrea heroic- she is so wise even as she acknowledges her own naivete; she possesses a quiet dignity that allows her to endure the emotional abuse of her broken and ill extended family and drives her to near-starvation to bring beauty into her life. ...more
A particularly rabid bout of insomnia this morning afforded me the opportunity to grind through the, ahem, FINAL 350 pages of this hefty, squirmy, fanA particularly rabid bout of insomnia this morning afforded me the opportunity to grind through the, ahem, FINAL 350 pages of this hefty, squirmy, fantastical tale...wait..what? Oh, okay, it's over- I can stop thinking in Dickensian cadence and with verbosity. :)
Yep, this was quite the romp; reading 771 pages in 3 work days is a new record for me and one I won't likely compete against for a good long while- not at least until my eyes uncross and I've caught up on my sleep.
Loads has already been written about this tome and I'm too weary to dissect the plot. Not to mention the spoiler potential. I'm not even certain to whom I'd recommend this- it was just a whale of a lot of fun and sped by: don't let the size give you pause- it's a quick (i.e. a light-bodied Beaujolais, slightly chilled, great for sipping on long summer nights as opposed to winter's meatier Bordeaux) read. Like others, I'd wield a red pen to whack it down to a more manageable size, if only to give others who suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome a bit of a break. My own wrists were crying for mercy by the end.
It certainly piqued my interest in Dickens's life- his social circle, influences and beliefs. I'll be mining the Author's Notes for recommendations...
Now, to swallow a glass or two of laudanum to make it through work today. Ah, yessssss Mr. Drood- THERE you are..... ________________________________________________________
I think I'll start reading this today- we'll see- if it doesn't grab me right off, I'll return it and save for autumn, winter.......more
A beautifully rendered novel that is both the modern history of an ancient nation and a deeply personal family story. The deep bond and emotional depeA beautifully rendered novel that is both the modern history of an ancient nation and a deeply personal family story. The deep bond and emotional dependency of twins has been explored before, but the graphic and fascinating descriptions of trauma surgery practiced in impoverished and unstable settings, the theme of the Indian diaspora, and the story of African nations crippled by colonial politics combine to give a profound sense of place and history.
Verghese is a careful and patient writer and he demands the same of his readers. The opening chapters owe a debt to John Irving, to whom Verghese nods in his acknowledgments. That bit of Garpian absurdity gives way to a dramatic story that resonates with fully-realized characters and plot.
Hitchcock takes the popular vision of the cheering masses tossing flowers at Jeep-loads of Allied liberators and reflects it back on those liberated dHitchcock takes the popular vision of the cheering masses tossing flowers at Jeep-loads of Allied liberators and reflects it back on those liberated during the year between D-Day in '44 to V-E day in '45 and the months following. The reality of liberation- the indiscriminate bombing and looting of European towns, farms, villages as the American, British and Canadian troops moved eastward and Russian soldiers flooded west- was shocking and heartbreaking. We know well the destruction wrought by retreating German forces, but to read of the wretched behavior of the "Greatest Generation" was devastating, but hardly surprising. The military branches of the Allied forces were woefully ill-prepared and ill-equipped to deal with the millions of starving citizens who remained in their home countries, the millions who survived the camps but remained on the edge of death, the millions of Displaced Persons who no longer had home or family. The soldiers were young men demoralized and amoralized by the sickness of war- that its victims seemed less than human is not acceptable, but it is understandable.
Soldiers were both heroes and wreakers of havoc, survivors greeted liberation with bewilderment and shame, governments thought first of their own political survival in their attempts to rebuild broken nations. This book serves to shatter the romance of World War II and is a necessary reminder that war is wrong wrong wrong. ...more
A simple review would state "This rich narrative is about the development of social Darwinism in post-Civil War polite society." But there ain't nothiA simple review would state "This rich narrative is about the development of social Darwinism in post-Civil War polite society." But there ain't nothin' simple about this book! It is complex roller coaster ride through American society facing tremendous upheaval and rapid industrialization in the generation following Reconstruction.
And in light of current political and economic conditions and the ongoing debate of evolution vs. religion, this social history is incredibly relevant- the political and economic parallels are astonishing.
At the book's heart is the co-opting of Darwin's theory of natural selection by philosophers, clergymen, industrialists and politicians to promote the supremacy of white, western culture. With this movement we witness the development of social Darwinism, laissez-faire economics, the political science, sociology, agnoticism, the cementing of corporate hegemony and the rise of America over England as the world's dominant superpower.
The cast of characters includes Darwin, who incidentally was not a promoter of the social philosophy that bears his name, Herbert Spencer- the center of this book and the creator of the phrase "survival of the fittest"- liberal minister Henry Ward Beecher, industrialist Andrew Carnegie and numerous scientists and academics. Some of these figures were anti-Darwinists, some his champions; many left traditional science behind to promote Spencer's social philosophies. Nearly all struggled to find a balance between biological natural selection and their own Christian upbringing; as the concept of social Darwinism grew, many, such as Andrew Carnegie, struggled to make sense of the dream of individual liberty and the supremacy of capitalism with the reality of human suffering.
Add into this mix a look at the social scandal that nearly toppled a religious dynasty, the transformation of the Republican party from that of Lincoln's day to the more recognizable party of fiscal and social conservatives, Darwin's transformation to an atheist, the physical and mental woes of many of the characters and correspondence, speeches and articles, election campaigns, presidential assassinations, trans-Atlantic voyages and the multi-coursed meal that ends this narrative- whew. I'm exhausted, but incredibly enlightened.
My caveat is that perhaps the author tried to do TOO much- too many historical figures, too many events that were perhaps tangential to the book's central themes. Fortunately there was a Principal Characaters section at the beginning of the book with brief bios that I turned to constantly as I struggled to keep everyone and their backgrounds straight. It would have been helpful to have a historical time line as well. ...more
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