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Jamestown
By Matthew Sharpe
Completed May 2, 2008
Jamestown by Matthew Sharpe is a post-annihilated view of America, set against the historic backdrop of the early Jamestown settlement. In this story, John Rolfe, John Smith and company voyaged to Virginia from Manhattan, searching for more fuel and resources for their New York-based company. When they arrived in Jamestown, they met great resistance from the natives, but as in history, the young Pocahontas became the link between these two cultures.
The story was written with each chapter told from a different character’s viewpoint, which helped move the story along. By far, my favorite character was Pocahontas. She emerged as a funny, vulnerable and believable 19-year-old girl. As brutal as her male counterparts, Pocahontas preferred diplomacy and was fascinated by her northern visitors. And yes, like history, there was a romance, but I won’t reveal which John she fell for.
Reviewers of Jamestown loved the satirical nature of this book and raved about the brilliant execution of dark humor and political commentary. Furthermore, Jamestown was listed as a 2007 Best Book by Publisher’s Weekly. For me, however, I didn’t get it. It was like a conversation with a dark but witty guest at a party whose allusions and nuisances went over my head. I don’t fault Matthew Sharpe for my inadequacies, though. His writing style was easy and humorous, his characterization was spot on and I am sure other readers would enjoy this book.
If you enjoy the darkest of humor and the most satirical of political and environmental commentaries, then you may want to try Jamestown. ( 
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- Location:home
- Mood:
content
The Yiddish Policemen's UnionBy Michael Chabon
Completed April 8, 2008
The Yiddish Policemen's Union was one of the most peculiar, entertaining and head-scratching books I have ever read. Michael Chabon is a deliciously fun, imaginative writer, and this book is dripping with literary snark. I was expecting an "okay" read, and I am happy to report that I loved, loved, loved this one.
The book is set in Siska, a fictional district in Alaska inhabited by Jews who fled there in the late 1940's. Siska embodied the good and bad of any community, and to help combat the bad, Siska employed police officers like the main character, Meyer Landsman and his partner, Berko Shemets. Meyer was one of those Lethal Weapon/Mel Gibson cops- quick with the one-liners, always working on a hunch and on the verge of self-destruction. And Berko was just like Danny Glover - the stable married guy who often pulled his partner out of trouble. Mix in Meyer's ex-wife, Bina, who served as their commander, and you have The Yiddish Policemen's Union.
The guys were investigating the death of heroin junkie, who may or may not be the Messiah. Their inquiries led to the strictest of Jewish sects and a conspiracy of historical proportions. Each chapter took the reader closer and closer to unraveling the mystery, and Chabon kept his readers at the edge of their collective seats through each page. It's a classic "who done it" story - with a lot of Yiddish language.
I am not well-versed in Judaism or Jewish history, but I detected a serious side to this story - a commentary on the numerous displacement of Jews throughout history and an exploration of what happens when Jews get too comfortable in any one place. I wonder too if Chabon is holding up a mirror to Jewish society and showing readers the pluses and minuses of their culture. Again, I am not an expert in Jewish culture, but I will be curious to read thoughts from those who are - to learn more about the "Jewish" aspect to this tale.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union is not a book for everyone. I think you have to enjoy dark, subtle humor (similar to Christopher Moore) and not be intimidated by the Jewish themes in this story. It's a very readable story, brilliantly written and eloquently developed. I look forward to reading more work by Michael Chabon in the near future. (
) - Location:home
- Mood: chipper
Bridge of SighsBy Richard Russo
Completed February 23, 2008
Sitting in front of you is a huge piece of delicious chocolate cake. It’s covered with fudge icing and slightly chilled to help you enjoy the rich chocolate goodness. Without a doubt, this chocolate cake is an art form all its own.
Presented with such succulent sweetness, are you the type to devour it in a few bites because you cannot wait for each delicious morsel? Or, are you more likely to take small bites to enjoy each fudgy nugget as its own tiny piece of heaven?
You are the latter? Great - I highly recommend Richard Russo’s latest book, Bridge of Sighs, to you. Everyone else – the impatient kind like me – probably can skip this turtle of a novel.
In Bridge of Sighs, readers explored the lives of Lou C. (aka Lucy) Chapman and his childhood friend, Robert Noonan (aka Bobby Marconi). Lucy and Robert are exact opposites: Lucy stayed in his small town all his life, Robert was an international artist living in Venice; Lucy was a wimp, Robert was a bully; Lucy was a guy you can count on, Robert made unreliability an art form. The book mostly centered on Lucy’s life with recollections from his childhood mixed with his present life. In Lucy’s sections, the readers learned about Thomaston, New York, over a fifty-year time span – small-town narratives that are the trademark to Russo’s storytelling. Love triangles, racial issues, sickness and bullying all found their place in this book.
While Russo is a master of small-town yarns, he took his time unraveling this story. Have you ever encountered an older gentleman who can talk for hours and hours about his life, each tale its own mini-adventure? That’s Lucy. It took more than 500 pages to get his story told. Each page and chapter rode like a steady tide, with small ebbs and flows. Sometimes a large wave moved the story along, but often it’s the rhythmic push and pull that advanced the story.
It’s no fault of Bridge of Sighs that I continuously lost my patience with this story. In fact, I cannot contend that the book needed better editing or a more direct style. It’s how Richard Russo writes his books, and you either like it or you don’t. I guess I am the kind who eats my chocolate cake really fast.
I would recommend Bridge of Sighs to readers who can take each page and relish in the beautiful language, narrative style and small-town wonder. If you are the patient kind, I think you will be richly rewarded with this tale about friendships and small towns. (
)- Location:home
- Mood:productive
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
By Mohsin Hamid
Completed January 13, 2008
The Reluctant Fundamentalist is an unsettling story of a young Pakistani man, Changez, whose life was impacted by 09/11 and the unstable relationship with his love interest, Erica. Changez was educated at Princeton and recruited by an elite firm upon graduation. He moved to New York City where he could blend in and focus on his work, his friendships and Erica. Changez seemed to tolerate American society well enough until the attacks on 09/11 when he underwent constant scrutiny because he was Muslim. He no longer felt like he could “fit in,” and when the U.S. didn’t support Pakistan against rising escalations with India, his toleration for his host country completely dissipated.
Many reviewers contend that this is a novel about anti-American views after 09/11 and how an educated young man, scorned by the behavior of Americans, become bitter and possibly evolved into a terrorist. While I agree with this contention, I would also argue that Changez was more deeply affected by the mental decline of Erica and his inability to break through her mental illness. Erica was profoundly depressed by the death of her first boyfriend several years ago. She recovered enough to get through Princeton and write her first novel, but the presence of a new lover rocked her gentle stability and reverted Erica to her depressive state. Changez could not compete against the dead lover who still held Erica’s heart, despite all of his best efforts. He eventually conceded to this fact, and in the end, lost Erica forever. Heart-broken and disillusioned about the “American way of life,” Changez became depressed. His broken heart is what pushed Changez “over the edge” – to the point that he could no longer live in America anymore.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a hard story to read because it holds a mirror up to American society – and the mirror does not reflect back a good image. As an American, I agree with Changez’s assessment of my country’s flaws, but in my mind, I continue to counter these points with positive ones. Like anything, we’re good and bad – and far from perfect. Despite my discomfort, I enjoyed this short, suspenseful novel immensely, and I would recommend to any reader who wants more enlightenment on American and Middle Eastern affairs as well as a beautiful account of Pakistan. ( 
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- Location:home
- Mood:
cold
The Abstinence TeacherBy Tom Perrotta
Completed January 12, 2008
Set in the “perfect” suburb, The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta attempts to explore what happens when two forces collide – those who believe in teaching abstinence in high school versus those who believe in teaching a more “in your face” curriculum.
Ruth Ramsey has been the high school’s sex ed teacher for years, and she had always followed a more clinical, “real life” approach to her course. She believed in teaching students about birth control, masturbation, sexually transmitted diseases and the intricacies of intercourse. When one of her students complained about her class, Ruth was brought under scrutiny by the school district, led by an evangelical church who demanded that the county teach abstinence in the classroom. The church won the debate, forcing Ruth to change her pedagogy. Uncomfortable with this decision, Ruth struggled with following the rules and going with her gut.
Meanwhile, Tim Mason coached Ruth’s daughter’s soccer team. A recovering drug addict and alcoholic, Tim turned to Christ to help him recover from his addictions. He is far from perfect despite his best efforts, still longing for marijuana and beer, lusting for his ex-wife and struggling to maintain the best Christian values. Coincidentally, Tim belongs to the same church that raised issues against Ruth’s teaching methods.
Ruth and Tim, as if representing their own sides, come to head when Tim decided to lead his team to prayer after winning a game. Ruth is outraged and threatened to file a complaint against Tim for subjecting his soccer players – some of whom are not Christians – to prayer in a community league. Tim contended that it was appropriate to pray and that he did not force anyone to participate.
The premise of this book is outstanding – if only Perrotta had decided to attack the issue. He flings it out there so promisingly and then reels it in like he regretted even starting the conversation. His character development is there. He draws his characters in such a way that you feel sorry for them, root for them or just want to yell at them in disgust. But good characters can’t do it alone. They need a good plot to drive home the point. While we learn a lot about the characters’ sex lives, we really don’t learn or explore the issues about teaching sex to our children.
While I am disappointed in The Abstinence Teacher, I am not turned off by Tom Perrotta’s work. Reading other reviews have assured me that The Abstinence Teacher is not his best book. I hope my next selection will be more satisfying to me as a reader. (
)- Location:home
- Mood:
infuriated
Wendy is hosting the Notable Books Challenge with very flexible rules. Read as many books from any of the 2007 "Notable" lists between January 1-December 31, 2008. I am very glad to participate in this 
After perusing the lists, here are my selections for this challenge:
1) The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta (NYT Most Notable) Completed January 12, 2008 (review)
2) Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo (NYT Most Notable) - also reading for Themed Reading Challenge Completed February 23, 2008 (review)
3) Exit Ghost by Philip Roth (NYT Most Notable)
4) Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (PW Best Book)
5) The Gathering by Anne Enright (NYT Most Notable) - also reading for Man Booker Challenge
6) Jamestown by Matthew Sharpe (PW Best Book) completed May 2, 2008 (review)
7) The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (NYT Most Notable and PW Best Book) - also reading for Man Booker Challenge completed January 13, 2008 (review)
8) Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson (NYT Most Notable and PW Best Book)
9) The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon (NYT Most Notable) - also reading for Themed Reading Challenge completed April 8, 2008 (review)
I am not designating any alternates at this time, but if I read more than these nine selections, I will add it to the challenge. There is always something reviewed by a challenge participant that sounds so intriguing : I will have to add it!
- Location:home
- Mood: cheerful
