Salinger’s Franny and Zooey January 30, 2010

* 1001 Books Book

Salinger, J. D. (1961). Franny and Zooey. Boston: Little, Brown.

In 2009, I saw this book on the 1001 Books list. In finding that I hadn’t read much published from that time (the 1960s) and the brevity of the work, I determined to read it. Yet, this book took me a long time to read – nearly a year.  The main reason I’m writing this post is in recognition of the late Salinger.

The novella contains two parts. Part I: Franny begins with undergrad Lane Coutell awaiting his fashionable girlfriend, Franny Glass, as her train comes into Lane’s college town. They are set to watch the “Yale Game.” The lovely Franny greets Lane, clutching The Way of the Pilgrim. The couple proceed to Sickler’s, the restaurant where all want to be seen. Lane talks incessantly and irritates Franny. Franny tells of her book and realizes Lane cares noting about her interests in “praying without ceasing.” Already feeling queasy,  Franny faints. When she comes to, Lane rushes out for a taxi, leaving Franny “praying ceaselessly.”

Part II: Zooey introduces Franny’s older brother, genius Zooey Glass, and her mother, Bessie. Still suffering from the breakdown at Sickler’s while at her parent’s Manhattan home, Zooey offers Franny advice and help on Franny’s recovery.

I finished the first part quite quickly but became bogged down by the second part. Many have called this novella disjointed and I agree.I thought Franny’s existential crisis was very realistic and found her intellectual superiority most understandable. I even appreciated how Zooey steers her away from belittling people less intelligent than herself.

Part II was choppy. As it  introduces the whole family (nearly reminescent of The Royal Tenenbaums) the readers only see Franny and Zooey, the youngest of the Glass genuises. These characters became tedious for me, unlike the Tenenbaums, to the point where I didn’t care what happened to them. I didn’t even like them anymore.

After reading this book, I found out that Franny was published in The New Yorker a couple of years prior to that of Zooey. In 1961, Salinger published the two in one volume.

Okay, Salinger had some good, raw material here. However, it’s undercooked, even for someone who takes her steak medium rare.

Two out of Five Pearls

Word Bank: intellectualism, mysticism, section man

Places: Ivy League school, One of the Seven Sisters, Manhattan

For more on J.D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey, please check out the following links:

• J.D. Salinger, Franny and Zooey | Yale Lecture
• ‘Franny and Zooey,’ by J.D. Salinger – New York Times (review by John Updike)
• Franny and Zooey and J.D. and Me << Forest Street Kitchen
• The Royal Tenenbaums

The first part, “Franny,” is significantly shorter than the second. It takes place in an unnamed college town during the weekend of “the Yale game” and tells the tale of an undergraduate who is becoming disenchanted with the selfishness and inauthenticity she perceives all around her.

The second much longer section is named for “Zooey”, Franny’s brother, older by five years, a somewhat emotionally toughened genius who at the age of twelve had “a vocabulary on an exact par with Mary Baker Eddy’s.” As Franny suffers a spiritual and existential breakdown in her parents’ Manhattan living room – leaving Bessie, her mother, deeply concerned – Zooey comes to her aid, offering what he thinks is brotherly love, understanding, and words of sage advice.

The Mystery Grows: What’s in Salinger’s Safe? – ABC News January 29, 2010

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via The Mystery Grows: What’s in Salinger’s Safe? – ABC News.

Love Story author dies January 20, 2010

Love Story author dies
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/20/2796633.htm

Cambridge author, ‘Spenser’ creator Robert B. Parker dies – Cambridge, Massachusetts – Cambridge Chronicle January 19, 2010

 

Cambridge author, ‘Spenser’ creator Robert B. Parker dies – Cambridge, Massachusetts – Cambridge Chronicle

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La Fayette’s The Princess of Clèves January 18, 2010

* 1001 Books Book

La Fayette, Segrais, J. R. d., & La Rochefoucauld, F. (1951). The Princess of Clèves. New York: New Directions.

So, I’ve been trying to climb onto the 1001 Books wagon again. A Pre-1700s title stood out to me – The Princess of Clèves. After requesting it through interlibrary loan (ILL), I found myself reading La Fayette’s The Princess of Clèves.

Before I mention the plot, let me explain some of the context. The book was published anonymously in March 1678 and the events took place in 1558.  Some say this is the first work of historical fiction in that someone such as La Fayette researched another day and time and then wrote the novel. Most remarkably, this novel of Henry II’s French Court faithfully adheres to French historical record.

La Fayette brings us to the court of French Henry II. We meet the “who’s who” and become acquainted with the intrigues and the precarious nature of royal favor. Madame de Chartres brings her beautiful ingenue daughter to this very court as a wide-eyed fifteen year old. Her mother seeks out a husband for lovely, virtuous daughter.  The de Chartres don’t do so well thanks to seemingly petty jealousies. Nonetheless, the Prince de Clèves has come into his own inheritance and can do as he pleases. . . He wants the lovely Mademoiselle de Chartres for his wife. Although he’s second-rate, the de Chartres accept his offer. Soon, the Prince of Clèves finds himself disappointed. While she’s nice about his affection, Madame of Clèves does not return them.

Matters aren’t helped when the handsome Duc of Nemours comes onto the scene. The Duc of Nemours and the Princess of Clèves fall in love. The titular character has a dilemma between remaining true to the Prince of Clèves or running off with her perfect match, the Duc of Nemours.

I was happy that the version of book I read had a list of characters in the back. Not knowing much about this part of French history was a bit of a loss for me. Yet, I admired how closely observed the history was in the book. I did research as I read and could appreciate all La Fayette said in this regard. Let me say that her main character was fictitious.

Also outstanding is the psychology of a book from the 1600s! There’s drama and such internal conflict. The emotions and the dilemmas of these characters are very modern.

One thing which bothered me was a lack of names. Okay, she’s Mademoiselle de Chartres and then she’s the Princess of Clèves. Could we at least give her one constant – a name? How about Marie?

Four out of Five Pearls

Word Bank:

Cyphers

Dauphin/Dauphine

Places: France

For more on La Fayette’s The Princess of Clèves, please check out the following links:

• Outstanding Historical Fiction: The Princess of Clèves by Madame de Lafayette
• Genrebusters.com – The Princess of Cleves (1678)
• An Artist’s Rendtion: Works: The Princess of Cleves and Louis the XIV

Photos: Miep Gies | 1909-2010 – baltimoresun.com January 14, 2010

Photos: Miep Gies | 1909-2010 – baltimoresun.com

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School Library Journal – Katherine Paterson Named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature January 6, 2010

A special thanks to kkfea for providing image

Katherine Paterson Named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Read the full article at:
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6713507.html?nid=2413&source=title&rid=17414725&

Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea December 27, 2009

Borrowing from Arukiyomi . . . I read this by my PC mostly.

* 1001 Books Book

Rhys, J., Raiskin, J. L., & Brontë, C. (1999). Wide Sargasso Sea. New York: W.W. Norton. 9780393960129

I reviewed Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre after reading it in 2008. Spotting Wide Sargasso Sea on the infamous 1001 Books list, I skimmed the info in my book and mentally added it to my TBR list. Recently, I watched the Masterpiece Theatre version and thought of Rhys’ prequel. After some debate with my coworkers about what sort of monster the first Mrs. Rochester should be, I picked up the Norton Critical Edition of Wide Sargasso Sea.

Rhys takes up the cause of the madwoman in the attic – (Bertha) Antoinette Cosway Mason. Part I is told by the young  Antoinette, a beautiful white Creole heiress in Jamaica (circa 1834).  She’s troubled from the start – burdened with a derainged widowed mother, no father in early years, and the issue of a line of slaveholders.  In free Jamaica, Antoinette is neither Jamaican nor British. It doesn’t help that other kids call her a “white cockroach.” Things don’t improve much for Antoinette until her mother remarries Mr. Mason. While not fond of her stepfather, Mr. Mason offers order in a crazy world.

Part II is told by the unnamed husband (Mr. Rochester) of Antoinette. He wonders what he has done, marrying a stranger.  Apparently, he came down with a fever after arriving in Jamaica. Nonetheless, the husband has gained much in this union. He and Antoinette arrive at their honeymoon house. Eventually, the ice breaks (so to speak) between the two and things go well. Then, the husband receives a letter which changes everything.

Part III is voiced by Bertha as she’s now called. She talks from the attic of Thornfield Hall.

Rhys is no Charlotte Brontë. Part of me wants to cry “blasphemy!” Then again, these are two fictional works. I did find Antoinette sympathetic but I felt manipulated. I can feel sorry for a girl in an unstable house. In fact, I felt bad for Bertha in Jane Eyre.

I didn’t care for the reworking of the time setting, either. Here, Rhys tried to make the events coincide with the Jamaican abolition. I think she could’ve had some sort of Jamaican antebellum cries within her work. She didn’t need to have it set later.

Nor was I fond of the “male oppression” themes. Yes, things were that bad for women then. However, where was Antoinette’s mother when she needed her? She was taken care of by her stepfather. I felt like I was being hit over the head with this. Of course, this is likened to Britain’s treatment of Jamaica.

Perhaps another turnoff was that the book was rife with footnotes and explanations of what I was to read and then explanations of what I had just read. In this case, the notes hindered rather than helped.

I say Two Out of Five Pearls

Places: Jamaica, Dominica, Martinique, England

Word Bank: (definitions thanks to book cited above)

1. calabash: a large dried gourd of the local calabash tree; they were used as bowls.
2. Creole: in this context, those of English or European descent born in the Caribbean.
3. frangipani tree: also called plumieria, a small tree native to the West indies with flowers that smell very sweet, especially at night.
4. Maroon: in Jamaica, this term referred to the runaway slaves and their descendants who escaped to the mountains  and lived free in small communities.
5. Patois: A French word also used in English to refer to any dialect that develops out of contact between the language of a colonizing people (i.e., English) and that of a colonized people (i.e., Native Americans).
6. salt fish:  salted, dried cod imported from Canada as standard food for slaves and wages for apprentices. The colloquial connotations of the term “salt fish” include low-class stutus and low quality of character, as well as a poor diet.
7. sargassum: a free-floating mass of seaweed. It is found in the Sargasso Sea, an oval-shaped area of the North Atlantic Sea, bordered by the Gulf Stream and encompassing the Bermuda Islands.

For more on Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea, check out these links:

• The Empire Strikes Back: Jane Eyre
• Time Magazine’s list of All-Time 100 Novels
• From Antoniette to Bertha: the process of ‘colonising’ within the marriage in Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea

Anna Godbersen’s The Luxe Series December 12, 2009

The first of the series (Elizabeth Holland)

The Second of the Series (Penelope Hayes)

The third of the series (Diana Holland)

(Pictures of Splendor to come – I promise!)

Godbersen, A. (2007). The luxe. New York, NY: HarperCollins. 9780061345661

Godbersen, A. (2008). Rumors: A Luxe novel. New York: HarperCollins. 9780061345692

Godbersen, A. (2009). Envy: A Luxe novel. New York: Harpercollins. 9780061345722

Godbersen, A. (2010). Splendor: A Luxe novel. New York: HarperCollins. 978006162319.

The staff book club turned me onto The Luxe series. Being touted as a nineteenth century Gossip Girl, this series has been very popular. Although I haven’t read any of the Gossip Girl books, I have seen episodes of the show here and there. Ultimately, I was sold of the amazing dresses on the book covers.

The series begins in 1899 Manhattan. The old Dutch families attend the funeral of one of their own – the exquisite Elizabeth Holland. In third person, the narrator introduces us to big players of the series – the dearly departed Elizabeth Holland, her gorgeous best friend – Penelope Hayes, her handsome fiance Henry Schoonmaker, and her romantically lovely little sister , Diana Holland.

The first chapter takes us back a month or so to Elizabeth’s return from Paris. The Hollands have lost their patriarch and the family could be in ruins. That’s why Mrs. Holland desperately needs her elder daughter to marry the wealthy son of William Schoonmaker, Henry. Henry just happens to be the paramour of Elizabeth’s frenemy Penelope Hayes. The worst part is Elizabeth couldn’t care less about Henry; she longs for another. Matters aren’t helped when Henry falls for the younger Holland, Diana. To top all of it off, both Hollands better watch their backs around their spiteful maid Lina Broud.

The Luxe Series is a quartet and I’ve only revealed some from the first book. I enjoyed the first book. The descriptions of the conspicious consumption and the elaborate gowns were stellar. Godbersen’s understanding of kids playing grownups was superb. She even provides us context with ample clippings from “society pages” and quotations on etiquette of the day.

However, I wasn’t pleased with the culmination. I didn’t like the obvious subscription to Murphy’s Law, either. If I were to have this to do over again, I’m not sure I’d do it.

The series overall gets Two and a half out of Five Pearls.

Word bank: pending

Places: Manhattan, New York, Paris, California, Yukon, The Philippines, Cuba

For more on The Luxe Series, please check out the following links:

• Gimme More Books!: Review: The Luxe Series
• The Luxe Series Book Cover| Uncover
• Philadelphia Women’s Fiction Examiner – Review: The Luxe Series
• The Luxe Series | Harris County Public Library
• Sellers Library Teens - Book Review: The Luxe Series
• The Luxe – The Official Site
• Harper Teens – The Luxe Books by Anna Godbersen

Janice Y.K. Lee’s The Piano Teacher November 29, 2009

Lee, J. Y. K. (2008). The piano teacher: A novel. New York: Viking Penguin. 978-0-00-728638-6

I noticed The Piano Teacher numerous times while flipping through Publisher’s Weekly while at work. However, I didn’t have enough interest in it until I saw the book on Amazon’s “People who bought this also bought. . .” for another book I recently read (see Marie Arana’s Lima Nights) . Sure enough, this book was on the shelf at the library where I work.

Lee tells at least two stories. Initially, she begins with young English wife Claire Pendleton in 1952. She and her husband, Martin, come to Hong Kong due to his job. With nothing else better to do, Claire seeks employment as a piano teacher. When she’s hired by the wealthy Chen family to teach their daughter Locket to play piano, Claire becomes infatuated with the Hong Kong expatriate scene as well as developing kleptomania. Through all of this, she becomes the paramour of Will Truesdale, an English expatriate with numerous skeletons in the closet.

The other story Lee tells begins in 1941 Hong Kong with the dashing newcomer Will Truesdale and his tempestuous affair with Trudy Liang, an exquisite daughter of a wealthy Chinese man and a Portuguese beauty. Will sinks into Trudy’s glib  lifestyle – parties, dinners with her efeet cousin Dominick, parties with her cousin Melody Chen, going to the beach, etc. When there are nervous rumblings on the eve of World War II, Trudy appears ambivalent and Will plays along until Japan invades.

Lee alternates between these two story lines, ultimately showing us how the past transgressions color Claire’s present. Characters face all sorts of trials and decisions, costing them all in the end.

I found Lee’s writing quite colorful and even transcendent. I especially wanted to climb into my time machine and check out pre-World War II Hong Kong.  While I didn’t like most of the characters, I found them very human and multidimensional.

I also liked how Lee confronts issues of race, class, and gender. Through Trudy, she presents us with the reality of being “not Asian”, “not Caucasian,” but simply both. Her wealthy Chinese father’s status opens doors for his daughter. I was impressed also by Claire’s awakening to this as well. Here we have 2008 values quelled in a novel about 1940s-1950s Hong Kong.

Still, I didn’t like the construction of the story much. I felt as though I was bounced around in the beginning, stuck in the middle, and rolled around like a pingpong ball in the end.  I do recall that this is Lee’s first novel and I’m sure she’ll overcome this in future novels.

As a grammar geek, I must comment on my chagrin upon reading Trudy utter the non-word “anyways.”

Two out of Five Pearls

Places: Hong Kong, Macau, China, Japan, The United Kingdom, India

Word Bank: ablution, Amah, anodyne, avuncular, collusive, consular, gendarmerie, guipure, inculcated, lissome, OBE, qipao, prescient, sotto voce, Tai Tais, venal,

For more on Janice Y.K. Lee’s The Piano Teacher:

• The New York Times
• Roman Review – YouTube
• YouTube – The Piano Teacher: Janice Y.K. Lee