Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books

-- Library Journal, 8/20/2008 11:24:00 AM

Week of August 19, 2008

Fiction | Nonfiction

Fiction

Block, Lawrence. One Night Stands and Lost Weekends. Harper: HarperCollins. Nov. 2008. c.366p. ISBN 978-0-06-158214-1. pap. $14.95. M
Verdict: This collection must be viewed as a thing of its politically incorrect time, but if your taste runs to cheap detectives, cheaper crooks, and D-cup damsels, this is for you. Recommended.
Background: This combo volume mates Block’s 2001 short story volume One Night Stands with 1999’s Lost Weekends novelettes, which collect his earliest published works (written in a single night or over a weekend, respectively). Most of the 25 shorts quite frankly are amateurish, but considering Block was still an undergrad when writing them, you have to cut the guy a break. The novelettes trio featuring Manhattan private eye Ed London are better. It’s interesting to observe his skills progressing and no doubt inspiring to would-be writers to see that a mystery deity’s early stuff is as bad as theirs. The stories, published in tawdry men’s magazines during the late 1950s and early 60s, are formulaic—all feature a tough guy and a stacked blonde robobabe whose clothes can barely contain her centerfold goodies. There’s gratuitous sex, violence, and often hilarious breast descriptions galore, along with booze, smokes, gun play, and murder.—Mike Rogers LJXpress/Library Journal

Chorin, Ethan. Translating Libya: The Modern Libyan Short Story. Saqi, dist. by Consortium. (Soas Middle East Issues). 2008. 240p. maps. bibliog. ISBN 978-0-86356-647-9. pap. $19.95. F
Verdict: An excellent collection of stories as well as an insightful glimpse into what was recently an unknown culture, this is highly recommended for academic and large public libraries.
Background: Until recently, Libya was not well known to the Western world. As part of the first official U.S. Liaison Office in Libya from 2004 to 2006, Chorin explored the country through its short stories. This resulting collection of stories, all translated by Chorin, is part anthology and part travelog; Chorin’s short, contextual essays provide the reader with additional information. For example, in the commentary for "Hotel Vienna," the story of a Muslim man falling in love with a Christian woman, Chorin tells his own story about trying to find the marvelous hotel that inspired this heartbreaking love story. In the process of telling his tale of searching for a potentially fictional place, he illuminates the deep sadness of the story. This anthology ends with a series of short essays that help explain contemporary Libya to a Western audience.—Deborah Hicks, Univ. of Alberta Lib., Edmonton

Hein, Christoph. Settlement. Metropolitan: Holt. 2008. c.320p. tr. from German by Philip Boehm. ISBN 978-0-8050-7768-1. $26. F
Verdict: Some of the narrations bog down in too much detail, while others are highly engrossing, as when Bernhard’s future wife is chided by her sister for holding out on him, threatening to give him a "sperm overdose." Ably translated by Boehm, this touching novel is well recommended on the whole for readers with an interest in the world beyond their own small town.
Background: Eminent German author Hein (Willenbrock; The Tango Player), past president of PEN Germany, transports us to East Germany immediately after World War II, where we follow the slow rise of Bernhard Haber, a refugee from former German territory now part of Poland. Haber’s story is recounted by five acquaintances as we observe him stand up to the small-town scorn directed against newcomers and the numerous tragedies that befall the ill-fated Haber family until Bernhard finally starts to make a go of it under the Communist banner and then transitions successfully to the market economy after the Wall crumbles.—Edward Cone, New York

Marcom, Micheline Aharonian. The Mirror in the Well. Dalkey Archive. Sept. 2008. c.152p. ISBN 978-1-56478-511-4. pap. $12.95. F
Verdict: The nameless protagonist’s heartbreak and suffering are moving, but the focus on her sexuality makes the loss of her home life less powerful than it could have been. Appropriate for adult fiction collections.
Background: In this slight novel, an unfulfilled woman embarks on an all-consuming affair, becoming possessed by her lover and losing her husband. Marcom, a PEN/USA award winner and author of the New York Times Notable Book Three Apples Fell from Heaven, writes in a spare yet poetic style. However, the language, while beautiful, can veer between the erotic and the pornographic. According to the jacket copy, the novel is "unapologetically explicit in its language, extreme in some of the acts it catalogues [and] makes no pretense of submission to middle-class decency"—a sentiment that is more than a little affected.—Alicia Korenman, Florida State Univ., Tallahassee

Miller, Rebecca. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Farrar. Aug. 2008. c.256p. ISBN 978-0-374-23742-4. $22. F
Verdict: What began as a promising novel quickly devolves into an underdeveloped romp through Pippa’s self-indulgent reminiscences. Not recommended, though note that Miller is the daughter of famed playwright Arthur Miller and married to actor Daniel Day-Lewis, so there may be interest.
Background: Miller, who earned accolades for her film adaptation of her short story collection, Personal Velocity, introduces readers to fifty-something Pippa Lee, who has just moved into a retirement community with her 80-year-old husband, Herb. Her transition is far from smooth, as Pippa manifests her stress in strange nighttime rituals and a return to smoking. Throw in a few tense relationships among various friends and neighbors, and Miller has the start of an engaging story about a woman who identifies herself as a "used car" that has been in an accident—she "looks perfectly fine on the outside, but the axel is bent." Rather than stay in real time, the novel then flashes back to Pippa’s drug- and sex-filled youth to explain further this "used car" mentality. Back in the present day, an odd climax sends Pippa out on another phase or "life" to try on for size.—Dora Wagner, Northwestern Coll. Lib., Saint Paul, MN

Mustafa, Shakir. Contemporary Iraqi Fiction. Syracuse Univ. 2008. 220p. ISBN 978-0-8156-0902-5. $22.95. F
Verdict: This anthology provides a rich and representative selection of fiction from 16 distinguished contemporary Iraqi writers. Recommended for public and academic libraries.
Background: Edited and translated by Mustafa (a professor and coeditor of two books, e.g., A Century of Irish Drama), the stories included here treat themes such as love lost, women’s rights, war, exile, and the quest for a just life in writing traditions ranging from realism and social realism to lyricism and experimental. Autobiographical materials are the common denominator in the stories of the Iraqis who live abroad or in exile. The most noticeable author and one of the innovators in the short story is Muhammad Khodayyir, who meshes in a Borgesian style history, folktales, geography, myths, and art to create utopian realities parallel but not negating his own. The anthology also includes novel excerpts, which could be easily replaced by works of other Iraqi writers to keep the anthology more comprehensive of the Iraqi fictional scene.—Sadiq Alkoriji, South Regional Lib., Broward Cty., FL

New Stories from the South: The Year’s Best, 2008. Algonquin. Aug. 2008. c.448p. ed. by ZZ Packer. ISBN 978-1-56512-612-1. pap. $14.95. F
Verdict: There is a good reason these 20 stories previously published in U.S. magazines are considered the year’s best—they are the tales found in the aisles of Winn Dixie, in the burger line at Checkers, on the back roads to Tuckasegee, and at the bottom of a glass of cold, sweet tea. Highly recommended for all academic and public library creative writing collections.
Background: Packer (Drinking Coffee Elsewhere) introduces this collection by enlightening readers about the difference between a Southerner and a southerner: a Southern has "pride in the past glories" while the southerner "stakes pride in the small daily miracles." Building on Packer’s definitions, the author comments following each story show what kernel of real-life experience sparked the narrative. Mary Miller’s "Leak" begins with a pubescent adolescent who tells her father about a bull’s-eye-shaped water stain on her bedroom ceiling that is never repaired, much like their relationship. Bret Anthony Johnson’s "Republican" shows the aspirations revealed in drunken phone calls made by Carlos, the Mexican restaurant cook, to Jay, the teenage delivery driver. David James Poissant’s "Lizard Man" is the road trip story of Cam who drives to northern Florida to clear out his deceased father’s house and finds an alligator caged in the backyard.—Joyce Sparrow, JWB Children’s Svcs. Council, Pinellas Park, FL

Pérez-Reverte, Arturo. The King’s Gold. Putnam. Aug. 2008. c.304p. tr. from Spanish by Margaret Jull Costa. ISBN 978-0-399-15510-9. $24.95. F
Verdict: Laced with snippets of period poetry and descriptions of cities, geography, and historical figures, Pérez-Reverte’s fourth swashbuckling Captain Alatriste adventure (after Captain Alatriste, Purity of Blood, and The Sun Over Breda) immerses readers in the world of 17th-century swordplay and traitorous duplicity. Suitable for public libraries where the author’s books and historical adventure fiction are popular.
Background: Captain Alatriste and his young squire, Iñigo Balboa Aguirre, tired and broke from the war in Flanders, arrive at the Spanish port of Cadiz. Alatriste is at home in Spain’s mercenary world and soon finds work, hired by the King to intercept a Spanish galleon laden with contraband gold and silver returning from the West Indies. Vivid descriptions of the voyages, the Spanish underworld, the nobility’s decadence, and the misery of the poor in 1630s Spain give the story realism. Despite the book’s straightforward plot, readers unfamiliar with the previous series entries may find allusions to prior events (e.g., Iñigo’s fateful attraction to the queen’s maid of honor) baffling and characters sketchily drawn; for example, Alatriste is depicted as a man of few words, often standing in the shadows in his black hat and cape. There is nothing here that explains why he remains hidden and silent, although it is a major part of his character.—Sally Bickley, Texas A&M Univ. Lib., Corpus Christi

Yessayan, Raffi. Eight in the Box. Ballantine. 2008. c.288p. ISBN 978-0-345-50261-2. $25. F
Verdict: Boston-based defense attorney Yessayan draws on his professional knowledge to flesh out his characters and locations. His debut novel sufficiently chills and thrills readers until the shocking ending.
Background: The Blood Bath Killer is wreaking havoc in Beantown, and the police are baffled when they find little evidence other than a bathtub full of blood at each scene, sans body. Where are the bodies? What could the killer be doing with them? Assistant District Attorney Conrad Darget, who heads the Homicide Response Team, observes police procedures at each crime scene and keeps up with the information gathered. As the case becomes more difficult and personal for all the people involved, it becomes evident that the killer may be directly connected to the courthouse they all work through. Could the killer be among them? Could it be one of them?—Cynde Suite, Bartow Cty. Lib. Syst., Cartersville, GA

Nonfiction

Ethridge, Shannon. The Sexually Confident Wife: Connecting with Your Husband Mind, Body, Heart, Spirit. Broadway. Sept. 2008. c.176p. ISBN 978-0-7679-2605-8. $21.95. PSYCH
Verdict: Ethridge’s advice is good, if sketchy, and her book will appeal to many religious readers without much sexual sophistication. But supporting information is lacking. While she mentions the Christian sex toy vendor Covenant Spice, she doesn’t include a bibliography of the many good religious-viewpoint books on sex education, sexual technique, and problems like abuse and dysfunction. Resources like the American Association of Christian Counselors are also missing. For public libraries in conservative communities.
Background: An inspirational writer with books for women about resisting nonmarital sex to her credit (e.g., "Every Woman’s Battle" series), Ethridge seeks to normalize assertive and joyous female sexuality in the context of religiously grounded marriage. Much of the book is devoted to helping readers get past body-image issues, boredom, sexual naiveté, and prior abuse and show them the pleasure and payoff that should come with spiritually blessed, mature and intimate marital eroticism. And when wives rev up the sexual motor, the whole family benefits. One chapter covers techniques, from various intercourse and outercourse positions to making your own erotic videos, and is illustrated with small, attractive, explicit drawings of average-bodied couples.—Martha Cornog, Philadelphia

McGregor, Ewan & Charley Boorman. Long Way Down: An Epic Journey by Motorcycle from Scotland to South Africa. Atria: S. & S. 2008. c.352p. illus. ISBN 978-1-4165-7745-4. $26.95. TRAV
Verdict: The endless references to chafing, bad road conditions, and bike repairs result in a book more about the riding experience than Africa. The DVD documentary is a better option. Recommended for public libraries where demand warrants.
Background: McGregor and Boorman, two London-based actors with a passion for motorcycling, completed a 20,000-mile London to New York motorcycle trip in 2004, which was the basis for a book and documentary both titled Long Way Round. Next, the biking itch inspired this trip, from John O’Groats, Scotland, to Cape Town, South Africa, by way of such countries such as Tunisia, Ethiopia, and Tanzania, then across to Namibia. By motorcycling, the two were able to see the African landscape, homes, villages, people, and animals up close, all of which should yield a narrative brimming with excitement and description. However, the passages here, which alternate between McGregor and Boorman, sound more like transcripts of filming of their trip, which is also available as a BBC series on DVD.The authors tell us many times how amazed they are to be riding through the continent, but the reader might wish for more colorful renditions of what the authors experienced. Both men did, however, help support and raise awareness for African causes, including funding to prevent AIDS and landmines, and to support community health via projects sponsored by Riders for Health and UNICEF.Melissa Stearns, Franklin Pierce Univ., NH

Nesi, Tom. Poison Pills: The Untold Story of the Vioxx Drug Scandal. Thomas Dunne Bks: St. Martin’s. Sept. 2008. c.304p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-312-36959-0. $25.95. MED
Verdict: The Vioxx cautionary tale deserves a more skillful telling than what Nesi offers. For now, readers would be better served by excellent general studies on the pharmaceutical industry, e.g., Marcia Angell’s The Truth About the Drug Companies or Melody Petersen’s Our Daily Meds.
Background: Vioxx, launched by Merck & Co. with great fanfare on May 24, 1999, abruptly disappeared from pharmacies around the world on September 30, 2004. Marketed as a "super aspirin" that would treat arthritis and other chronic pain without the stomach problems attributed to other pain killers, Vioxx, licensed in 80 countries, rapidly enriched the pharmaceutical company with revenues of $2.5 billion a year. But Merck’s bottom line was soon to experience chronic pain of its own: evidence mounted that thousands of Vioxx patients were dying of heart attacks and other complications. Nesi, who has worked as a pharmaceutical executive, presents the first detailed examination of the Vioxx scandal for general readers, describing how indications of coronary problems in patients enrolled in drug trials as early as 1996 were suppressed by Merck scientists, minimized by physicians well-oiled with financial perks, and overlooked by FDA officials with ties to the pharmaceutical industry. Nesi’s shocking story is illuminated by discussions of marketing drugs throughout the ages, the purpose and proper structure of drug trials, and the pernicious effects of television advertising, particularly the wildly successful Vioxx TV commercials starring skater Dorothy Hamill. Unfortunately, these stories are confusingly organized; this reader was quickly lost in the labyrinth of the intricacies of Protocol 071, VIGOR, Studies 023 and 091, and APPROVe [sic]. Also tucked away in concluding acknowledgements is the fact that the author "worked for a number of law firms as an expert witness for those who had been injured by Vioxx."—Kathy Arsenault, Univ. of South Florida at St. Petersburg Lib.

Royle, Trevor. Lancaster Against York: The Wars of the Roses and the Foundation of Modern Britain. Palgrave Macmillan. 2008. c.368p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-4039-6672-8. $29.95. HIST
Verdict: Royle paints a broad, satisfying picture, illuminating Henry IV’s reign (1399–1413) as one of warfare, rebellion, and plots, and detailing the further generations of Lancaster and York. Lancastrian and Yorkist struggles ended at the Battle of Bosworth Field (1485) with the death of Richard III (York) and the ascension of Lancastrian heir Henry VII, grandson of one Owen Tudor—marking the beginning of the Tudor dynasty. Highly recommended for all libraries.
Background: In 1377, a ten-year-old prince was crowned King Richard II, his father, the illustrious "Black Prince," having died before he could succeed Edward III. England never fared well under a child monarch, as Royle (editor, Sunday Herald, Scotland) makes clear here. By adulthood, Richard was suspicious and vindictive, exiling and executing several powerful nobles, including some relatives. One exile was his cousin Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, who retaliated by invading and taking the life of Richard and being crowned Henry IV. Thus began England’s first civil war, a red rose serving as the symbol of the House of Lancaster and a white rose for the Yorkists.—Robert Harbison, Western Kentucky Univ. Lib., Bowling Green

Walker, Ronald W. & others. Massacre at Mountain Meadows. Oxford Univ. Aug. 2008. c.448p. illus. maps. index. ISBN 978-0-19-516034-5. $29.95. HIST
Verdict: The Mountain Meadows massacre remains a horrific topic in early Mormon history. In an effort to illuminate this dark deed, three Latter-day Saints (LDS) historians have collaborated to produce an objective, definitive historical resource. Highly recommended for all research collections of LDS and American history in public and college libraries.
Background: The role of church leaders in planning a mass murder of overland emigrant families from Arkansas is still debated (see Will Bagley’s Blood of the Prophets), and new forensic evidence of the victims has been unearthed (see Sally Denton’s American Massacre). Walker (Wayward Saints: The Godbeites and Brigham Young), Richard E. Turley Jr. (assistant church historian, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), and Glen M. Leonard (former director, LDS Museum of Church History and Art) present new information unavailable to earlier writers, discovered by retranscribing shorthand transcripts of 19th-century investigations. This amazing work is so heavily documented that the main text barely fills half of the pages.—Nathan E. Bender, Univ. of Idaho Lib., Moscow