Xpress Reviews—The First Look at New Books, November 5, 2010
Nov 4, 2010| |
|
Week ending November 5, 2010
Fiction | Nonfiction | Graphic Novels
Fiction
Flagg, Fannie. I Still Dream About You. Random. Nov. 2010. c.336p. ISBN 9781400065936. $26. F
Will she or won't she kill herself? Jumping in the river to die is Birmingham realtor Maggie Fortenberry's grand obsession. A former Miss Alabama beauty queen who never married, Maggie wants out before she gets further along past six decades. Something of a dreamer, as well as a lover of Hollywood's "Glorious Technicolor" era gone by, Maggie sees no future for herself. Her boss, a gloriously upbeat midget named Hazel whom everyone adored, is now deceased, and the economy is in a meltdown. How will her meticulously planned suicide affect Brenda, her best friend and business partner, an African American woman gearing up to run for mayor of Birmingham? When a rival realtor gets the listing for a grand old house named Crestview, Maggie is tempted to stick around.
Verdict Only Flagg (Can't Wait To Get to Heaven) could manage to make a novel about suicide so delightfully bubbly, punchy, and entertaining. Not to be missed! [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/10.]—Keddy Ann Outlaw, formerly with Harris Cty. P.L., Houston, TX
Galgut, Damon. In a Strange Room: Three Journeys. Europa, dist. by Penguin Group (USA). 2010. 224p. ISBN 9781933372853. pap. $15. F
Unlike many authors, Galgut admits to the autobiographical nature of his fiction. Writing from both first- and third-person perspectives, he firmly places his audience into the action as it's happening to the young Damon; then, rather disconcertingly, he reflects upon his younger self from a distance of many years. We meet a rootless man, born in South Africa yet not at home there, wandering the world neither searching for nor escaping from anything. He travels through Greece, India, and Africa, picking up and shaking off companions along the way, seemingly incapable of forging meaningful connections. There is sexual tension with Reiner, a beautiful young man who follows him to a hostel in Greece, and the potential for a relationship with a Swiss soldier that doesn't come to fruition. His only long-term friendship, with Anna, breaks under the crushing stranglehold of the bipolar disorder that threatens her life.
Verdict Loss, loneliness, betrayal, and death inhabit this melancholy novel, which is redeemed by the gorgeous prose style, simple yet so evocative. This is the second time that Galgut's work has been honored as a finalist for a Booker Prize (following The Good Doctor), and one section of this three-part novel received an O. Henry Award after appearing in The Paris Review. Smart readers will be asking about it.—Sally Bissell, Lee Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Myers, FL
Simmons, Lynda. Island Girl. Berkley: Penguin Group (USA). Dec. 2010. c.448p. ISBN 9780425237243. pap. $15. F
Wards Island can only be reached from Toronto Harbor by ferry or plane, but the distance is even more unbridgeable between Ruby Donaldson and her two grown daughters, Liz and Grace. Two years earlier, a tragedy forced Grace back home to the island, leaving an angry Liz to give up her career as a lawyer, turning to drink, while refusing to speak to Ruby. Ruby had wanted to protect Grace, who suffered from "mild intellectual delay," while Liz wanted to fight for Grace's freedom. When Ruby learns she has early-onset Alzheimer's, her goal remains to protect Grace from life while she tries to force Liz to return home to care for her sister. The three women alternate telling their struggle to reconnect despite Ruby's ongoing need for control.
Verdict Anyone looking for a story of strong women fighting for mastery over their lives will appreciate Simmons's second novel (after Getting Rid of Rosie). However, those who want a more in-depth look at dealing with Alzheimer's would be better served by Lisa Genova's Still Alice.—Lesa Holstine, Glendale P.L., AZ
Nonfiction
Boyle, Susan. The Woman I Was Born To Be: My Story. Atria: S. & S. 2010. c.320p. photogs. ISBN 9781451609257. $26. MUSIC
At the age of 47, Boyle auditioned for Britain's Got Talent TV show in front of an audience and judges with low expectations and transformed them into a wild, cheering crowd who gave her a standing ovation. Only one year later, two biographies of her have been published (by Alice Montgomery and John McShane); here, she tells her own story. The youngest of seven children, Boyle was born with slight brain damage, which led doctors to warn her parents not to expect much from her. She was brought up in Scotland in a home filled with love, singing, and lots of encouragement. The clip from her Britain's Got Talent audition took off on YouTube, and she became an instant celebrity, hounded by the media, necessitating a period of adjustment.
Verdict Boyle's voice and her triumph over prevailing notions of age and beauty appropriate for celebrities have earned her thousands of loyal fans globally. While this book is a bit long, it tells a story of success over adversity and a love of music that has proven its appeal.—Lani Smith, Ohone Coll. Lib., Newark, CA
Currid-Halkett, Elizabeth. Starstruck: The Business of Celerity. Faber & Faber. Nov. 2010. c.368p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780865479098. $26. SOC SCI
The public eagerly devours continuous coverage of the minute details of celebrities' lives. But why are some individuals singled out for celebrity status while other seemingly likely candidates are denied the spotlight? How does the imposing place of celebrities in our collective consciousness balance against the need to focus on "real-life" issues? Currid-Halkett (The Warhol Economy: How Fashion, Art, and Music Drive New York City) examines these and other questions by looking at the topic from some varied and intriguing angles, e.g., the interconnected nuances of talent, fame, and celebrity; the role of social media in creating and perpetuating the multiple contexts of celebrity; and the practical economics and demographics of this status. She offers a riveting spectrum of examples, from Paris Hilton to local Facebook favorites, and scrutinizes each element of the celebrity phenomenon from its creation and maintenance to its immediate impact and predictable future.
Verdict This is a well-written study of the subject, with absorbing anecdotes, thoughtful analyses, and well-presented statistics. [See also Tom Payne's Fame, reviewed below.—Ed.]—Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: New Essays. Scarecrow. Dec. 2010. c.288p. ed. by Michael J. Meyer. illus. index. ISBN 9780810877238. $49.95. LIT
Meyer (retired, English, DePaul Univ.) compiled this collection of new essays to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Harper Lee's classic novel. He cast a wide net to provide an entertaining and insightful assortment of readings. The volume is divided into four parts: "Educational Approaches," "To Kill a Mockingbird and the Justice System," "Themes, Imagery, and Structural Choices," and "Social Concerns." Some essays are theoretical, while others, such as Christian Z. Goering and Cindy M. Williams's "A Soundtrack Approach to Teaching To Kill a Mockingbird," and Derek Blair and Cecilia Donohue's "Multimedia Mockingbird: Teaching Harper Lee's Novel Using Technology," provide practical and compelling ideas for teachers. Meyer's decision to have a diverse group of contributors is admirable: university professors are mixed in with an Emmy-nominated television news producer, Baptist minister, and corporate attorney. Malcolm Gladwell is the most well-known contributor, and his piece is the only reprint, having first appeared in The New Yorker.
Verdict Meyer's superb assemblage will be of interest and help to high school teachers and undergraduate college instructors. General readers who are fans of the novel will also be intrigued.—Stacy Russo, Chapman Univ. Libs., Orange, CA
Harvey, James Neal. Sharks of the Air: The Story of Willy Messerschmitt and the Development of History's First Operational Jet Fighter. Casemate. 2010. c.424p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781935149460. $32.95. MILITARY HISTORY
In this perfect blend of sympathetic career biography and gripping military history, Harvey, who has published several thrillers, chronicles the life of the German aircraft designer and the detailed evolution of his entire line of aircraft, emphasizing the Me-109 and the Me-262 fighters. Harvey shows how the Me-109, a piston-engine craft, generally demonstrated greater effectiveness than the opposition in Europe and Russia, only meeting its match in the Spitfire over London and the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang bomber escort fighters over an embattled Reich. The late deployment, in July 1944, of the temperamental Me-262 jet interceptor, though a landmark plane and sometime brilliantly performing fighter, unfortunately killed as many of its pilots through accidents as were lost in combat. Harvey also reveals how Messerschmitt's Me-262 program was adversely affected by, among other things, Hitler's insistence that the jet fighter be used as a blitz bomber.
Verdict Only an author with 40 years' flying experience and a connoisseur's appreciation of World War II vintage aircraft could have written such a fine book, solidly researched from family interviews, pilot reports, and appropriate secondary sources. Additionally, the dramatic writing style makes Harvey's effort a definite winner for all World War II military history buffs.—John Carver Edwards, Univ. of Georgia Libs., Cleveland
Larson, Thomas. The Saddest Music Ever Written: The Story of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings. Pegasus. 2010. 262p. ISBN 9781605981154. $26.95. MUSIC
Since its premiere by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Orchestra in November 1938, Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings has been one of the most familiar works of classical music ever written by an American composer. Rather than presenting a traditional biography—such as Barbara B. Heyman's Samuel Barber: The Composer and His Music—Larson (The Memoir and the Memoirist: Reading and Writing Personal Narrative) melds biographical elements with the history of the music. Among many other uses, Barber's Adagio has memorialized FDR, Princess Grace, and the victims of 9/11. At least 30 films have used the music, most notably Platoon. Larson's history portrays Barber's melancholia (there is much about his sometimes difficult relationship with Gian Carlo Menotti) and the Adagio as an anthem of melancholy.
Verdict This is a wonderful examination of the effects of an artistic artifact on culture and, conversely, the various uses (undreamt of by the composer) to which the music has been put by others. It is also a personal testament to the power of a cultural artifact on an individual. Highly recommended.—Bruce R. Schueneman, Texas A&M Univ. Lib., Kingsville
Miles, Tiya. The House on Diamond Hill: A Cherokee Plantation Story. Univ. of North Carolina. 2010. 336p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780807831481. $32.50. HIST
Miles (Afro-American & African studies and Native American studies, Univ. of Michigan; Ties That Bind: The Story of an Afro-Cherokee Family in Slavery and Freedom) complements her earlier work by examining the development of racial attitudes among the elite class of Cherokees during the 19th century through the prism of the slaveholding Vann family and their plantation. By exploring the evolution of Cherokee racial views, the author illustrates that Cherokee slavery differed significantly from that practiced by white Americans during the same period. Although Cherokees employed slavery for its economic benefits, they also believed their adoption of slavery helped prove to the United States government that they had acculturated and thus had become "civilized."
Verdict Recommended. For other perspectives on race among the Cherokees, see Fay A. Yarbrough's Race and the Cherokee Nation: Sovereignty in the Nineteenth Century, as well as Claudio Saunt's Black, White, and Indian: Race and the Unmaking of an American Family, which analyzes similar issues during the same period among the Creek Indians.—John Burch, Campbellsville Univ. Lib., KY
Payne, Tom. Fame: What the Classics Tell Us About Our Cult of Celebrity. Picador. Nov. 2010. c.256p. index. ISBN 9780312429935. pap. $16. SOC SCI
Payne (former deputy literary editor, The Daily Telegraph) studies a wide variety of celebrated characters—among them Achilles, Julius Caesar, Odysseus, Nero, and that especially intriguing rogue, Faust—and traces their stories, motivations, and actions, illustrating in detail how these figures were venerated and set standards, noble or questionable, for all to emulate. On the other hand, he also reveals how and why onlookers take cruel delight in the misery of a fall from a lofty perch. Payne knows his literature and his modern culture, and he deftly draws some astounding parallels between these classical figures and today's celebrities as well as audiences both past and present who invest their idols with power but can rob them of privacy, dignity, and even fame.
Verdict This one-of-a-kind book looks at current society's responses to celebrities from a highly literate and astute perspective. It is well written and accessible enough to have appeal beyond academic audiences, and it warrants a second read by those who would like to absorb more fully the finer points of its thesis. [See also Elizabeth Currid-Halkett's Starstruck, reviewed above.—Ed.]—Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ
Ryan, Johnny. A History of the Internet and the Digital Future. Univ. of Chicago. Nov. 2010. c.256p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781861897770. $27. TECH
Ryan, contributor to BBC World, Reuters, and the Associated Press, presents an interesting and easy read of the Internet's history from its birth in the 1960s during the Cold War until today. Clearly, the more things change, the more they stay the same, whether you look at themes in politics and government, business, or social relations. Ryan is a fantastic storyteller, but as an analyst he fails to deliver the goods. Jaron Lanier's You Are Not a Gadget or Jonathan Zittrain's Future of the Internet and How To Stop It provide much more scaffolding to understand what is coming in the future networked society. Hot topics like terrorism, privacy, national and international controls, morality, and human rights are not well covered, if at all, and there is no mention of the history of the Internet in the developing or Third World, something this reviewer hoped to see.
Verdict This is the best Western history of the Internet offered to date, but it is up to readers to connect the dots of where things may be headed.—James A. Buczynski, Seneca Coll. of Applied Arts & Technology, Toronto
Schiffrin, André. Words and Money. Verso, dist. by Norton. Nov. 2010. c.176p. index. ISBN 9781844676804. $23.95. COMM
The decade-long assertion that the Internet signals the demise of print media, libraries, and bookstores has recently evolved from a meme into a modern media crisis. This crisis is of great concern to Schiffrin (The Business of Books: How the International Conglomerates Took Over Publishing and Changed the Way We Read), who, as an author and publisher, has a vested interest in the topic. Schiffrin cites some startling statistics, e.g., the decrease in the number of bookstores in New York City from 1945 to early 2010, to show not only how we as a society are losing our cultural foundation but also how this crisis stems from many factors beyond the popularity of the Internet. Schiffrin looks to Europe and Asia for alternate corporate models that might save journalism, print media, and film in the United States.
Verdict Masterfully written and extremely thought-provoking, this work should stimulate a much-needed dialog among those interested in the communications and publishing fields.—Teri Shiel, Westfield State Univ. Lib., MA
Striner, Richard. Lincoln's Way: How Six Great Presidents Created American Power. Rowman & Littlefield. 2010. c.304p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781442200654. $24.95. HIST
Striner (history, Washington Coll.; Father Abraham: Lincoln's Relentless Struggle To End Slavery) casts Lincoln as a principal architect of presidential authority working to realize America's great power ambitions. Arguing for the necessity of an activist federal government to develop and direct the nation's vast natural, economic, moral, and political resources, Striner tracks the uses of presidential power from Washington's day through the first days of the Obama administration. He especially examines the lineage and linkages connecting the presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy to the Lincoln ideal of balanced leadership and principled pragmatism. In doing so, he scores those on the right and left who insist on ideological purity at the expense of a vital center in governing and policymaking.
Verdict This is history with a leftward tilt and sometimes with bursts of histrionics, but it makes a strong case for approaching American power and policies from a long historical perspective. A book to stir debate, even anger, but well worth the insights it offers to those studying U.S. presidential leadership.—Randall M. Miller, Saint Joseph's Univ., Philadelphia
Tunney, Jay R. The Prizefighter and the Playwright: Gene Tunney and Bernard Shaw. Firefly. 2010. 288p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781554076413. $35. BIOG
The brawny man and the brainy man often find themselves at odds, each denigrating the other's gifts. The man of the body bullies, while the man of the mind retreats to intellectual arrogance. Such was not the case with 1920s heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney and famed playwright George Bernard Shaw, who forged a close relationship, recalled here by one of Tunney's sons. Despite humble beginnings and his chosen profession, the Irish American Tunney was a self-taught lover of the arts who strove to raise himself in society, marrying into the upper class and rubbing shoulders with other literary giants of his time, while the Irish Shaw, several decades older, had dabbled in boxing as a young man. Tunney's intellectual interests were met with much scorn, especially in the boxing world, causing him to be, as his son writes, "a man between two worlds and a part of neither one."
Verdict While there's the possibility that the book may have too much boxing for the literati and too much literary content for boxing fans, willing readers of either type will gain a deeper appreciation of Tunney and Shaw.—Jim Burns, Jacksonville P.L., FL
Walthers, Catherine (text) & Alison Shaw (photogs.). Soups + Sides. Lake Isle, dist. by National Bk. Network. 2010. 272p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781891105456. pap. $19.95. COOKING
Don't be fooled by the title. Rather than a balanced presentation of pairings, Walthers (Raising the Salad Bar: Beyond Leafy Greens) has created first and foremost a soup cookbook. The sides are frequently insubstantial or unimaginative, lacking the depth and care so evident in the soup recipes. Their inconsistent treatment results in a lopsided layout with an amateur feel. The high-quality soup recipes benefit from the input of several Martha's Vineyard heavyweights, including Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks. Simple to make but varied and sophisticated, they will have broad appeal. A lengthy but accessible section on techniques, ingredients, and tools will benefit beginners and gourmets alike.
Verdict Despite its underdeveloped attention to side dishes and awkward layout, this cookbook offers a wide range of excellent soup recipes and tips for home cooks of all skill levels. A worthwhile addition to popular cooking collections.—Audrey Barbakoff, Milwaukee P.L.
Graphic Novels
Active, John & others. Trickster: Native American Tales; A Graphic Collection. Fulcrum, dist. by Consortium. 2010. 232p. ed. by Matt Dembicki. illus. ISBN 9781555917241. pap. $22.95. GRAPHIC NOVELS
Trickster is an anthology that animates, literally, Native American tales revolving around a recurring character of mischief. The Trickster can be either hero or villain but is typically embodied by a clever animal. Thus, it's no surprise that most of the stories here involve coyotes and rabbits (the latter being less clever in nature but far more so when anthropomorphized). "Coyote and the Pebbles" by Dayton Edmonds of the Caddo Nation tells how nocturnal forest creatures conspired to create stars in the sky; it is beautifully illustrated by Micah Farritor. John Active, a Yu'pik Eskimo, writes the tale of "Raven the Trickster," which takes a Jonah and the Whale twist and is lovingly illustrated in pen and ink by Jason Copland. Michael Thompson of the Mvskoke Creek details the story "Rabbit and the Tug-of-War," in which a shifty hare delights in tricking a pair of bison exquisitely rendered by Jacob Warrenfeltz.
Verdict As with any anthology, Trickster has some weak spots, particularly when it comes to the computer coloring and illustration style of stories such as "Puapualenalena." Overall, however, it's a solid collection with a unique premise supported by a vast array of artistic approaches.—Robert Young, The Comics Interpreter, Charleston, SC
Fialkov, Joshua Hale (text) & Noel Tuazon (illus.). Tumor. Archaia. 2010. 239p. ed. by Stephen Christy & Rob Levin. illus. ISBN 9781932386820. $14.95. GRAPHIC NOVELS
Frank is an aging private detective who suffers a seizure in a diner. Criminal overlord Gibson wishes to hire Frank to find his missing daughter, Evelyn, whom Gibson suspects of thieving. After his seizure in the diner, and another on the way to meet Gibson, Frank "wakes up" in a hospital, but Fialkov's innovative script never defines exactly when this hospital visit takes place. At the hospital, Frank is diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. The narrative then frequently jump-cuts between past and present-as passages about Frank's relationship with his murdered wife from years ago closely mirror those relating to his burgeoning friendship with Evelyn in the present. On the run from Gibson's hit men, Frank and Evelyn stick together as Frank suffers several more blackouts and is forced to employ brutal methods to stay alive. Eventually, Frank seeks to do right-perhaps in efforts to absolve himself of mistakes made in his earlier life.
Verdict Tuazon's simple, stark, direct artwork brilliantly conveys emotion, mood, tension, and grit. Critics have noted similarities between Fialkov's technique of using temporal shifts and that of other filmmakers and writers, citing the influence of films like Memento. Most readers will praise the innovative spin, authentic dialog, and compelling plot. With adult themes and violence.—Jeff Hunter, Royal Oak, MI
Yang, Gene Luen (text & illus.). Prime Baby. First Second: Roaring Brook. 2010. c.56p. ISBN 9781596436503. $19.99; pap. ISBN 9781596436121. $6.99. GRAPHIC NOVELS
In 2006, Yang garnered a National Book Award nomination for American Born Chinese. Here, he depicts the antics of Thaddeus Fong, a precocious eight-year-old bearing a "rational disdain" for his younger sister, Maddie. Thaddeus feels his sibling has displaced him as the focus of their parents' affection, and his robust imagination spurs increasing paranoia and misbehavior. When his parents refuse to believe that Maddie is an alien, Thaddeus records her activity and shares it with the world via YouTube. Public embarrassment at school ensues. Humbled, Thaddeus ultimately discovers something far stranger about his sister and her purpose, relative to the universe. Yang's ample wit is evident throughout, particularly in the inventions and inventiveness of his main character and in the short but quirky story line.
Verdict Readers young and old will enjoy this quick read, rendered with simple lines in a palette of oranges and grays. Siblings should be encouraged to read it together, and adults will identify with the patience required to navigate their children's flights of fancy.—John Gehner, Urbana Free Lib., IL
