Books #21-27
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the first book I finished for my 2011 POC challenge, and I'm very glad it was. I loved every minute of reading this book, and that is not at all an exaggeration.
Jhumpa Lahiri (who graduated from my alma mater) creates some wonderful and vivid characters in this novel about names, identity, and crossing cultural divides. It is difficult to say who the protagonist is, as Lahiri skillfully moves between points of view. However, the story mostly revolves around Gogol Ganguli, who is named after his father's favorite Russian novelist, Nikolai Gogol. The reasons for the name are significant, as a book of Gogol's had previously save Ashoke's life. Though Gogol loves his name (which serves as both pet name and public name, outside of Bengali tradition) at first, he grows to resent it and changes it to Nikhil. However, Lahiri never stops referring to him as Gogol.
The story begins with Ashoke and Ashima, Gogol's parents, freshly arrived in the United States from Calcutta, and recounts their courtship briefly before diving into the story of their married life and their children's lives. Lahiri is such an amazing characterist. I could imagine both Ashima and Ashoke in my mind, and recognized in them qualities of Bengali couples I've met before.
One of the things that really allowed me to love the book though, was how well I connected with all of Gogol's feelings of confusion and isolation. Though my family is Chinese, I identified so much with the way Lahiri describes the chaotic, bustling trips the Gangulis take to Calcutta. At one point, Gogol marvels at how effortlessly a lover of his exists, being able to live as herself, instead of thinking of everything in the frame of his family background. I understand what it's like to have two identities and two lives, and it is incredibly confusing at times.
I heartily recommend this book to anyone who is curious about Bengali culture (you'll learn a lot), and to anyone who loves a good story, told masterfully by someone who has a keen and thoughtful grasp on both the English language and the human condition.
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Tommy and Tuppence differ from Poirot and Marple (Christie's better-known detectives) in several crucial ways. They age at the same rate of their publications, with later novels set when they have been married for years and their grown children have left them. Their youth compared with the aforementioned detectives, as well as Tommy's war experiences and job, allow them to have more exciting and dangerous adventures than either Poirot or Marple.
This first adventure is definitely full of adventure and youthful enthusiasm. At the beginning of the novel, Tommy and Tuppence are still merely childhood friends, both down on their luck financially. They decide to form a "Young Adventurers" venture and advertise (much like Wodehouse's Psmith) that they will do anything, even crime, for enough pay. They soon get drawn in to a daring intrigue of treason and revolution.
The book reads as a thriller at times, with the protagonists engaging in disguise, car chases, and deceit among themselves, as they try to find a missing girl who holds the key to dismantling a revolution. Along the way, there is an amusing cameo from Inspector Japp, a recurring character in the Poirot novels. T&T also meet Albert, a young boy who becomes their assistant in future novels.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, in spite of (or maybe because of) the multitude of overused thriller tropes. There were moments I had to suspend my disbelief when T&T pulled off something especially contrived. I was proud of myself, however, because this was one of only a few Christie books I've read where I managed to correctly guess the culprit.
Doctor Who: The Forgotten Army by Brian Minchin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I thought this Doctor Who book was fun, adventurous, and engaging. The DW novelizations are never 100% on characterization, but I think Minchin did fairly well in keeping Amy and the Doctor in character. There were definitely moments where one would say a line and I could totally picture Matt Smith or Karen Gillan saying them in their roles.
Also, I was very excited that much of the action took place in my favorite museum of all time, the American Museum of Natural History (which Minchin calls, bizarrely, the New York Natural History Museum). This was one of many strange things that detracted from the book. Americans call people "mad" instead of "crazy", they duck into alleyways that don't exist in New York, and the Doctor sends children to climb atop incredibly high buildings when there's no electricity!
The titular army, made up of tiny aliens called Vykoids, were sufficiently unique and silly, whilst presenting a credible threat to our heroes. The technology wasn't too cringe-worthy, and there were some pretty fun action scenes.
I mostly gave this book 4 stars because of Olivia Colman's excellent narration. Her voice is very suited to audiobook narration, and she does a wonderful job impersonating the various characters.
The Seeing Stone by Holly Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
In this second installment of The Spiderwick Chronicles, twins Simon and Jared and their sister Mallory face a troll, a kidnapping gang of goblins, and an injured griffon. They get through on their wits and bravery, with a little help from a reluctant brownie, a magic stone, and a mischievous hobgoblin.
Black and DeTerlizzi keep up the action admirably in this book, and do not shy away from dark or unpleasant themes. I really appreciated this. Traditional fairy tales are not fluffy, happy stories, they often deal with blood, violence, and evil. Having said that, there were some truly touching moments in the book, like Simon worried over his missing cat, or the children's mother frantically calling the police when they disappear from home.
Lucinda's Secret by Holly Black
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I think this book suffered a bit from "middle installment syndrome". The fast-paced exposition and action in the first two books is over with, and the third book is there for a breather, and to set up the action for the final two books. In this book, the three Grace siblings decide to get to the bottom of the origin of the mysterious book and the strange goings-on, so they go to visit their great-aunt Lucinda, who is, unfortunately, in an asylum. As a result, this is a very talky book and light on action.
That isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the book. The climax of the book involves getting out of a trap in a very clever way, and I'm always a fan of that. Also, after I finished this volume, I was very excited to continue on.
As I read on in these books, I'm finding that I don't quite remember what happened in the movie. I think I'm due for a rewatch after I'm done with the whole series.
The Ironwood Tree by Holly Black
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book was much more action-packed than the last one in the series, and also the one book that was left out of the movie adaptation. I can definitely see why it was omitted. The three characters encounter a creepy doppelganger, immortal dwarves who want to remake the world in metal, and have to save their sister from a Snow White fate.
While I enjoyed reading this book, I raced through it trying to get to the final book in the series.
The Wrath of Mulgarath by Holly Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This final book in the series provided a fun and fitting end to the story of the Grace siblings. The previous book ended on a cliffhanger, with their mother abducted, the field guide missing, and no allies in sight.
The book wraps it all up quite satisfyingly, bringing back old characters, and allowing each of the Grace siblings to shine in their own way. I must admit I'd found myself wondering in previous books why Jared was the narrative protagonist of the story, but his role in this last installment is definitely the most crucial. He is, frankly, the hero of the story, and he utterly saves the day, even when tempted with the thing he wants most in the world.
I found myself wishing the series to be longer overall, but I do think they're the right length for the children of today, who are so inundated with TV and movies that they lack the ability to focus for too long.
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