Books So Far in 07
Four books down...eleventy billion gajillion to go. So far in 2007, I've read:
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace.
Eh. It was not nearly as good as the film, which in most cases is rare. It read like a first draft; it kept me entertained but ultimately I didn't care about any of the characters. There was no through-line or anything that captured me in a way that made me want to keep reading.
The Night of January 16th by Ayn Rand. This play didn't suck nearly as hard as I expected it to. It was melodramatic but held my interest, and Rand's crap philosophy didn't show through too much, so I was able to get through it without rolling my eyes.
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. This book of short stories won the Pulitzer, and it is completely deserving of it. I love reading about Indian culture, and Lahiri is an amazing wordsmith. Which lead me immediately to read her novel....
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. So, SO good. The main story is about a boy named Gogol, growing up in America with Indian parents. These characters are some of the best written I've read lately. The way Lahiri portrays America versus India, men versus women, old versus new, freedom versus fatalism is just brilliant. I'm looking forward to the film version, coming out in March (I believe).
I'm currently reading The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly, which I can hardly put down.
posted by junipar
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace.
Eh. It was not nearly as good as the film, which in most cases is rare. It read like a first draft; it kept me entertained but ultimately I didn't care about any of the characters. There was no through-line or anything that captured me in a way that made me want to keep reading.
The Night of January 16th by Ayn Rand. This play didn't suck nearly as hard as I expected it to. It was melodramatic but held my interest, and Rand's crap philosophy didn't show through too much, so I was able to get through it without rolling my eyes.
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. This book of short stories won the Pulitzer, and it is completely deserving of it. I love reading about Indian culture, and Lahiri is an amazing wordsmith. Which lead me immediately to read her novel....
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. So, SO good. The main story is about a boy named Gogol, growing up in America with Indian parents. These characters are some of the best written I've read lately. The way Lahiri portrays America versus India, men versus women, old versus new, freedom versus fatalism is just brilliant. I'm looking forward to the film version, coming out in March (I believe).
I'm currently reading The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly, which I can hardly put down.
posted by junipar