Book Reviews Coming Soon

Book Reviews of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart and Dave Egger's What is the What coming soon!

Zadie Smith-- On Beauty

     This is my first encounter with Zadie Smith and I have to say that On Beauty was nothing like what I thought it would be. The novel chronicles a middle-aged African American mother and wife, Kiki, as she comes to terms with her disintegrating marriage to an Englishman who is a professor of Art History. They have three children, Jerome, Zora, and Levi, whose lives also take up a significant portion of the novel.
     Smith takes an outside approach to exploring race relations in this mixed family. The household is split-- Howard and Zora are a part of an intellectual community while Kiki and Jerome are non-conformists and somewhat clinging to their "Blackness". Jerome, the oldest, is somewhere in the middle of this spectrum. These characters didn't seem authentic to me at all-- they all seemed to be playing a role. None of them came across to me as real.
     To her credit, Smith is excellent at helping the readers see the minute details in life-- this is one of the few qualities I appreciate about this novel. This isn't to say that I'm disappointed, although, I am a little underwhelmed. I was hoping to glean a fresh look at the mixed-race experience, but I feel that a lot of Smith's material is recycled. I'm not stating that this is a bad thing, but I just wish she had gone a little further-- dug a little deeper. Overall, the novel introduces you to the lives of the characters on a surface level, avoiding or barely acknowledging all the shades in-between.
I will give Smith credit for some controversial arguments she makes. She discusses affirmative action a great deal and the educational divides between upper and lower class blacks. Still, Smith doesn't force you to think too hard about anything you don't want to; I walked away from this book feeling like something was missing, and as badly as I wanted to love this book about beauty, I just couldn't.

Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina

     What can I say about Anna Karenina that hasn't already been said? In this case, I have to agree with the popular consensus: It's one of the greatest novels ever written. It's breathtakingly beautiful. I think instead of attempting to review this novel, I will just provide one of my favorite passages with a short analysis. Go out and buy it and read it if you haven't already done so! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
     "And truly Levin had never drunk any liquor so good as this warm water with green bits floating in it, and a taste of rust from the tin dipper. And immediately after this came the delicious, slow saunter, with his hand on the scythe, during which he could wipe the streaming sweat, take deep breaths of air, and look about at the long string of towers and at what was happening around in the forest and the country.
     The longer Levin mowed, the oftener he felt the moments of unconsciousness in which it seemed not his hands that swung the scythe, but the scythe mowing of itself, a body full of life and consciousness of its own, and as though by magic, without thinking of it, the work turned out regular and well-finished of itself. These were the most blissful moments." (Tolstoy 237)


     This is one of my favorite passages for several reasons. The natural setting automatically wins me over. However, what is truly magical is the way Tolstoy weaves the natural background with the character. He meshes Levin and nature together. The repeated use of the word "consciousness" emphasizes that feeling of being caught up in the moment, being present in the act of hard labor while simultaneously rejoicing in one's surroundings. Tolstoy is trying to get us to see the unspeakable and effortless beauty that is created when we place ourselves in a position to commune with the natural world. For example, Levin partakes of nature's gifts when he drinks the fresh stream water and he feels like he is a part of the natural environment. Tolstoy is stripping life down to the bear minimum of necessities and communicates to the reader that all we need is hard work and fresh air to really add meaning to our existence.

Sense and Sensibilty

I haven't been able to read any of the books on the list (the one's I'm dedicated to reviewing), so I'll just write a little bit about the books I'm reading in class. I just finished reading Jane Austen's first published novel, Sense and Sensibility.  Here are a few of my thoughts on the novel in list form.

1) It's obvious that Jane Austen is a feminist writer, writing in the interest of women.

2) With that said, Austen's feminism is a "petty" or bourgeoisie feminism which does not include issues of class, race, etc. There is an entire group of working class women (mainly maids) who are not given a voice in her works. This shows us that not only is there inequality between the sexes but there also exists inequality between women.

3) The novel is the story of two sisters Marianne and Elinor who, of course, are looking to marry. There are other mitigating circumstances: their brother, who is married to an atypically overbearing wife, has inherited the house and the fortune which means the Marianne and Elinor are largely dependent upon his good will.

4) That's about it. Of course they both marry and live happily ever after. That's the only thing that really bothers me about Austen-- the happy endings. It makes it harder for people to see past the fairy tale-- the seemingly idyllic life of the characters to the bigger issues at hand-- sexism, classism.

5) -Isms are a plague. Get rid of them. 

Ann Patchett's Bel Canto

     A house full of men and one woman-- how seductive. Ann Patchett's Bel Canto is suspenseful and romantic. It tells the story of famous opera diva Roxanne Coss, Mr. Hosokawa and his translator Gen, terrorist and beauty Carmen, and last but not least,  love-sick Monsieur Thibault. Their lives change completely all because of one fateful night-- Mr. Hosokawa's Birthday. In an attempt to kidnap the president and overthrow the government in hopes of a revolution, a group of terrorists hold a group of important people hostage for 4 and a half months. The story is about the intangible things that bring people together in trying and desperate times-- the main intangible thing being love.  Although this was a lovely read, the jury is still out on how I  feel about it. No doubt, Patchett is a talented writer with a penchant for beauty and decadence, but I couldn't help feeling that something was missing. Maybe I was expecting more romance? More terror? I think at some point I was waiting for a tear-jerker (I know that sounds horrible). In my defense, however, not all tear-jerkers make terribly cheesy literature. Ultimately I feel as though the main characters lack depth-- I think this is so mostly because the reader is not offered a real glimpse into a character's background, thereby making it difficult to form any real attachments. Albeit, I still couldn't help being attached to Carmen because I empathize with her desire to learn. Alas, I am every bit ambivalent about this novel.

     The most enjoyable parts of the novel where the ones involving the dissolving tensions between the terrorists and the hostages. At other times, I was inspired to listen to opera or maybe even learn to play piano. Patchett is just that good. Overall, it was a pleasant read, even though the ending is a little on the sad side. 

Toni Morrison's Sula

     If I could chose any one author to sit down with and have a little chat, Toni Morrison would be at the top of my list. I read this gem in one day. Sula is heavy, rich, and lighthearted all at once. The effect is intoxicating, just as strong as the spirits Shadrack drinks by pint.
    Sula is about the broken families and the broken women that make up the community of the Bottom, a section in a small town named Medallion. Morrison is capable of writing about race in a manner that is attentive, but not tedious in any way. Mostly though, this novel is about friendship and the bonds formed between women. It follows Sula and Nela, two girls who grew up together but eventually take separate paths-- one conventional and one eccentric. Two guesses who takes the eccentric path. Sula is a testament to energy, courage, and having a mine of one's own.
   On another level, the novel is about good and evil and questioning our conceptions of what is immoral as opposed to natural inclinations coined as evil. Of course Sula and Nel symbolize this dichotomy, with Shadrack as the perfect blend of both good and evil. Nel embodies and internalizes societal expectations while Sula debunks and subverts them. Shadrack on the other hand, who suffers from PTSD, is referred to as evil, when he is really misunderstood by those who surround him. He drinks and swears and yells at small children, but he is harmless. Ultimately, Morrison communicates that deciding what is good and evil boils down to human intent.
     I will probably pick this novel up again next year. It's haunting and acerbic. It left me speechless and aching.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

     "What then shall we choose? Weight or lightness?"

     I just finished Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and I have to say that Kundera is a master at weaving stories. The novel is mostly about dualism, opposing forces, and the tensions and conflicts that arise as a result of being torn between two opposites. 

     Central to the novel is the concept of Einmal ist keinmal, or whatever happens might as well not have happened at all. There is no such thing as eternal return. Although Kundera makes this claim, his characters subvert and contradict it; their stories are recurring patterns, essentially repeating the same words, actions, and emotions. Kundera seems to be communicating that even though there are no second chances at life, there are opportunities to make wiser decisions, design a new pattern.

    Speaking of patterns, this is a book that I could read repeatedly, and find something new each time. It is a thoughtful and at times meticulous exploration into the human condition, lovely to read, and masterfully executed. 

     

     

Happy Holidays!

Publish Post

I'm thinking about doing a smaller one of these for my dorm! Photo Source

Decatur Book Festival 2010

Every year Decatur, GA hosts the biggest independent book festival in the country, the AJC Decatur book festival. Here are a few pictures from this year's festival.

Free poetry on demand. Jimmy Lo (who can be found here) was nice enough to write a poem about Oglethorpe's mascot, the Stormy Petrel.

Really amazing street performers!

Spoken word at Java Monkey. You can't see it in the picture, but the host is wearing a t-shirt with Franz Kafka's The Trial as the design. He told me that he purchased it in Kafka's hometown of Prague.

Click here to learn more about the AJC Decatur Book Fest.

This is Jimmy Lo's poem about Petrels. I thought it was awfully clever way to talk about the oil spill which was still going on at the time.

 Poetry goes well with pretty leaves, don't you think?

Books and Other Drugs 2011

 Here is the list of books I want to read in 2011. I think 30 is definitely manageable, but I hope the number swells over time. On second thought, I think I will include the works I read in English classes only. However, Re-reads do not count! The point of this project is to read new books. So here goes!

1) Sula-- Toni Morrison

2) The Bell Jar-- Sylvia Plath

3)To The Lighthouse--Virginia Woolf

4) The Unbearable Lightness of Being-- Milan Kundera

5) Disgrace-- J.M. Coetzee

6) Native Son-- Richard Wright

7) In Cold Blood-- Truman Capote

8) Lolita-- Vladimir Nabokov

9) The Time Machine-- H.G. Wells

10) House of Leaves-- Mark Z. Danielewski

11) Naked Lunch-- William S. Burroughs

12) For Colored Girls-- Ntozake Shange

13) Invisible Man-- Ralph Ellison

14) The Picture of Dorian Gray-- Oscar Wilde

15) On Beauty-- Zadie Smith

15) The Shipping News-- E. Annie Proulx

16) Out of Africa-- Isak Dinesen

17) The Five People You Meet in Heaven-- Mitch Albom

18) The Poisonwood Bible-- Barbara Kingsglover

19) Alias Grace-- Margaret Atwood

20) The God of Small Things-- Arundhati Roy

21) Push-- Sapphire

22) Her Fearful Symmetry-- Audrey Niffenegger

23) Never Let Me Go-- Kazuo Ishiguro

24) Slaughterhouse-five-- Kurt Vonnegut

25) The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao-- Junot Diaz

26) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close-- Johnathan Safran Foer

27) All The Pretty Horses-- Cormac McCarthy

28)What is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng-- Dave Eggers

29) Middlesex-- Jeffrey Eugenides

30) The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles-- Haruki Marakami

31) A Short History of Women-- Kate Walbert

I cannot contain my excitement about starting this list! I'm finding it very difficult to focus on my finals because I just want to go out and buy these books! Hopefully this upcoming year will be a happy one, filled with plenty good reads!  

New Name, New Game

     After neglecting this blog for a year, I'm feeling more than a little guilty. So I've decided to focus the point of this blog to something that I do everyday-- read and digest literature. Instead of writing about books and fashion (which required more energy than I was willing to put forth apparently), I'm on a mission to read at least 30 books within the next year. Sounds like a small number, I know. But here's the catch: the books I read as a part of school course work (even in my English classes!) do not count towards the books on the list. I think this is going to be especially challenging because it's hard to find time to read for pleasure, but starting this month (after the impending doom of finals is over) I will read at least 2.5 books a month and review them here on the site. Hopefully this project has a little more longevity and staying power than the last. As I can't seem to stay away from the nearest library or bookstore, I think I have very little to worry about!

Currently Reading....

...Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera. Also, I'm currently wearing an old 4-H t-shirt, OU sweatpants, and socks. Really, life is perfect right now.

Literary Makeoevers

So you know how when you were younger and your teachers told you to never write in books, bend, tear, or rip out the pages? Disregard that rule completely. Look at the lovely picture above, and you'll understand why. Stifle your creativity no longer and transform your old books into beautiful works of art!

The Necklace

I revisited Guy de Maupassant's short story The Necklace just for fun the other day. I read it for the first time in my ninth grade English class, and I enjoyed it, even if I didn't completely understand the message de Maupassant was trying to communicate. As a junior in college now, I see the meaning of the story so clearly that it almost knocked me off my feet at how beautifully de Maupassant is able to craft simple yet astonishingly profound stories. Needless to say, The Necklace inspired me to post some gorgeous vintage inspired finds. What is most intriguing about The Necklace, is that Maupassant doesn't describe Mathilde's diamond necklace in full detail. It is described simply as a diamond necklace. Well, these aren't diamond necklaces but they sure are dazzling. Enjoy!

This necklace was made entirely by hand with antique materials, 19th century French cotton lace, and Victorian Beads. Visit CoutureLab for Pricing.

This Carolee necklace features a pretty floral, crystal setting and a pearl necklace. So elegant!

This 1970s Accessocraft NYC Magnifying Glass Necklace is very casual but very chic!

The Pearl Clutch

John Steinbeck, meet your new best friend, Fashion. Every time I look a this I picture a super eccentric librarian, complete with a cardigan, sensible shoes, and horn-rimmed reading glasses. I want to be her. Also, I've been meaning to re-introduce myself to The Pearl for a while now. Actually, now that I think about it, T.C. Boyle's The Tortilla Curtain is very reminiscent of The Pearl. Maybe I should read both and write an essay about them? Now that school is over, I have entirely too much time on my hands. Anyhow, Steinbeck is one of my top authors, I loved The Pearl, and this clutch is beautiful.

Ever Wanted to Turn Back the Hands of Time? Well, now you can.

The perfect Christmas gift for any lover of books and fashion. This is a time-turner necklace inspired by J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series. It's beautiful isn't it? Not corny at all. =)

I love when the fashion world and the literary world collide. This wristlet, my friends is exhibit A. It's just the right size for a notebook or your choice novel of the month, and nothing else. That way you can focus on what's important; this does not include your cell phone, your breathe mints, lip balm, or cigarettes. This bag demands that you remain connected with the concepts that reside in your moleskine or novel. With that said, who wants to get one for me for Christmas? My birthday is coming up on the 23rd too. Any takers? You know where to find me loves.

This post has inspired me to dedicate this blog to the mixing and blending of literature and fashion. Really, clothes and books compliment each other beautifully. Think about it. What makes a frilly vintage dress, tights, pumps, and a hat look even better? Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, of course. The combination of these seemingly opposing worlds allows one to think that fashion-obsessed people are capable of intelligent thought separate from deciding about what shoes to wear with which skirt, and that bookworms who frequent Barnes and Nobles and Borders, also enjoy shopping trips at Lenox and Phipps. Seriously, it's perfection.

When combined, fashion and literature become much more than hobbies or interests- they become a lifestyle. Now we just need a word to perfectly describe this collaboration. Bookshion?Fliterature? Novelcloth? Okay, I have no idea, but you get the idea, right?

I'm going to go to sleep now and dream about cette bag and possible posts...

Moi, Je Joue.

I'm Kendra, but friends and family call me Kiki. I'm a college student in the crown jewel city of the south, Atlanta. I'm a junior and I study English, French, and Communications. I am starving reader and a lover of books. I'm trying to be a writer. I like clothes and fashion, but that's a given. This is the third blog I've started this week. I wonder what that says about my character? Probably that I need more focus in my life. This is true... probably. Welcome to my disorderly, chaotic, and quirky world.