Review: Of Human Bondage

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book always appears on those "Top 100 Books Ever" lists and so I decided its time had come.

It was fine. The central character, Philip, is not very likable, and, to my mind, not very interesting. He's an anti-hero sad sack, in fact. Maybe this is why it continually felt like a chore to finish the book.

It is a Bildungsroman and Maugham is a masterful storyteller. He had a real knack for cringe-worthy failures, I'll give him that. I kept looking for relief of some kind from the trail of misfortunes. Not there.

Reading has become my go-to escape from all things Covid and all things political. I guess I did not realize that I also require these reading-rescues to stay upbeat and hopeful.

Not a bad book, of course. It is a case of bad timing only.

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Review: And the Mountains Echoed

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A complex story spanning many decades, And the Mountains Echoed tells of unimaginable loss and strange intersections in the lives of Afghan families scattered by war and poverty.

The story is set on the stage of Afghanistan's painful history. Pre-Soviet, the mujahedeen, the rise of the Taliban and the American invasion after 9/11 -- it is all there.

I thought this quote captured so much of what this book is about: "I suspect the truth is that we are waiting, all of us, against insurmountable odds, for something extraordinary to happen to us."

The author tells the story in fragments, jumping continents and countries, all the while pointing back to the reasons for each person's path in life, how each decision was set into motion, and how events shaped and scarred.

It was sad. It was wonderful.

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Review: Shadow Divers

Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A true story of two men who found a German U-boat off the coast of NJ. John Chatterton and Richie Kohler were expert divers and indefatigable researchers. They find this U-boat and it is as though the ghosts of the men who died in it, their bones piled high throughout the wreck, won't let them go. Chatterton and Kohler can't stop and won't stop until they learn the truth.

No one in the US government knew of this sub. There were no US Navy records of this sub. No one in the German government knew of this sub. Yet these men dove repeatedly over a number of years, exploring it and tirelessly working to have this wreck give up the secret of its identity. I never imagined that a book about scuba diving into shipwrecks could be so electrifying.

Three men died over a period of a few years on these dangerous expeditions into the depths of the sea-crusted coffin. A fourth died of alcoholism.

Every time they got close to identifying the sub, their hopes were dashed. It is a true-life mystery of the first order. My heart pounded from start to finish.

One of the best books I've read in a long, long time!

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Review: Behind Closed Doors

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For an utterly diverting beach read, this is a home run. You will fly through it!

The formula is tried and true. An evil, manipulative man. A successful, innocent woman. The result is a taut thriller. The storyline is linear and the pace is quite good. If you picked it up in order to be transported to the world of a woman in grave danger...an innocent in peril...you hit pay dirt. It is a dark psychological drama - you will be rooting for Grace from start to finish.

Grace's disabled sister Millie disappears from the final few chapters, which I thought was a minor flaw.

Otherwise, this was just what the doctor ordered. Totally diverting!




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Review: The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence

The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Gavin de Becker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The whole idea that your brain can know something, can grasp grave danger for example, while at the same time some other part of us seeks to silence this intuition, this rudimentary knowledge - it is fascinating. This is a book about how to avoid that trap. This is a book that wants everyone, especially women, to listen to their intuition about dangerous situations, dangerous people and feelings that something is off or amiss.

Gavin de Becker is an expert at assessing risk and evaluating the likelihood of violence in many different situations. In this book he goes through dozens of stories of lives lost to a violent act that many had expected, but just as many had rationalized away into irrelevance.

Stalkers, jealous husbands, creepy co-workers - you name it, de Becker covers it in this book.

He provides long lists of telltale signs of violence-to-come. He tells you exactly what to look for. If you are worried that you will hurt someone's feeling by not stepping into an elevator with them because they give you the creeps - read this book. You will get the permission you seek to go right ahead and be rude. The author wants everyone, especially women, to listen to and obey their instincts rather than rationalize and reason with them.

All will enjoy the valuable advice in this book. Young women, especially, should read this book.



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Review: The Poet X

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great book! Two of the student's I tutor were assigned this book for summer reading, so I decided to read it to be able to have a real discussion with each of them about it. I thought it would be completely non-relatable. I thought I was just doing a good deed. Boy, I was wrong.

Acevedo's pen is powerful. She is slapping you around with words from start to finish and it is too emotionally heroic to turn away from. It was a book I experienced physically; I was spent by the time I finished.

It is not enough to say that this is about a misunderstood high school student who is in love and who lives in a poor NYC neighborhood with strict, religious parents. This is true, but it does not do the drama justice at all. Acevedo cuts deep with her words and they were sharp enough to slice through decades and remind me of those years when it is so difficult to find my own voice and then to use it to be heard, really heard .

Young people will love this book. However, anyone who can remember being young, who can remember feeling lost, and who fought to find and use their voice will love this book.



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Review: The Moonstone

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It took me as long to read this book as it (probably) took Wilkie to write it.

Of course, the organization of this epic story from start to finish is perfection. But, I did find myself a bit exasperated from time to time. It just took so long for some basic truths to be revealed. The author's training as a lawyer comes through; there is a precision of language that sometimes makes a sacrificial lamb of pace.

The character development is so impressive. This author is unmatched in this realm, I think. I adored Mr. Betteredge, my favorite, and I'm sure you will, too. The villains and the heroes can be spotted right from the start in my opinion, but Mr Collins really takes his time before he makes clear demonstrations of the inherent evil or saintliness of these characters. Again, I did think it lacked pace.

The story revolves around an enormous yellow diamond - one so beautiful and valuable that people die trying to make it theirs. It disappears. Attempts to work out who stole the diamond each follow like a tedious argument resulting in just another dead end. The fact that the diamond is from India and has sacred value lends an exotic mood to many of the chapters of this tome, which is, otherwise, a decidedly English story.

I enjoyed it but might wait awhile before returning to Wilkie Collins.

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