Coriolanus

Coriolanus: Second Series by William Shakespeare
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It was all right. I'd have to do a bit of research to see which plays came first, but my feeling is that he tried to write another like Julius Caesar or like Ajax by Sophocles instead of a work that stands well on its own. That being said, it was all right to read & would likely be much better to see it performed. Recommended for people who liked the movie - this is one where I'd recommend seeing the movie first. Good play, but not Shakespeare's best.

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The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I liked that this was a more psychological novel about espionage. The characters seem a little bland, but there's nothing real about them - even to themselves... They need to *be* their story. Le Carre follows through with this splendidly and it's closer to a mystery than an adventure or suspense story since a lot of the reader's thoughts toward the story are devoted to "who's doing what & working for whom?" / "what's really going on here?"

A definite (& refreshing) change from dashing Mr. Bond. There's no harsh language, graphic violence or sex, and the style isn't as terse as most hard-boiled or noir fiction, but The Spy Who... has that kind of cloak of shadows around it. Even without those devices, though, this is no cozy read. Recommended for fans of espionage fiction (it's a classic of the genre) and for mystery readers who want a little bit different fare from their usual whodunnit.



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Incredible Journey

Another children's book it's hard to believe that I missed as a youngster. Boy, to read these posts, you'd think I hadn't opened a book until 2005! Sheila Burnford's story of a young Labrador retriever, a older bull terrier, and an aloof Siamese cat speaks to a broad audience. Enjoyable by children and adults too! This book is especially great to read if a child's just read Where the Red Fern Grows or Old Yeller. Definitely an uplifting animal story. Not as complicated to read as Call of the Wild or White Fang, The Incredible Journey gives readers the feel of the wilderness and the search for home & those who love us that's both exciting and comforting.

Highly recommended for grades 3-6. Also highly recommended for anyone else who loves animals & enjoys animal stories.

Good-bye Mr. Chips

While many reviewers praise this book by James Hilton on its sentimental interpretation of the story of an English schoolteacher, Mr. Chipping (aka the titular Mr. Chips), I found the story to be sad, though not depressing. I thought of it less as a portrait of an institution or a boarding school Everyman, than as a story of someone passed by & not really thought about by his peers or students. Having the people in his life regard him flippantly (though without malice) as "Mr. Chips" made me sad that no one really knew him. Probably, though he cared for his students, the young men they became probably didn't think twice about him after they left school. The picture I saw was a very lonely one. I suppose in a way, he is an Everyman in the sense that we can never really can know those around us, but still - I'd like to think some of us are more sensitive to the needs of others than most of the people around poor Mr. Chipping. Maybe that's the entire point of the sentimental story.

Recommended for middle and high school students. Also recommended for general audience.

Matilda

I can't believe that I'd never read this book as a child! Roald Dahl was one of my favorite authors, though I think he and I had a falling out after I read Danny, Champion of the World when I was in ax. 4th grade - I'm not sure why since I liked reading about Danny and his father living in their caravan. Since the 2nd grade when my teacher Mrs. Stabenow read The Boxcar Children to us, I wanted desperately to live in a boxcar & living in a caravan was very nearly the same thing! I remember not liking that nearly so well as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. At any rate, my Dahl reading tapered off after Danny. sigh... I missed out on a treasure - Matilda is a wonderful book! I would have loved it as a child. I would have loved the child vs. adult aspect of it - I liked other books like that.

I would recommend this book highly to anyone needing a bit of a break from stern grown-up fare, but also interested in a book not dumbed down for children. The book is well-written enough to appeal to grown-ups & helps give us back a piece of that wonder of childhood. Oh - I'd recommend the book for kids too! :)

Arsenic and Old Lace

Another great, hilarious play! I had seen the movie with the same title, but had never read Joseph Kesselring's play. I was delighted that the movie is almost an actual performance of the play! I really enjoyed reading the play and am looking forward to when the movie shows up in my Netflix again!

Recommended for beginning drama readers (very madcap & I hesitate to say it.. zany) and for fans of the movie, especially. People who enjoy reading plays would not find this as high-brow as Harold Pinter or maybe Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, but I think it'd be tough to find one who didn't have to suppress a smile once in awhile while reading it.

Dark Water

In this collection of short stories, Koji Suzuki, has put together a set of disturbing tales all centering around the theme of water. While American audiences are somewhat familiar to the titular story from the movie, Dark Water with Jennifer Connelly and Suzuki himself is much more well-known for his Ring series, Ring, Spiral and Loop (and the movies based on them: so far The Ring & Ring 2 and Ringu and Ringu 2).

This is a great creepily sinister set of tales perfect for fans of Koji Suzuki, Japanese horror in general, or just wants a well-written book of spooky stories without having to worry about a lot of gore. Disturbing & creepy? Yes. Gory & icky? No.

Pygmalion

Later turned into My Fair Lady by Alan J. Lerner and Frederick Loewe, this play by George Bernard Shaw is much more satisfying than the screen adaptation (I haven't seen a stage production). I think most people offended by Audrey Hepburn's Liza stooping meekly for Henry Higgins' slippers will enjoy George Bernard Shaw's original immensely. The play doesn't take any easy ways out, but it would feel false, I think if it did. Hooray!

Highly recommended for all drama lovers and anyone who saw the film version of My Fair Lady. Overall highly recommended for a broad audience from more sophisticated middle school readers to adult. :)

The Crucible

I found Arthur Miller's play very relevant to the current state of American politics (as a political statement about witch hunts, whether for terrorists or communists), but it's also great as a dramatic work aside from any potential political undertones. I was an English major, so I find those kinds of things - some may not & we may both be right!

Very highly recommended for all Americans 15-16+. Reading this play was great on my own, but would benefit from discussion also. Make your friends think and talk to them about it. ;)

Sarah, Plain and Tall

This children's book by Patricia MacLachlan was a great story. I enjoyed it now as an adult, but I would have adored it during my "Little House" phase as a kid. Ah well! Don't let the kids you know escape their childhoods without it! If they have time to read Goosebumps, they have time for this one too!

Very highly recommended for all children 5-10 years old & all kids who enjoy Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series or stories about pioneer times. Also recommended for any adult who enjoyed those kinds of stories as a child, but never actually read this one (like me!).

The Elephant Man

This is another play (reading them is fairly quick and boosts my yearly "books read" total while being culturally with it!) - this one by Bernard Pomerance. The play is about Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man and his interactions with high society and his caregivers. It's very philosophical, but more optimistic, I think than The Glass Menagerie was. I don't know that everyone would agree with that, though.

Overall, I liked G.M. better, but this is definitely worth your time - especially if you are interested either in drama or medicine. Recommended. :)

Glass Menagerie

This Tennessee Williams play is terrific! I really enjoyed it, even though it's sad. I think it would be enjoyed by a lot of teenagers who feel alienated from their parents or who feel overly protected by the same. Probably why it's read in so many high schools, eh? I can't wait to see a production of it! :D

Highly recommended for ages 14-15 and up. Great stuff and it's short! Might as well expand your cultural literacy with the short things at the very least!!

An Ordinary Man

Paul Rusesabagina is most well known in the United States as being the hotel manager depicted in Hotel Rwanda. This book is his own account of the events during Rwanda's genocide. Very well-written & I'd say impossible not to be moved by the horror or the survival of the hotel's guests. Definitely well worth reading. I can't say too much about it, as I feel my words are meaningless in comparison.

Must read for everyone who believes in human rights & current events. Probably should be read by those who are inclined to think that what's on the news doesn't affect them. I would say that the book would be a benefit to teenagers who are growing up as global citizens, but should probably be read with adult guidance - or someone to turn to & ask questions of (whether it's in a classroom, with family, or a pastor, etc..).

The Tale of Despereaux

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Di Camillo is the story of a very small mouse in love and his adventures. This children's book is a very quick read for an adult, but likely to keep children (I'd say primarily 3rd-5th graders) busy for a few days (definitely less for avid readers). The Tale of Despereaux would also appeal to 1st and 2nd graders as a read-aloud book. This is not to say older children or adults would not enjoy the story (far from it!!) but that they may find it too quick for their tastes. Something like Brian Jacques' Redwall series might have more appeal to middle and high school students.

All that being said, Desperaux and his tale/tail are very cute and it's a very endearing story "for young and old alike." :)

Highly recommended for all children and families - as well as general readers.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

This classic by Oscar Wilde somewhat defies categorization. It's usually lumped with horror, but isn't quite - in the same way that The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux isn't really horror. That being said, though, the story moves along well and the characters are fairly lively for a book written in the latter part of the 19th Century. I kept imagining scenarios I'd seen in a movie adaptation of "An Ideal Husband" in relation to setting and speech patterns.

For a book that's considered a classic, The Portrait of Dorian Gray is very readable and would be a good book for any high school student to report on. :) I'd even say that if you already know something about the story, the book will still appeal to you!

Highly recommended for general readers. Very highly recommended for high school students who want to report on a "classic" to look good to their English teachers (hey, it's a win-win situation!).

The Witches of Eastwick

This book by John Updike (which was made into a movie in the late 1980's) was a worthwhile read. I found the book much darker and less wrapped-up morally than the movie - though this doesn't surprise me. :) The Witches of Eastwick is a well-written book and Updike embraces the power (not necessarily supernatural) that women have, but also shows the ugly side of women's relationships: jealousy, guilt, & sometimes betrayal.

None of the characters in The Witches of Eastwick are purely good or evil and it's up to the reader to decide how he/she feels about them at the end of the story. I won't spoil this write-up with more comparisons between the movie and the book, but suffice to say, it's worth reading and renting and one will not spoil the other.

Recommended for general audiences who don't mind sexual content. Highly recommended for those with an interest in witches, witchcraft, or witchy stories. :)

A Clockwork Orange

After about 9 years after my (now) husband read this book, I decided to go for it. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess is a good book, but is not for those who can't stomach reading violent content - especially violence against women. The book is VERY different from the movie and gives the reader much more insight into the main character, Alex's, reasoning, moods, etc... that the movie doesn't do. Also, the version of the book I read has the original last chapter that was cut when the book was originally imported to the U.S. I think I enjoyed it much more with that chapter, though I could see why it was cut due to the time period in American pop culture.

As an aside, the book is written in dialect, so it will be difficult (and not very enjoyable) for some readers. I'd say that if you enjoy Irvine Welsh's books (Trainspotting - among others) and somehow this one has slipped past you - go for it! You'll probably really like it. If you dislike Welsh's books, it doesn't mean you won't like this one, though!

Highly recommended.

The Wind in the Willows

Another children's classic I didn't get to in my youth (too busy reading about spiders and the graphic novel-esque biographies of the Presidents of the United States - and Nancy Drew, of course.) The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame is a great story about friendship, bravery, and when to seek out adventure (and when not to!). I found the book an enjoyable and relaxing read as an adult, but I suspect it would have been one of my favorites if I'd read it as a kid.

Highly recommended for children!! Also recommended for grown-ups who are kids at heart.

Winnie the Pooh

Another children's classic I never read as a kid. Pretty good, but definitely a kid's book. Disney stays semi-faithful, but it's worth reading since Pooh is such a cultural icon. I did enjoy the use of capitalization - especially when Pooh and Piglet are trying to think of a Cunning Trap to catch a Woozle (or was it a Heffalump? I can't remember).

Highly recommended for all children (I think it'd be a great read-aloud book for grown-ups and kids to share). Recommended for adults who haven't read it before cause it's fast and it's a big part of children's culture in the US and Britain.

Haunting of Hill House

This short novel by Shirley Jackson (better known as the author of the short story "The Lottery") is spoiled somewhat by the film adaptations that have been produced over the course of the last 40 years or so. The book isn't so much horror as an eerie book in which you can't be sure of the sanity of the main characters - much like James' Turn of the Screw. Subtle references to lesbianism make this novel stand out among similar creepy novels of its time.

Recommended for horror genre fans who are serious readers (rather than just the blood & guts type). Also recommended for fans of psychological fiction - this is a good modern example without being blugeoned over the head with angst, mental illness, etc...