The Crying of Lot 49* - Thomas Pynchon

http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780060931674-4 - After thinking of picking up Pynchon's Mason & Dixon for many years, I decided I'd rather introduce myself to his writing with something significantly shorter (160 pages vs. 784 pages). But, perhaps this man's alleged genius is not meant for pithy tales, because I just could not get into this book. The basic premise is interesting to me: the main character, Oedipa, has been made the executor of a will - as she untangles the dead man's assets, she uncovers a centuries old rivalry between competing mail companies (and you thought the US Postal Service was a monopoly!). Conspiracy abounds as Oedipa encounters characters with names such as Dr. Hilarius, Genghis Cohen, and Mike Fallopian. There is Shakespearean play-within-a-play that occurs - and over all, I think there was just too much going on. This is one of those books I would have loved to read in college - and then sit back and allow the professor to tell me what it all meant. But, on my own, I didn't quite have the patience (or the intellect) to work it all out. In a different time and a different place, however, I think I could have loved it.

(* - listed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die)

The Portrait of a Lady* - Henry James

http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780486452418-0 - After reading Colm Toibin's The Master a couple months back, I was interested in reading Henry James. The Stanford Book Group picked this one as a summer selection. I thought it would take a lot of effort to make it through the 19th century classic, but I was shocked to discover after only about ten pages in that I was hooked. James is the king of description - he can spend pages telling you just how someone sat in a chair, or describing a look on someone's face - presumably this is why it has been said that he does not translate so well to film or stage. The Portrait of a Lady is the story of Isabelle Archer, an American, who is brought to Europe by her aunt in an effort to expose her to more refined culture. Isabel, a woman of modest means, promptly turns down two marriage proposals in assertion of her independence. She suddenly comes into money, and gender, family and financial politics come into play as Isabel determines how to live out the rest of her life. Not a lot happens in the novel - the plot (with spoilers) can be reduced to a single paragraph, but James's telling of the story is truly masterful - James, as portrayed by Toibin, seemed to live a life of less than perfection, but after reading his writing, I understand why he is so widely celebrated. Portrait is the perfect book to read beside the fireplace with a cup of tea - very British and quite a lot of fun.

(* - Listed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die)

Slow Man* - J.M. Coetzee

http://www.powells.com/biblio/7-9780670034598-2 - Sixty-something year old Paul Rayment survives a bicycle accident, but must have his leg amputated. Unable to adequately care for himself, he is assigned a Croatian day nurse named Marijana with whom he falls in love. Paul professes his love for Marijana and his desire to financially support the education of her children, causing discord in Marijana's marriage. Suddenly Elizabeth Costello (the fictional Australian author who is the subject of Coetzee's ealier novel) arrives on the scene. Costello is often read as Coetzee's alter ego, and I found her presence in the book distracting and seemingly unnecessary. The fundamental story of Slow Man is quite interesting - the psychological effects of a debilatating accident on an independent person, as well as the blurred lines between love and dependence. This is all portrayed wonderfully through Paul's character. But, the irritation caused by Costello's character prevented me from truly enjoying this book (though perhaps she could be read as the super-ego to Paul's id - a true reflection of the irritation that one feels when their moral judgment conflicts with their desires). I would recommend this to someone who appreciates Coetzee's writing style, but not necessarily for the overall experience.

(* - listed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die)

The Inheritance of Loss* - Kiran Desai

http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-9780802142818-7: Set in the isolated home of a retired judge in the Himalayas at the time of a Nepali insurgency. The book follows multiple stories - the judge's granddaughter Sai's love of her math tutor, the judge's cook's obsession with his son who has finally made it in America - or so he thinks, the struggle of the son as an immigrant in an unforgiving New York, the region's political upheaval, and the story of how the judge became the irascible lonely man he is. Normally, I love books of this sort - generations of family, children coming-of-age between two cultures, Asian foods and traditions...and this one started out wonderfully - beautiful writing, interesting characters...but for some reason it just didn't hold my interest, and by the end, I just couldn't wait for it to end. I was unsatisfied with the love story, I wanted more from the relationship between the cook and his son -- it just didn't come together for me. I haven't had much luck with books that are awarded the Booker prize, but I'll probably keep trying. If you like these types of stories, I don't think you can do much better than Rohinton Mistry's novels for plot and Anita Desai for language.

(* - Winner of the 2006 Man Booker Prize)

The Buffalo Soldier - Chris Bohjalian

http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-9780375725463-9 - By the author of Midwives (which I highly recommend), this is the story of a white couple who have just lost their twin girls in a flood. They take in an 11-year old black boy as a foster child. The chapters in the book are told from the perspective of the wife, the husband, the child, and a woman the husband meets on a camping trip and develops a relationship with. I particularly enjoyed the relationship that developed between the boy and foster mom, as well as the boy and an elderly neighbor who teaches the child about The Buffalo Soldiers - black cavalry men who fought in the Old West. Parts of the book were a little frustrating - the affair the husband has is irritating and a bit outrageous - but all in all this was a good read for the summer.

Everyman* - Philip Roth

http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780307277718-0 - This is a short book that starts with the funeral of an unnamed 70-year old. The book then walks back through his life as a sickly child obsessed with illness, through three marriages and three children, and through his career as an ad man turned painter. This book seems complex and insightful perhaps only because it is written by Roth. Otherwise, it's pretty much just a mundane look into a self-absorbed man who failed to realize his selfishness until it was too late. And maybe not even then. I sincerely hope that the main character of this book is not Everyman.

(* - Winner 2007 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction)

The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

http://www.powells.com/biblio/17-9780143034902-0 - This is the absolute best book I've read all year. It starts out as a story about the young son of a bookseller, Daniel, whose mother has passed away. He stumbles upon a long-lost book and becomes obsessed with finding out everything he can about the author, Julian Carax. He talks to numerous people, slowly gathering clues - some factual and others meant to send him into frustrating dead-ends. Zafon's novel incorporates many of the elements of the Gothic Novel - horror, romance, secrets, haunted houses, curses, villains, and femme fatales. As Daniel encounters each new character he listens to the stories within stories and attempts to unravel the truth behind the mysterious Carax. This is the kind of book that keeps me excited about reading!!