Thursday, March 14, 2013
The Hunter
By Richard Stark
Fun easy read whose hero is as bad as the people he
murders. I could not put this fast paced
book down and want to rent the movies Payback and Point Blank.
Joseph Anton: A Memoir
By Salman Rushdie
Joseph Anton was the name Salman Rushdie took after he went
into hiding when the Ayatollah Khomeini placed a fatwa on his life for writing The
Satanic Verses. Salman Rushdie hold
back nothing as he describes those 12 years.
Salman Rushdie describes in detail his childhood through the
time the fatwa was lifted and he was free to venture out of his home to
experience the freedoms he and other fought for for so many years. My favorite part of the book was reading about
where Midnights Children came from and how it received by the public.
This was a long, long book.
One aspect that comes from its pages is Rushdie’s ego. He never denies his hubris but at times it is
unbearable. I do not think I could have
been included in his circle of friends for all he asked from them. Rushdie’s message of freedom of speech and
the evils of limiting that freedom was constant and correct.
Salman Rushdie’s case for free speech is heard loud and
clear.
Pale Fire
by Vladimir Nabokov
This is an amazing novel on many different levels. It is creative, funny, creepy, and sincere (just kidding). Trying to explain this book will be a challenge because of its complexity, but here it goes.
Nabokov’s novel, as I see it, focuses on three different areas, the life of the Poet John Shade through his poem “Pale Fire”, the live of his neighbor Charles Kinbote seen through Kinbote’s forward to “Pale Fire” and various comments in him Commentary, and the crazy world of Zembla which Kinbote has created in his head.
Charles Kinbote begins the novel by writing a hilarious forward to the poem “Pale Fire”. Immediately the reader is caught up in the outrageousness of Kinbote and his bizarre relationship with John Shade. Along with the humor, which had me laughing out loud, we are introduced to the eventual death of the poet by an unnamed murderer.
“Pale Fire” is Shade’s poem describing his life. I have never learned how to read poetry and when I first read the poem, it was difficult. I would suggest after reading “Pale Fire”, to listen to the Audio version. This helped me greatly understand Shade’s life and appreciate the beautiful of Nabokov's poetry.
The final part of the novel is Kinbote’s commentary to John Shade’s poem. Again, humor is everywhere. Kinbote sites lines from the poems followed by long descriptions of thing that have nothing to do with the lines quoted. From the commentary, the world of Zembla is described along with its ruler Charles.
Nabokov genius is how humor morphs into the disturbed. By the end of the novel is not clear who Charles Kinbote really is, the eccentric neighbor, the beloved ruler of Zembla, or a crazy killer.
This was an excellent read.
This is an amazing novel on many different levels. It is creative, funny, creepy, and sincere (just kidding). Trying to explain this book will be a challenge because of its complexity, but here it goes.
Nabokov’s novel, as I see it, focuses on three different areas, the life of the Poet John Shade through his poem “Pale Fire”, the live of his neighbor Charles Kinbote seen through Kinbote’s forward to “Pale Fire” and various comments in him Commentary, and the crazy world of Zembla which Kinbote has created in his head.
Charles Kinbote begins the novel by writing a hilarious forward to the poem “Pale Fire”. Immediately the reader is caught up in the outrageousness of Kinbote and his bizarre relationship with John Shade. Along with the humor, which had me laughing out loud, we are introduced to the eventual death of the poet by an unnamed murderer.
“Pale Fire” is Shade’s poem describing his life. I have never learned how to read poetry and when I first read the poem, it was difficult. I would suggest after reading “Pale Fire”, to listen to the Audio version. This helped me greatly understand Shade’s life and appreciate the beautiful of Nabokov's poetry.
The final part of the novel is Kinbote’s commentary to John Shade’s poem. Again, humor is everywhere. Kinbote sites lines from the poems followed by long descriptions of thing that have nothing to do with the lines quoted. From the commentary, the world of Zembla is described along with its ruler Charles.
Nabokov genius is how humor morphs into the disturbed. By the end of the novel is not clear who Charles Kinbote really is, the eccentric neighbor, the beloved ruler of Zembla, or a crazy killer.
This was an excellent read.
