Playground

I could not finish Richard Powers Pulitzer Prize winner The Overstory; it was just too many characters with different storylines although ostensibly they all tied together somehow in the end. And I have to say that this book also left me profoundly confused at times. The narrator is a genius programmer, Todd Keane, who has recently been diagnosed with Lewy Bodies dementia and he retrospectively tells the story of his relationship to another main character, Rafi. Inititally, it's not clear who is actually doing the narrating--is it the man who turns out to be mega-millionaire Todd Keane or is it his deep learning alter ego. And then there is Evelyne who, since the age of 12, has only ever been truly happy when she's underwater, specifically in the ocean--any ocean.  We have an account from Todd that Rafi died of a heart attack, but then he is still alive in the present time and is in fact there to witness the death of Todd. And how did Ina, the love of Rafi's life, after falling out of his life with what he sees as a irreconcilable betrayal, end up being his wife and the adoptive mother of two children they have adopted on the island of Makatea? 

Publishers Weekly introduces their review with this description of the characters and the main themes: "Powers ...delivers an epic drama of AI, neocolonialism, and oceanography in this dazzling if somewhat disjointed novel set largely on the French Polynesian island of Makatea, where a mysterious American consortium plans to launch floating cities into the ocean. The story centers on three characters: Rafi Young, a former literature student from an abusive home in Chicago who has moved to Makatea with his wife; Rafi's onetime friend Todd Keane, the billionaire founder of a social media company and AI platform whose connection to the seasteading project is revealed later; and Evelyne Beaulieu, a Canadian marine biologist who has come to Makatea just as the island's residents must vote on whether to let the project proceed. "

I think Booklist provides a good summary of the storyline: "Powers does for oceans in Playground what he did for forests in The Overstory (2018). He again assembles a cast of evocatively nuanced characters obsessed with nature, science, and games. Canadian Evelyne becomes a pioneering oceanographer (à la Sylvia Earle) who writes a book that transfixes Todd, a lonely boy in an Evanston "castle." In nearby Chicago, brainy Rafi suffers a family tragedy just as he receives a fellowship to attend an elite Jesuit high school. There he and Todd forge a competitive friendship over chess, then ascend to the more mysterious game, Go. Todd accrues enormous wealth with his social media platform, Playground. Rafi sets aside his considerable academic achievements to live a quiet Pacific island life with artist Ina. Powers tacks back and forth in time in this encompassing saga punctuated by Evelyne's marveling over the stunning inventiveness of undersea life as, now in her nineties, she dives off the coast of Makatea, in French Polynesia. Still struggling to recover from a decimating 1960s phosphate-mining frenzy, the island now faces a new threat--a seasteading startup. Throughout, Powers reflects on how innate play is to many species as a way of learning and bonding and how human technology has turned it catastrophic. Rhapsodic with wonder, electric with cautionary facts and insights, Powers' profound and involving novel illuminates the conundrums of human nature and the gravely endangered ocean deep...Readers rely on Powers to dramatize the confounding paradox of our utter dependence on and rampant destruction of nature." 

Kirkus opens "A story of friendship, technology, oceans, and a small island. Powers juggled nine lead characters in The Overstory (2018), his Pulitzer Prize–winning novel. Here he wrangles just four, but the result is almost as complicated." And closes with "This is a challenging novel, fragmented but compelling, with fine writing on friendship and its loss and on the awe and delight the ocean inspires. Along with its environmental warnings, the book carries an intriguing look at the ways people and animals play, as in the boys’ competitive chess, the antics of manta rays, the allure of computer games, and what a meta-minded author might do with his readers. An engaging, eloquent message for this fragile planet."

Rave reviews are abundant: "Soaringly imaginative yet firmly grounded in the real world, unabashedly intellectual but deeply felt, Richard Powers’ fiction deals with the most pressing issues of our time in the most wrenchingly human terms" (National Book Review). "Prepare to be awed" (Washington Post). "Powers' descriptions jump out of the water" (NPR). But the reviewers also acknowledge the flaws: "Challenges remain, though, especially for the skeptical or distracted reader. Darting among these various storylines, “Playground” can feel like the pages of several compelling novellas that fell down the stairs and were quickly gathered up" (Washington Post). "There are some audible creaks in the storytelling machinery as Powers labors to bring his multiple narrative strands together. Still, he manages to pull off a sly — and disturbing — twist in the novel's profoundly affecting climax" (NPR).

The Last One

After reading 131 pages, I still wasn't engaged with the characters and so I gave up.  The premise is that a 20'ish woman wakes in the woods near a small destitute town, nearly naked and with no memory of how she came to be there. She tracks down the thief only to be arrested for attacking the woman and demanding the return of her belongings. Scattered and strange memories start to return, e.g., her name is Kai, along with even stranger magical powers. 

Both Library Journal and Booklist gave this mixed reviews, suggesting that hard-core genre fans will  be enamored in spite of its flaws. Booklist concludes, " Intriguing themes of redefining monstrousness and owning past mistakes are marred by opaque character motivations and slipshod world building. Even so, ardent romantasy fans will devour it." Referring to the characters, Library Journal concurs, "Her [Kai] importance is found only in the last few pages, following enough twists and reversals that it's difficult for readers to know what the narrative wants from her. Romance ...is teased but is saved for upcoming books... An ambitious romantasy opener, best for dedicated fans of the genre."

The Witness for the Dead

This book by Katherine Addison is set in the same world and slightly subsequent time period as her fabulous book, The Goblin Emperor. I loved the earlier book and really liked this one as well. Character development, world building, well-woven plotting make this sequel equally enjoyable to read. The protagonist here is a small but significant character from the first book, Thara Celehar, who is a Witness for the Dead. He can, within certain time and circumstance parameters communicate with the recently dead to determine last wishes, reveal those implicted in suspicious deaths, and settle family disputes. He is now the resident Witness in the city of Amalo, distant from the royal court but unfortunately not removed from local politics, which is often more a hindrance than a help. 

Library Journal says of the book: "...Multiple well-paced plotlines weave together in a delightful story, and Celehar's personal insights and issues bring a contemplative tone that further supports the work. ... The follow-up to the acclaimed The Goblin Emperor brings back a favorite character and expands the elaborate world Addison has created.. readers--will find this novel delightful and immersive." Booklist also offers a recommendation: "...Addison's welcome return ...reintroduces readers to Thara Celehar, the titular Witness for the Dead, in a new role in the city of Amalo ...The story is an unusual blend of slice-of-life and murder mystery as Celehar... goes about his daily business in Amalo while also investigating the murder of an opera singer. There are just enough links between the murder investigation and several subplots to prevent the book from seeming disjointed. The urban underbelly setting and mystery plot of this book give it a very different tone from the imperial court intrigue of its predecessor, but the simple pleasure of reading about a kind and quietly competent character who always aims to do the right thing will enchant..." Publishers Weekly concludes their review, "...Addison’s steampunk-infused scene-setting and assemblage of characters from all walks of life combine to create a vibrant fantasy world. The story is driven more by character than plot, with Celehar’s personal and professional relationships, and unwavering duty to his calling as a Witness, taking center stage. This is more spin-off than sequel, and returning fans and new readers alike will find it easy to be swept up in Celehar’s story."

The Bear

Vaunted author Julia Phillips has written a depressing if well executed tale of two young adult sisters trapped in a deteriorating house on present day San Juan Island (off the coast of Washington) caring for a terminally ill mother while toiling away in mind numbing low wage service jobs. They share a dream of selling the house and property after they mother dies and making an escape. I read half the book plus the last 3 chapters and would summarize it thus. A grizzly bear swims to the island from the mainland and begins hanging around their house. Older sister Elena is enchanted and seeks to befriend the bear. Younger sister Sam is terrified of the beast and can't get anyone to take seriously the threat the bear represents. Mother dies. Bear eats Elena. Sam leaves home.  Apparently I was not in the right frame of mind for this book. 

Publishers Weekly calls the book "beautiful...haunting...brilliant." Booklist calls it a "brooding yet incisive tale." Library Journal offers this accurate summary: "....a strong, melancholy novel exploring the bonds and limitations of sisterhood. Sam and her older sister Elena have been caring for their mother, who is terminally ill, for years and are both trapped in minimum-wage jobs and drowning in debt. Bonded by the abuse, isolation, and pain they endured in childhood, the sisters feel that outsiders are not to be trusted and made plans years ago to leave their hometown behind once their mother died. Sam and Elena's plans are thrown into disarray, however, when a bear begins appearing near their home. Elena is entranced by what she believes is a gentle, maybe even magical creature, while Sam fears for her family's safety. As Elena grows closer to the bear, and Sam becomes increasingly wary of the animal, the sisters' bond is strained by their inability to understand one another as well as by past secrets coming to light. ... By focusing on the characters' relationships with one another, Phillips brings complicated, very human characters to life in a tale filled with sadness. Literary fiction readers looking for complicated family stories will be immersed in the novel's haunting tragedy."

 

Johnny Careless

Kevin Wade--playwright, film and TV screenwriter and producer--has turned his hand to the death of a life-long friend, Johnny Chambliss. Though they were from wildly differeent social classes, they bonded over playing la crosse and remained friends through thick and thin. Protagonist, "Jeep" Mullane is the new police chief for his home town on the North Shore of Long Island, is unable to accept the verdict of accidental death when his friend is pulled from the water, obviously the victim of being hit by a skidoo. 

Library Journal summarizes the book by saying "Mullane juggles commitment to Johnny's family, complicated feelings for Johnny's ex-wife, Niven, and pressure from local mayors to stop a car theft ring, while seeking the truth about Johnny's death... " and concluding "the central characters are rich and the plot propulsive.... Wade delivers a complicated police drama of the Don Winslow variety, written in the neo-noir style of Robert B. Parker's Spenser books."  Publishers Weekly offers this:  "Wade smoothly toggles between Jeep's present-day investigation and his friendship with Johnny, shedding light on their class differences and the events that led them to lose touch in adulthood. Wade's gift for suspense is as well honed as one would expect from his film and TV credits--the real surprise is his character work, which goes deep enough that readers will find themselves thinking about Jeep and Johnny long after they've turned the final page. Haunting and heartbreaking, this is a winner."

Cloud of Sparrows: An Epic Novel of Japan

This book by Takashi Matsuoka was an engaging and educational read. A one-page List of Characters preceeding the text was essential and a two-page map offered context for the setting, which took place primarily on Honshu island in 1861.  Protagonist Lord Genji, Lord of Akaoka and leader of the Okumichi clan seems to be the only one who is interested in welcoming the "Outsiders" and, as the book opens, 3 Christian missionaries have just arrived in Edo Bay from San Francisco. The royal greeting of the Americans is marred by an assassination attempt on Genji that mortally wounds one of the missionaries. One of the surviving missionaries is a woman, Emily, who is fleeing herself to find a place where men don't try to sexually assault her based on her beauty. Here in Japan, she is considered hideous. The other missionary, Matthew, has ulterior motives for coming and  plans to take revenge on another outsider who murdered his wife and two step-daughters.  

Publishers Weekly opens their review by framing the action this way, "Matsuoka's ambitious first novel is an epic saga of clashing personalities and ideologies in the tradition of Shogun, yet it distinguishes itself from its wide-eyed predecessor with a grimmer perspective on Japan's military culture...a land bristling with feudal clans nursing ancient grudges and a central shogunate trying to maintain control in the face of corrosive Western influences." And they conclude, "The novel boasts plenty of Edo-era pomp and pageantry, as well as some nicely convoluted court intrigue and lightly handled romance. But the author's central message appears to be a rebuke of the narrow-mindedness of the isolationist feudal tradition in Japan and its bloody track record: 'It is our duty to ensure that all looting, murdering, and enslaving in Japan is done by us alone. Otherwise, how can we call ourselves Great Lords?'" I would add that one also gets a sense of the sense of loss and dislocation resulting from a totally foreign culture wantonly destroying a centuries-old one. 

The Historical Novel Society offers these glowing words: "Cloud of Sparrows is a stunning work. Matsuoka was born in Japan and raised in Hawaii; he gives us a view of Japan from the inside out, yet his American characters are believable as well. Dialog is natural and suited to each character. The encounters between alien cultures are movingly depicted. Japan’s ancient traditions, influenced heavily by Buddhist and Zen philosophy, are contrasted with the American and Christian traditions of the outsiders. Ideas of beauty, life, death, love, and honor are subtly explored. Much more than a love story, the novel also depicts exciting battles and masterful intrigues in the last days of the proud samurai tradition."

Similarly, the Yale Review of Books offers this: "This is not a run-of-the-mill, East-meets-West story. Matsuoka’s cast is endearing; his plot, fast-paced; and his style, witty. He captures real life in ancient Japan, unshielded from violence, sorrow, retribution—and happiness. We inhabit and feel all the extremes of an untamed world in which samurai calmly commit hara kiri, but weep at the fleeting beauty of a falling cherry blossom. Though we are at first struck by the strangeness of Genji’s tradition-steeped world, Matsuoka completely transforms our perceptions and integrates us into it. The book’s direct look at all that is gruesome and beautiful about this era helps us to understand and empathize with the Great Lord of Akaoka. This novel delights with plot twists, but also imparts a real taste of a fascinating culture. It’s a must-read for anyone even slightly interested in the mysterious world of ancient Japan."

Kirkus, on the other hand, opens with this snarky comment: "Some rootin’-tootin’ shoot-’em-up and slice-’em-up for those who thought the US-Japanese trade deficit was bad." and goes on to say, "The stakes are high: It will be war at the hands of outsiders or war among the samurai clans, and 2,000 years of civilization is on the line. Unfortunately, battle sequences are written more for ambitious cinematographers than for readers, and, really, Matsuoka doesn’t have the weapons to handle the morass he’s created..."

The Goblin Emperor

This fantasy tale by Katherine Addison (pseudonym for Sarah Monette) was recommended to me by dear friend Joan Starr and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, after reading all 434 pages of the story, I still didn't want it to end. There is an extensive glossary as well as pronunciation and social address guides following which are helpful in navigating this elaborate world of the Elflands. Names and relationships can present a bit of a challenge, but the story can keep you engaged even if your mind stumbles over how to pronounce a name. I would dearly love to hear the author read all or part of this book. 

Our protagonist, 18 year old Maia, is the exiled fourth son of the Emperor. When the Emperor and his three older sons are killed in a suspicious airship crash, Maia is summarily brought to Court to become the new Emperor, addressed as "Serenity." There are those who oppose this half-goblin unknown and those who would support him. His character is richly developed and empathetic; the reader cannot help but to come to love him and root for him to triumph over all the odds. Booklist agrees, saying: " The author combines steampunk and fantasy (this is a world of elves and goblins and the like) to tell an utterly captivating story. Addison has built a completely believable world, with its own language, customs, and history, but there are tantalizingly familiar elements (such as newspapers and pocket watches) that make us wonder from whence this world came and whether it might have sprung from our own, in a distant future."

Library Journal offers this recommendation: "Court intrigue and politics are popular fodder for fantasy novels, but rarely have they been done better than in this fantastic new novel from Sarah Monette (writing as Addison). The writing is lovely, with characters who live and breathe. Maia, especially, will tug on the heartstrings of even the most hardened reader as he struggles to find kindness and allies in the imperial court." 

Publishers Weekly effuses: "Ambitious and meticulously executed worldbuilding brings an animated dazzle to this exceptional assemblage of character studies and complex encounters, while the expressive evocation of its youthful protagonist’s shyness and insecurity adds an affecting authenticity to the steampunk-infused fantasy setting. Crafted with a preternatural deftness, the elf kingdom of Ethuveraz is a multilayered masterwork. Its density of arcana, language, ritual, and protocol staggers the long-exiled 18-year-old half-goblin heir, Maia Drazhar, when he is thrust onto the imperial throne after his distant father and more favored brothers are assassinated by an act of airship sabotage. Facing ridicule, racism, and outright hostility, Maia nonetheless stumblingly shoulders the burden, his own outcast status becoming his greatest strength. Acts of kindness and empathy begin to earn him the acceptance, if not outright affection, of his courtiers and the populace. Less a novel than a series of anecdotes, this stalwart endeavor, which is fantasist Sarah Monette’s first work under the Addison name, is carried by the strength of atmosphere and Maia’s resonant good-heartedness. Readers will hope for many more tales of Ethuveraz."

I agree with Kirkus' recommendation: "Addison patiently and tellingly paints in the backdrop, mingling steampunk elements and low-key magic with imperial intricacies. There are powerful character studies and a plot full of small but deadly traps among which the sweet-natured, perplexed Maia must navigate. The result is a spellbinding and genuinely affecting drama. Unreservedly recommended."

Although Addison has not written a sequel in the strictest sense of the word -- no follow up of Maia's story-- she did write The Witness for the Dead several years later, which features Thara Celehar, a minor yet significant character from Goblin Emperor. It will be next on my list.

The Perfect Marriage

Of course this is a murder mystery so we know it wasn't a perfect marriage, but it is also the most imperfect book that I have ever forced myself to read. If it wee not a book group selection for my Mystery Book Group, I would have stopped after 25 pages. As it was, because I could not rationalize tearing out every page of a library book with something stupid on it, I had to content myself with putting mini-post-its wherever I found them. See my photo. The writing is hyperbolic in the extreme. Analogies and metaphors are totally inappropriate. They should fire this author's editor. 

The cover of the book offers this summary: "His mistress is dead. His wife [a high-powered defence attorney] is his only hope." And here is the publisher's summary of the storyline: "Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. As a named partner at her firm, life is going exactly how she planned. The same cannot be said for her husband, Adam. He's a struggling writer who has had little success in his career and he tires of his and Sarah's relationship as she is constantly working. Out in the secluded woods, at the couple's lake house, Adam engages in a passionate affair with Kelly Summers. But one morning everything changes. Kelly is found brutally stabbed to death and now, Sarah must take on her hardest case yet, defending her own husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress."

The characters are caricatures. The woman "protagonist (and I use the term loosely), Sarah, wears only Laboutin spike heels and pencil skirt suits from Chanel, etc. and everytime I had to read one more description of what people were wearing I wanted to scream. She is certainly the most unprofessional high-powered attorney I have ever encountered in literature (or life). The use of cursing (especially "fuck") is overwhelming and unnecessary except to make the characters even more unlikeable. Her mousey assistant Anne tries to dress like her, and follows her around like a lovesick puppy. Husband and accused murderer, Adam, is the most worthless, oversexed, impulsive and out of control spouse you could ever want to imagine. Why would anyone ever marry him --except for, apparently, the great sex--and why anyone would defend him is beyond me and beyond most of the other characters as well. 

I could not even find a review of this book by reputable sources. I can't imagine why the library chose this to be a book group kit. One of the reader reviews pithily noted "Suffice to say, hideous people doing hideous things. The end." I cannot "unrecommend" this book strongly enough. 

Dead in the Frame

This 5th installment in the Pentecost and Parker series by Stephen Spotswood continues to delight the reader with intricate plotting and developing characters.  Parker is just returning from a leisurely vacation with Holly in the Catskills, when she arrives home to find the police arresting Ms. Pentecost for the murder of Jessup Quincannon. Parker is largely on her own to figure out who really killed Quincannon before Ms. Pentecost is sentenced to life in prison or dies from her MS and abuse at the hands of a vengeful guard before she even gets to trial. The evidence and motive are stacked against her but Will learns early on that Pentecost has been framed and blackmailed to solve another crime in order for the accurate evidence to be revealed. The attorneys defending Ms. Pentecost want Will to drum up evidence for other possible killers to create reasonable doubt, but when the blackmailer is found dead and the evidence of Pentecost's innocence is now beyond reach, Parker knows that the only way forward is to find the real killer.

Library Journal concludes their positive review with "A solid Pentecost and Parker installment, Spotswood's newest title takes on another closed-door mystery to great effect. He balances the tension, the red herrings, and the clues well, and fans of the series will be in for a treat. Mystery readers in general would do well to place this series on their TBR lists to enjoy the twists and turns that make these titles a joy to read."  And Publishers Weekly joins with their praise, "As always, Spotswood pairs voicey narration (especially in Will’s chapters) with a briskly satisfying fair-play whodunit." Although somewhat more measured in their review, Kirkus still offers this recommendation, "A lively period frolic whose hardboiled femmes tackle a Golden Age puzzle"

The Plot

This book by Jean Hanff Korelitz received such good reviews, but after the first half of the book, I was just bored. I almost gave up! But instead I went back and re-read the reviews, trying to figure out why I picked it up in the first place. I figured out one surprise a few chapters before the reveal. But the conclusion left me flat-footed.  From Library Journal: "Korelitz...questions the world of publishing in this latest novel. Jake Finch Bonner, a once promising youngish writer, has been reduced to taking a short-term teaching gig at a third-rate, low-residency MFA program in Vermont. During a one-on-one meeting with an arrogant student, Jake hears the student's incredible idea for a plot. When, several years later, he learns that the student has died, Jake decides to tell the story himself. He hits the best-seller lists with Crib, excerpts of which appear as a book within this book. But then emails and tweets from an anonymous sender accuse him of stealing the plot and threaten to expose him."

Publishers Weekly: "Jacob Finch Bonner, the hapless protagonist of this ingeniously twisty novel...Deep character development, an impressively thick tapestry of intertwining story lines, and a candid glimpse into the publishing business make this a page-turner of the highest order. Korelitz deserves acclaim for her own perfect plot."  Can't say I agree with the "page-turner" assessment.

And Kirkus closes their rave review: "Korelitz... knows how to blend suspense with complex character studies, falls a little short on the character end here; Jake is a sympathetic but slightly bland protagonist, and Anna has the only other fully developed personality. No one will care as the story hurtles toward the creepy climax, in the best tradition of Patricia Highsmith and other chroniclers of the human psyche’s darkest depths. Gripping and thoroughly unsettling." I would say that the book plods rather than "hurtles" but decide for yourself.