http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/ Book reviews, news and discussion forums en Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:49:33 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/blueseaurchin/an-arranged-marriage-by-nell-freudenberger-984/ Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:18:57 GMT An Arranged Marriage by Nell Freudenberger “An Arranged Marriage” singles out that brief moment in life when children abandon safe hand-holding parental guidance to reach for their freedom to create their own world. Amina who considers her mother a partner is wrong in her assessment, the... An Arranged Marriage by Nell Freudenberger

“An Arranged Marriage” singles out that brief moment in life when children abandon safe hand-holding parental guidance to reach for their freedom to create their own world.

Amina who considers her mother a partner is wrong in her assessment, the mother holds a more powerful influence then a simple partner which implies that decision are shared, which is not the case here where her mother makes the most personal decisions for her. Like a child she allows her mother to select her husband by following her strict list of requirements even though she doubts she can find one that will fulfill them all thus risking never marrying and most likely never going to America. Amina then also dutifully submits to her mother a perspective mates shortcomings based on her mothers requirements risking his disqualification. He enjoys Heinkens but "together" mother and daughter decide that he is "still a good man". However if the requirements and the value system being used is that of the mothers, then the judgment that he is “still a good man” is that of her mothers. Her mother is selecting her daughter’s husband.

This control over her daughter is again witnessed by Amin’s desire to put her picture online but patiently succumbing to her mothers refusal even though she knows it is likely to leave her with a smaller pool of perspective husbands to the very few unlikely men who do not care about looks.

Then even as her daughter is in America, her mother attempts to control the wedding while in India via telephone, insisting that she wear a sari though her daughter who has Western taste and who is being married in America, to an American, would obviously prefer a western styled dress.

Now she is in America and if the marriage was somewhat arranged by her mother’s stipulations of who Amina’s husband she be, Amina now has the freedom to decide what kind of relationship they will have. On just her third night in America deciding to use her newly found freedom she disregards her mothers orders not to have premarital sex and is completely unrepentant the next day when she explains her surprise at waking up next to George and not regretting it.

The phrase in the last paragraph stresses the theme of gaining independence well when Amina says “In Desh, you can make your plans, but they usually do not succeed.” What Amina is describing is in her own country, under her mothers dominance, plans can be precarious because her mother has power to cancel them and Amina must acquiesce. This is also explains why once married she is “dumbfounded” to the point she forgets to kiss her husband during the ceremony by her sudden realization that she does not need her mother and is entirely free to make her own decisions from then on.

http://blueseaurchin.blogspot.com/20...denberger.html ]]> Blueseaurchin http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/blueseaurchin/an-arranged-marriage-by-nell-freudenberger-984/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/blueseaurchin/second-lives-by-daniel-alarc-n-970/ Sun, 15 Aug 2010 13:52:01 GMT “Second Lives” is the oil / water separation between starting a new life and being tied to an old one through family responsibility. Families hold the key to our history and ultimately to our identity while starting a new life forces us to adapt and reinvent ourselves. The two situations never... “Second Lives” is the oil / water separation between starting a new life and being tied to an old one through family responsibility. Families hold the key to our history and ultimately to our identity while starting a new life forces us to adapt and reinvent ourselves. The two situations never blend but remain separate leaving the main character to abandon his family in the middle of a revolution and a neighbor to leave his wife to the neighborhoods ridicule of her situation.

The main character illustrates this idea through his older brother, Francisco’s whos first letters describes the weather as a bather might notice the pools temperature while not committing to dive. Then by the fourth letter, immersed in his new life “he omits to ask the family how they are instead focusing the content on his developing social life at school.”

Then a again a few line down the main character notes “We did eventually get a photo of the few American friends Francisco acquired in those first months, and perhaps this could have clued us in about his eagerness to move on.”

The name of the family Francisco stays with is, Villanueva, means new house. Francisco who no longer shares his family’s experiences, instead lives in a new house, with a new family, in a new culture. The word “new” itself seems to imply a relacement of that which can now be considered old which in his case is his past, his family, his origins.

Francisco having completely acclimated to his new life continues to move from area to area even though this makes it difficult for his parents and brother to get their visas through him enabling them an escape from a difficult revolution. The main charactuer surmises that Francisco’s attitude must stem from him wanting to forget where he had come from in order to be american. After all, this is what the Villanueva’s children were attempting in their refusal to learn the Spanish language and which was stressed again when they warned Francisco immediately upon his arrival that they didn’t speak his language even though their father was Spanish and a Spanish teacher.

The younger brother soliloquizes that he understands the need to have a second life which he compares to peoples interest in avatars and virtual realty. He himself imagined an American life for years bolstered by his brothers experiences, and pictures as well as through his attempts to learn American culture.

Then their was another character that underwent this transition as well. The neighbors husband who left his wife to live with a mistress is another way of starting a new life. The writer draws out the treachery the wife suffers of being left behind which forces her to evaluate how well we know each other and perhaps who we really are.

She asks the mother “where are your people from?” then she continues “How well do we know each other, really, Monica? Do I know what you do?”

In the end, we comprehend this need to adapt and shed an old life but we are torn because we also cannot help but feel compassion for those left behind just like the little brother who hurt and bitter attempts to forget Francisco but fails.

Read more http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/fea...#ixzz0wQom6qYa ]]> Blueseaurchin http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/blueseaurchin/second-lives-by-daniel-alarc-n-970/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/peder/oscar-wilde-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-sterling-gn-961/ Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:21:36 GMT This famous novel by Oscar Wilde appears to have suffered considerably at the hands of Culbard and Edgington during their illustration and adaptation to GN format for publication by the Sterling Publishing. Before going into greater detail, I would briefly say that Culbard's artwork -- described elsewhere as 1920's Gothic style -- appears to this eye as drab, unimaginative and grotesque; Edgington's adaptation of the text seems to have had the purpose of including as many of Sir Harry's (Oscar Wilde's) witty epigrams as possible, while presumably trimming the rest of the novel's narrative.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is the story of an attractive young man, Dorian Gray, who wishes to remain forever young after he sees how attractive he looks in a recently completed full-length portrait painting of himself. He gets his wish and his previous high life in society takes a turn considerably for the worse until, at the end he is degraded and in low social esteem, and he wishes he never even had the idea to make such a wish.

A different GN adaptation of the same novel is available from Marvel and the cover art for the two versions can be compared conveniently on the Amazon page for the Sterling version. Culbard's art work for the latter is clearly more modernistic and stylized than the naturalistic style chosen by the Marvel illustrator and that will be the point of departure for this discussion.

The colored cover of the Sterling version presents Culbard's artwork in a favorable light that does not carry over well into the GN itself, where black and white line-work is used, and where the fill-in of large background areas with various shades of gray creates a very drab overall appearance of the page.

Looking closer at the Sterling cover illustration – which is indeed the picture of Dorian Gray itself –- one sees a distorted facial representation where cheeks and nose are sunken back behind the plane of the forehead and a protruding chin. Within the GN, Sir Harry likewise carries such a pushed-in face.

Other characters also have individual facial features which are emphasized and distorted in a way that suggests caricaturization and cartoonishness rather than characterization and natural representation. Dorian's first infatuation, a beautiful stage actress for another example, is first shown to us in a large panel, improbably with a perfectly egg-shaped oval head with flat features looking as if pasted on. And virtually all characters share a particular artistic choice of the illustrator, namely to use a familiar Picasso-like touch to show a character's nose in profile as if pasted flat on the full front view of their face.

To my eye, the overall effect is of grotesqueness and cartoonishness.

But why carp so much with the illustrator's style?

Because there is little else to look at. There is not much background scenery to look at; many panels just have plain gray backgrounds without any interesting detail. Most panels consist of two people talking and perhaps it can be argued than in this particular “novel of ideas” that's the way it is written and has to be shown that way. There are however, only so many ways one can arrange two talking heads and one or two, or three, balloons into a panel, and the cumulative effect is boring.

It may be that character-driven or “literary” novels are not as well suited to GN format as “action-driven” novels, where the illustrator can show a greater variety of action-packed panels with “Pow,” “Bam” and “Sock” to maintain reader interest. However, I do have Volume 1, Combray, of Marcel Proust's Remembrance of Things Past and though the action is rather sedate, the artwork (in color, as I recall) is not boring and neither is it cartoonish nor grotesque. The pages there have an appealing look.

With respect to text, the Sterling version of Dorian Gray is jam packed with Oscar Wilde's epigrammatic witticisms. I suspect Edgington had a hard time leaving any out of his adaptation, if indeed he did. But too many are hard to take all in a row, at least for me.

So, I have read the GN, learned the plot of Dorian Gray, and seen more Wildean epigrams than I ever knew existed. But I cannot say that it was an enjoyable experience. ]]> Peder http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/peder/oscar-wilde-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-sterling-gn-961/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/peder/graphic-novel-links-959/ Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:16:37 GMT *Prince Valiant *by Hal Foster even though it seems to be counted as a comic...]]> This post is currently under construction and will be changing. It may change.

My favorite 'graphic novel' of all time is Prince Valiant by Hal Foster even though it seems to be counted as a comic strip. My father read it to me every Sunday morning from the comics section of the newspaper, beginning in around 1937 when it first appeared. It had serialized multi-week episodes set in King Arthur's time and had glorious color illustrations and detailed naturalistic pencil work for characters and settings.

The best of more recent graphic novels that I have actually held in my hand, and looked at to browse through, include:

The Plot by Will Eisner

Sin City by Frank Miller

Maus by Art Spiegelman

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman

Watchmen by Allan Moore

In addition, I have the following two classics in graphic novel format

Combray by Marcel Proust

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde ]]> Peder http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/peder/graphic-novel-links-959/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/sfg75/emotional-ills-and-the-christian-g-j-guldseth-956/ Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:02:28 GMT There is a Church of Christ affiliated college in the town that I live in. When I taught a night course there back in' 05, I happened upon some free books in the library that happened to be from an old professor who retired. One of the books was Emotional ills and the Christian. Psychology and religion are key interests of mine, and an interplay between both would be interesting, hence my interest in The Varieties of Religious Belief by William James. Emotional illness was written in 1969 and our understanding of various problems have changed markedly since then. At the same time, you have to admit that anyone writing that psychoanalysis and Christianity can help a mentally person would make for a good read, even if one is skeptical of the latter.

The author does make an interesting point in calling for a "pastor/physician congress" to work with patients. Guldseth laments the ignoring of the person's spiritual health while mainly focusing on the physical ailment. Guldseth then demonstrates how certain ailments can be of a psychosomatic nature and how a neurotic can fool even the best general practitioner. In this regard, his argument for including a pastor in the hospital room is quite convincing. I must take exception to the idea that Christians are calmer, more at peace with the world, and are less nervous in nature than non-Christians. For every wild eyed, foaming at the mouth atheist out there, there is probably a hundred pentecostals. On this example, I rest my case.

This is a good book to read if you are interesting in psychology and religion. Guldseth presents a good case for the use of psychoanalysis with pastoral counseling for optimal health. However, the benefits of the latter are sorely exaggerated.
:stars1: ]]> SFG75 http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/sfg75/emotional-ills-and-the-christian-g-j-guldseth-956/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/sfg75/review-primal-by-mark-batterson-953/ Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:00:52 GMT There is an interesting breed of young evangelicals with a lively message. These tattooed, loud music worshippers are not exactly your father's main line denominational liturgists. I haven't read many books about these young leaders, but I picked up this book on a whim to see what was behind their theology, or at least, mean looking tattoos, spiked hair, and passion for God.

Mark Batterson contends that we are headed to wards a reformation. this reformation is a "back to the roots" kind of reformation whereby we will peel back the layers of disinterest and truly develop a feel for God's love of us. To Batterson, people have become too distracted with huge church buildings, coffee klatches, and meetings, that the true essence of Christianity is missed.

I'm not certain that I would agree that we are headed towards a new reformation. The numbers don't bear that out and some would argue if the last reformation was truly one at all in the sense of the term. What Batterson speaks about is true to the extent that mainline denominational churches are losing many people to new "independent" and pentecostal churches that offer a more lively service and better coffee.

I will say to his credit, that he is an advocate for the Christian faith and leaves out political matters. While I may not agree theologically with many of his ilk, I'm glad to see that he doesn't scapegoat liberals, democrats, or women for society's ills. Instead, he is calling for a "gut check" from the faithful. In that sense, I tip my hat to him.
:stars2:

Amazon link ]]> SFG75 http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/sfg75/review-primal-by-mark-batterson-953/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/gilgamesh/9th-judgment-by-james-patterson-and-maxine-paetro-945/ Wed, 07 Jul 2010 03:55:22 GMT 18+ 18+ ]]> Gilgamesh http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/gilgamesh/9th-judgment-by-james-patterson-and-maxine-paetro-945/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/sfg75/im-christopher-hitchens-youre-an-idiot-919/ Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:09:13 GMT The first question posed to him just made me laugh. I'm not certain if it's the condescending accent or the savage intellectual beating given through his reasoning to the poor student. Listen to the first minute and you'll see the demolition play out.
YouTube - William Lane Craig and Christopher Hitchens (HQ) ]]> SFG75 http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/sfg75/im-christopher-hitchens-youre-an-idiot-919/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/sfg75/video-review-of-washington-square-by-henry-james-918/ Wed, 26 May 2010 04:30:52 GMT My video review of Washington Square by Henry James]]> Something new that I thought I would try.....

My video review of Washington Square by Henry James ]]> SFG75 http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/sfg75/video-review-of-washington-square-by-henry-james-918/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/fantasy+moon/reading-goals-for-summer-2010-917/ Tue, 25 May 2010 17:35:07 GMT I figured it might be fun to keep a goal setter for the summer months. I tend to do a lot of reading during this time so it seems the perfect timing. Some of these books have been languishing on the shelves unread and unfinished for far too long. 1. The Longest Raid of the Civil War 2.... I figured it might be fun to keep a goal setter for the summer months. I tend to do a lot of reading during this time so it seems the perfect timing. Some of these books have been languishing on the shelves unread and unfinished for far too long.


1. The Longest Raid of the Civil War
2. Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue
3. Mafia Dynasty
4. The 50 Greatest Mysteries of all Time
5. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
6. Pride of Carthage
7. The Vicomte de Bragelonne :D
8. A Civil War Treasury of Tales, Legends, & Folklore
9. Letters from Prison
10. A Summer of Hummingbirds :D ]]> Fantasy Moon http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/fantasy+moon/reading-goals-for-summer-2010-917/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/sfg75/review-of-presidential-courage-by-michael-beschloss-916/ Mon, 24 May 2010 17:21:07 GMT I ventured to the library and checked out Presidentail Courage by Michael Beschloss. I wasn't looking for a non-fiction book specifically, but having known Beschloss's writing, I knew it would be a good selection. Beschloss is one of the "new" history writers who in my opinion, weaves a great blow by blow historical account while mixing in facts, statistics, and amusing anecdotes.

The book starts out with Washington and the problems he faced in dealing with Jay's Treaty with Great Britain. The treaty made him very unpopular and some of the white hot rhetoric that went his way would surprise your average citizen, who is largely ignorant that Washington was viewed as anything less than a God like entity during his day. John Adams dealt with a similar problem, though his courage was to keep us out of war with France. Due to their actions, the first two presidents saved America from conflicts that would've torn the country apart.

The most interesting account of courage by far to me, is Beschloss's recounting of Andrew Jackson's war against Nicholas Biddle's Bank of the United States. If there ever was a David-Goliath story that stokes some good "serves 'em right!" class war indignation, this story would be it.

Beschloss does an admirable job of highlighting how key events forced leaders to become better individuals than they previously were. Kennedy's silence on civil rights loses way to a more pronounced and toughened stance on the issue. Jackson for all of his toughness is still a stubborn, and perhaps less well thought of a person than he should've been in office. And Ronald Reagan?, a less than savvy leader whose words in public and private thoughts about pending armageddon scared many aides and confidants. In the end, Jackson perseveres and Reagan learns how to negotiate and tones down the rhetoric, "An evil empire" statement not withstanding.

This is an excellent book and is fun to read, it will compete for your attention with any fiction book. ]]> SFG75 http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/sfg75/review-of-presidential-courage-by-michael-beschloss-916/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/gilgamesh/i-am-the-messenger-by-markus-zusak-915/ Tue, 11 May 2010 03:41:42 GMT Picked up the book because I really liked his other book, The Book Thief.

It starts out hilarious and the book as a whole, the message itself to the audience is quite moral.

But, I don't see how the main character draws a gun on the back of some guys head and doesn't get punished by law.

Then the book eludes to sex from beginning to end on how he wants this girl...

I was looking for a good book to recommend to my kids but this isn't it. I don't see why they label this book as YA. In my opinion, it's geared toward adults. ]]> Gilgamesh http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/gilgamesh/i-am-the-messenger-by-markus-zusak-915/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/gilgamesh/now-habit-by-neil-a-fiore-880/ Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:56:34 GMT Very informative.
Helps with tackling large and overwhelming work.

The beginning of the book seems to delve too much into psychological reasoning behind individual's procrastination, but soon it starts to bring out solutions that readers will find helpful to practice in one's life. ]]> Gilgamesh http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/gilgamesh/now-habit-by-neil-a-fiore-880/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/meredithgreene/o-bbq-879/ Sat, 20 Mar 2010 05:20:06 GMT Read Column Here Sun, flowers, food, book review links and fellow friendlies... enjoy. Meredith Greene]]> My weekly addition to my column Greene Ink is up:

Read Column Here

Sun, flowers, food, book review links and fellow friendlies... enjoy.

Meredith Greene ]]> meredithgreene http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/meredithgreene/o-bbq-879/ http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/meredithgreene/pod-company-feedback-877/ Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:00:51 GMT I am compiling a comparison article for my weekly column Greene Ink on POD self-publishing companies. Wanting to write a more rounded piece I am seeking a bit o' feedback from those who have actually had personal experiences with using/dealing with said companies. We've only had dealing with two companies, Authorcrossing and Lulu, but the more info we get, the merrier.

More than just prices and numbers, I'm mainly looking for pros & cons from actual consumers, either on the writing side or the buying side. I'll pick from a large swath of the most popular companies, but if you've found a lesser-known company to be a diamond in the rough, by all means let me know. If I use your info, let me know if you want your name (or initials) to appear in your 'column cameo'.

I'll post a link to the column when it goes up on Thursday.

Many thanks,
Meredith Greene ]]> meredithgreene http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/blogs/meredithgreene/pod-company-feedback-877/