Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

If you've been a follower on my blog for a little while, you may have noticed I'm playing around with its layout/design. This is as far as I've gone with it for now (as you can probably tell from my lack of posts recently, I've been a little preoccupied with other things). If you have the time, let me know what you think and give me your suggestions!

Anywho, this blog is about the last book I read called "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" by Helen Simonson. It's a comedy of manners in the vein of Austen set in the tiny village of Edgecombe St. Mary in the lovely English countryside. Major Pettigrew is retired, a widower, and lives for a good cup of tea. Mrs. Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper in the village, is quiet, intelligent and also widowed. Despite their many differences, the two slowly find a friendship and eventually love with each other. But in as small a place as Edgecombe St. Mary, everyone knows about everyone else's business and no one is too pleased with this new love interest of the Major's. The underlying question throughout this book is whether the Major and Mrs. Ali's love can stand up to the pressure of such vast differences in culture and society.

Despite the plot being fairly predictable, this was an unconventional love story that I rather enjoyed. If you're looking for a steamy romance, this isn't it. But "Last Stand" more than makes up for it in sweetness as well as hope for those who think love has passed them by.

"Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother"

Chances are you've heard of the last book I read, "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding this book and the Yale law professor who wrote it. Many have taken this book as a "how-to" parenting guide, which according to Chua is not how it is supposed to be read at all. She says that it is simply a memoir of her ups and downs in the realm of child-rearing and ultimately her realization that trying to be a "tiger mother" doesn't always work.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast read and had a lot of quite funny moments to it. Maybe it helps that I'm not a mom and can't be offended by Chua's comments about Western parenting... She made a lot of good points though about parenting today. I agree with her that up until a certain age, children shouldn't have a choice when it comes to most issues. What Mom and Dad says goes, and if you don't like it, then too bad. As my dad used to say to me and my siblings, "Life's tough." Although Chua sometimes takes it to the next level (threatening to burn your daughter's stuffed animals if she doesn't play her piano piece perfectly is taking it a little far in my opinion), her love for her daughters is apparent and I think it comes across that all she wants is what's best for them.

I'd be curious to hear what you think, especially all my parents out there. Do you agree with Chua or think she's just plain crazy?

Here's an interview with Chua where she explains her perspective a bit more:

The Tree of Life

I am going to break the rules of my own blog and review a movie- *gasp*! But before you get too shocked, I'll tell you my reasons for doing so.

Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" was, for me as a writer, a wonderful study in the many different ways there are to tell a story. Malick wasn't afraid to push the boundaries with this film, which is probably the reason why it has received such mixed reviews. Just go out and ask a few people who saw it what they thought. You'll probably get a lot of different responses, ranging from "Malick's a genius" to "I didn't get it. All of a sudden there were dinosaurs on the screen- WTF??"

Everyone knows when they are learning how to write that stories are supposed to have a beginning, middle, and an end with the climax preferably coming somewhere in the later middle section. It's called basic plot development. This is not so with "The Tree of Life." If you're one of those people who needs a clear narrative and all the loose ends tied up, chances are you won't like this film.

Now, I'm married to a guy who went to school for film and I've learned many things about the technicalities of what makes a good movie from him. One of them is that voice-overs are VERY hard to pull off well. Too many directors use voice-overs to slap the viewer across the face with the far too obvious or to manufacture a response from the viewer by telling them how they should be feeling. Needless to say, I'm not a fan of either of these. That said, Malick used voice-overs quite a lot but in a way that, for the most part, I appreciated. Others may disagree though, like one of my local movie critics who called it "overdressed melodrama." It's very subjective.

Chastain & Pitt

I'm coming to the one aspect of the movie that I couldn't really come to terms with. The plot revolves around a father and mother with three sons in rural Texas, the father (Brad Pitt) being overpowering borderline abusive and the mother (Jessica Chastain) falling into the nurturing but silent stereotype. And it is this stereotype that bugs me. Despite the mother being portrayed as this saint-like figure who loves her children and would do anything for them, she doesn't have a spine. When her husband yells at her or her kids, she never gives a response. Who knows, she may have good reason for this, but it is never looked at in-depth. Her character is not developed in the least whereas Brad Pitt's father figure is delved into in what for this film was great detail.

With all of this said, "The Tree of Life" is a movie with spectacular cinematography and excellent acting. It is well worth seeing just to be able to experience film in a way you may never have before. Although I believe it is impossible to truly capture life on a screen, "The Tree of Life" was a valiant effort and Malick should be applauded not only for a beautiful movie but also the unconventional means he took to convey a story.

Still Life with Woodpecker

It's hard to know where to even begin when describing the book "Still Life with Woodpecker" by Tom Robbins. It's about a princess and an outlaw who fall in love against all odds. And it's about a pack of Camel cigarettes. "Still Life" combines the philosophical, imaginative, and sociological aspects of life and rolls them all together.

Tom Robbins is quite the character and after reading an interview with him, I began to understand where he's coming from a little bit more. I loved his explanation of what he tries to do with his writing:

     "What I try to do, among other things, is to mix fantasy and spirituality, sexuality, humor and poetry in combinations that have never quite been seen before in literature. And I guess when a reader finishes one of my books -- provided the reader does finish the book -- I would like for him or her to be in the state that they would be in after a Fellini film or a Grateful Dead concert. Which is to say that they've encountered the lifeforce in a large, irrepressible and unpredictable way and as a result their sense of wonder has been awakened and all of their possibilities have been expanded."

"Still Life" was a perfect summer read for me and I really enjoyed it (despite initially being confused when I started the book on where it was all going!). I would love to hear your comments on "Still Life" and for those of you who've read Robbins' work, suggestions for my next Robbins adventure!

Bachelor Girl

Listen up, ladies, 'cause this one's for you! If you're looking for a fascinating read about the history of American single women, "Bachelor Girl" would be an excellent choice. The author, Betsy Israel, who was a former columnist for Glamour as well as a contributor to the New York Times and Vogue among others, gives a concise and entertaining look at the lives of single women throughout the entire twentieth century and what exactly it means to be a "spinster" or "old maid."

There has always been a stigma attached to either of the above-mentioned terms for older women who have never wed, but do we know how this actually came to be? Israel explains this and many other related topics in her book with academic writing and footnotes while also using interviews with women from different generations to add an anecdotal spice.

The book is broken up into chapters each focusing on a different decade and what single women had to face during that time. After reading "Bachelor Girl," I began to realize how far women really have come. It's hard for us younger women to remember a time when it was not encouraged for a woman to have any career other than wife and mother, but such a time existed only about fifty years ago. Example of this (from a female advice columnist, about 1954): "Every American girl must acquire for herself a husband and a home and children... any program for life in which the home is not the center of her living, is worse than death." Whoa.

 I have no problem with women wanting to get married and have kids- I'm married myself. But that is not every woman's dream and it doesn't have to be. Single women should be able to be single without harassment or questions ("So when are you finally going to tie the knot?"). I really liked how Israel ended the book: "There have been too many epitaphs for the single woman, and almost every one of them is pathetic. She is not."

Amen, sister!

The Family Man

Happy Memorial Day! In my eyes, it is now officially summer and that calls for lighter fare in reading, which is why "The Family Man" by Elinor Lipman was the perfect book to start that trend for me. It is a cute and at times humorous family novel that I thoroughly enjoyed despite at times its lack of depth.

One of the reasons I like "chick lit" is that it never tries to be something that it isn't. When I pick up a book in this genre, I know exactly what I'm going to get and based on this criteria, "The Family Man" delivers. Although this is the only book of Lipman's I've read, I've also seen the movie "Then She Found Me" based on one of her more popular books. I didn't really enjoy the film version but after reading "The Family Man," there's no doubt in my mind that its book counterpart is most likely the better of the two.

The story follows Henry Archer, a divorced gay man who has lost touch with not only his ex-wife but also his once beloved step-daughter Thalia, who he lost in a complicated custody battle almost twenty years ago. Due to a series of spectacular circumstances though, Henry finds himself not only back in Thalia's life but also letting her live with him in his large Upper West Side townhouse. What ensues is a hilarious story of a lonely man and the salvation of sorts that he finds when he allows himself to love someone again.

This was a fun and fast read for me, something that I enjoy every once in a while especially after forcing myself to plow through more weighty novels. If you're looking for a light summer read, this is the book for you.

Freedom: A Novel

I just finished "Freedom: A Novel" by Jonathan Franzen and what a roller coaster ride of a book it was! For once, I am not quite sure where to begin, but I will try.

I will start by saying that this book is by no means perfect as some endorsements may have you believe (ahem, Oprah Winfrey). There are long-winded paragraphs fraught with highly politicized talk that give a very distinct air of preachiness. Considering that the novel weighs in at a hefty 562 pages, it could have done without that.

The real strength of the novel lies in its character development. Despite these people being really messed up (and I mean really messed up), you can't put this book down. There's something you see in the characters that grabs hold of you and won't let you go. Yes, these people have huge problems and they're selfish, heartless, you name it. But there is still a humanity in them. And for that reason, you as the reader hope against hope that somehow it will all work out.

I'm not even going to try to summarize "Freedom" (if you want that, here is a NY Times article worth looking over). But I will say that the reason I kept reading was purely to see what happened to the two main characters, Walter and Patty Berglund, who after a series of spectacularly horrible events end up separating. Without giving away anything, I'd like to share a line describing Walter and Patty's relationship that struck me: "...they were not just the worst thing that ever happened to each other, they were also the best thing."

Do you think that the worst thing for you can also be the best thing? In Walter and Patty's case, you'll just have to read the book to find out.