Some Catching Up

A bit of catching up to do so before supper I'll provide my review of a book I finished yesterday, the synopses of two books I received in the mail yesterday and then continue with my look at my favorite authors. (Ed Note: My rationale for this list can be found at this post on 18 Jul.

Just Finished

1. Bad Luck Is What You Make It by Jordan Drake (Poetry / Short Stories (2018).

"Bad luck is what you make it is a book of poetry and short stories by first time author, Jordan Drake, a US Navy Supply Officer and one-time linebacker for the US Naval Academy. I start this review with two caveats.

1. I belong to an online group called Booktasters, a link between authors and reviewers. This review is as a result of one of those likes. 2. My relationship with poetry is generally a problematic one, in that I regularly feel that I just don't get it. But I continue to be pleasantly surprised with what I read and generally try to experience one book or one selection of poetry a year.

So with that out of the way, let me say that Bad Luck is What You Make It was one of those pleasant surprises. That doesn't mean that all of the material was pleasant as it was also gritty and tough at times. The selection of poetry and short stories provide a glimpse of Jordan's life, his struggles in childhood; a mother who while she loved him, had a controlling life style. But Jordan grew from, found more support from a neighborhood family, who he grew to love. A move to playing football and then to the Naval Academy where he found success as a player. Relationships, one not so successful, but growing from that and finding his true love. And bits and pieces, life in the Navy, love and respect for those who made him the man he is.

It was, for me, surprisingly engrossing. While I couldn't necessarily relate to aspects of his growing up, there were many aspects that stuck a chord with me. I grew up in a military family and so moved many times during my life. I have served in the military so could relate to deployments and time away from my own family. I was in Dubai when the hurricanes hit Sri Lanka and supported Canadian medical personnel in Sri Lanka (Jordan was there). I had a not so successful first marriage (except for my kids) and then found my true love after. So many aspects of Jordan's life and his feelings and emotions did hit me, make me nod my head, agree. You can't look back, except to grow from your past. Love those who helped you along the way. Cherish what you have now. Excellent. Thanks Jordan (4 stars)"

New Books

1. Not Much Fun by Dorothy Parker (1996).

"During the early years of her career, while struggling to "keep body and soul apart" (as she ruefully put it later), Dorothy Parker wrote more than three hundred poems and verses for a variety of popular magazines and newspapers. Between 1926 and 1933 she collected most of these pieces in three volumes of poetry: Enough Rope, Sunset Gun, and Death and Taxes. The remaining poems and verses from America's most renowned cynic make up this volume. Eclectic and exuberant, these 122 once-forgotten gems display Parker's distinctive wit, irony, and precision, as she dissects early-twentieth-century American urban life and gleefully skewers a rich array of targets that range from personal foible to popular culture. With an authoritative, immensely entertaining, and critically acclaimed introduction by Stuart Y. Silverstein, Not Much Fun is an essential addition to the Dorothy Parker library and a welcome gift to her many admirers and devoted fans." (I am reading this as part of a Poetry challenge)

2. The Grey King by Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising #4).

"With the final battle between the Light and the Dark soon approaching, Will sets out on a quest to call for aid. Hidden within the Welsh hills is a magical harp that he must use to wake the Sleepers - six noble riders who have slept for centuries.

But an illness has robbed Will of nearly all his knowledge of the Old Ones, and he is left only with a broken riddle to guide him in his task. As Will travels blindly through the hills, his journey will bring him face-to-face with the most powerful Lord of the Dark - the Grey King. The King holds the harp and Sleepers within his lands, and there has yet to be a force strong enough to tear them from his grasp..."

Favorite Authors

Margaret Eleanor Atwood

Margaret Atwood was born in Ottawa, Canada in 1939. So far during her life, she has written 15+ novels, collections of short stories, poetry collections, non-fiction. She has won many varied awards, Canada's Governor General award (2), the Booker Prize (2), the Arthur C. Clarke award, etc. Suffice it to say she is a talented, prolific author. Many of her books have been transformed into movies, TV movies and mini-series as well. Back in my university days, at her Alma Mater of University of Toronto, as a matter of interest, I read a couple of her works; Surfacing, The Edible Woman and The Circle Game. I stopped reading her books until The Handmaid's Tale (1985). It blew me away and I've since read it two or three times. I will include this last book in my look at her works. Including The Handmaid's Tale, I've read six others of her books. So with that in mind, here we go.

1. The Handmaid's Tale (1985).

"The Handmaid's Tale is not only a radical and brilliant departure for Margaret Atwood, it is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States, now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men of its population.

The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment's calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions. The Handmaid's Tale is funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing. It is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force. It is Margaret Atwood at her best." (5 stars)

2. Oryx & Crake (Maddaddam #1).

"Oryx and Crake is at once an unforgettable love story and a compelling vision of the future. Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey–with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake–through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride. Margaret Atwood projects us into a near future that is both all too familiar and beyond our imagining." (4 stars)

3. The Year of the Flood (Maddaddam #2).

"In this second book of the MaddAddam trilogy, the long-feared waterless flood has occurred, altering Earth as we know it and obliterating most human life. Among the survivors are Ren, a young trapeze dancer locked inside the high-end sex club Scales and Tails, and Toby, who is barricaded inside a luxurious spa. Amid shadowy, corrupt ruling powers and new, gene-spliced life forms, Ren and Toby will have to decide on their next move, but they can't stay locked away." (3 stars)

4. Maddaddam (Maddaddam #3).

"It's been a long while between reading the first two books in this trilogy; Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood. Looking back at my reviews, I can see I didn't write much in those days. I think I was somewhat disappointed with the 2nd book, Year of the Flood, but isn't that often the way with the 2nd books of trilogies?

So what did I think of MaddAddam? Well, to put it simply, I loved it and even shed a tear or two at the end. It was a fantastic finish to this journey of a group of people trying to survive the end of the world (basically, anyway, as the gist is that Crake caused a virus to sweep through the world and kill off most of mankind).

This story is basically written by Toby, one of those wonderful characters you meet in the best of books, a strong woman, trying to survive, to help keep her group together and help it build up humanity once again. The story itself contains stories within stories; Zeb, her lover, telling Toby of his life and how he got to where they now find themselves; and Toby, taking on the story-telling roll of Snowman-the-Jimmy to the new race, the Crakes. As well, this mixed group of humans, Crakes and, even the Pigoons (mutant pigs) must try to prevent the Painballers (a group of psychotic killers) from hurting them anymore.

I loved the characters, Toby being my favourite, but also Zeb, Ren, Blackbeard and so many others. It's a heartfelt story and gets better as it moves along. Hoping I don't ruin it, but the ending is positive and, even with some sadness, I left it with a happy, hopeful mood. Definitely worth (5 stars.)"

5. The Penelopiad (2005).

"The Penelopiad: the Myth of Penelope and Odysseus by Margaret Atwood was one of a series of books released in 2005, the others by other acclaimed authors; e.g. Alexander McCall Smith, Philip Pullman, etc, featuring a modern retelling of various myths, either Greek, Celtic, Christian, etc. The Penelopiad is a retelling of the tale of Odysseus, his courting of Penelope, his dashing off to the War on Troy and his return journey, this time from the perspective of his wife Penelope. Penelope remains in Ithaca and must keep his estates in good order and also fend off the suitors who are gorging her food and courting her to try and get their hands on her estate. Penelope tells this story from the future, her spirit now living in Hades. The 12 maids that Odysseus executed on his return act as a Greek chorus, fleshing out Penelope's story. It's an interesting retelling of this tale, with allusions to the present, conversations with Penelope's cousin, Helen (of Troy) and makes the adventure and myth accessible and enjoyable to read. Margaret Atwood is always an excellent story-teller and intelligent author and this book lives up to her standards. I may have to check out the other stories in this series. (4 stars)"

6. The Blind Assassin (2000).

"The Blind Assassin opens with these simple, resonant words: "Ten days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge." They are spoken by Iris, whose terse account of her sister's death in 1945 is followed by an inquest report proclaiming the death accidental. But just as the reader expects to settle into Laura's story, Atwood introduces a novel-within-a-novel. Entitled The Blind Assassin, it is a science fiction story told by two unnamed lovers who meet in dingy backstreet rooms. When we return to Iris, it is through a 1947 newspaper article announcing the discovery of a sailboat carrying the dead body of her husband, a distinguished industrialist. Brilliantly weaving together such seemingly disparate elements, Atwood creates a world of astonishing vision and unforgettable impact." (4 stars)

7. Power Politics (1971).

"I readily admit that poetry is not my favourite genre. It's not poetry's fault, it's more that I probably just don't get it. Too thoughtful for my poor mind, maybe. So when one of my book groups decided that March would be poetry month, I decided to try poetry again. I remember reading The Circle Game by Margaret Atwood back in my university days so I thought maybe I'd try some of her offerings for the challenge. Hence finding a copy of Power Politics as one of my choices.

I have enjoyed Atwood's fiction and science fiction very much over the years. What did I think about this poetry offering? From a pure aesthetics perspective, I liked the look of the book, the clean simplicity of the cover and the layout of the words on the page in this Anansi Press edition from 1971. It's a short book so I thought I'd try to read it in one sitting and it was easy to get into the flow of the poems. There was a mood and feel to the book, the struggle and emotions within relationships. I actually could appreciate the feelings. There were some parts that I thought were just perfect; "I can change myself more easily than I can change you" or "A truth should exist, it should not be used like this. If I love you is that a fact or a weapon?"

I won't say I got it all, but it did strike a chord, a different mode of story. I'm glad I tried it. (4 stars)"

A complete listing of Atwood's works can be found at this link. Take care everybody.