November 2014 Books

Half in Love (surviving the legacy of suicide) by Linda Gray Sexton
Published: 2010
Rating: 4
Goodreads
Author web site

Another brutally honest memoir from the daughter of Pulitzer Prize winning poet Anne Sexton who died by suicide when Linda was 21 years old.

In her first memoir, Searching for Mercy Street: My Journey Back to my Mother, Anne Sexton (1994), Linda examines the complicated relationship with her brilliant but mentally unstable mother. I read and reviewed this in August - see post.

Years pass and Linda is now happily married with two boys. However the idyllic life ends as she spirals into deep depression/suicidal ideation resulting in three suicide attempts which tear her own family apart.

For someone who seeks to understand the suicidal mind, I found this memoir to be very helpful - similar to William Styron's Darkness Visible - see post on Josh's blog for thoughts on his book.

Takeaways:

• Her description of depression is harrowing: a hungry monster, strong, insatiable, looking to devour.
•  Love is not enough to prevent suicide - neither the love for others to stop oneself nor the love from others to prevent. 
• To cope with her intense internal pain, she became a cutter. She describes in excruciating detail her thoughts and feelings while cutting and why it worked.
• She exonerates her mother and herself by saying that the motivation for suicide was a way, albeit extreme and final, to end pain.
• She recognizes that to live with someone who struggles with depression and suicidal ideation is tough. Her own husband, father and sister could not cope with her. 

On a lighter note, she has written a third memoir called Besotted about living with Dalmations.

Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian
Published: 2008
Rating: 4
Goodreads
Author web site

This historical WWII fiction is based on a diary of an East Prussian woman in which she chronicles her family's harrowing move west in 1945 - just ahead of the brutal Russian army.

Bohjalian gives a list of books that helped in his research - I've only read two and am interested in the others.

Non-fiction

• Armageddon by Max Hastings
• D-Day, June 6, 1944 by Stephen Ambrose (read)
• Neighbors: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland by Jan T. Gross
• Hitler's Willing Executioners by Daniel Jonah Goldhagen
• On Hitler's Mountain: Overcoming the Legacy of A Nazi Childhood by Irmgard A Hunt
• What We Knew: Terror, Mass Murder, and Everyday Life in Nazi Germany by Eric A. Johnson and Karl-Heinz Reuband
• Sins of the Innocent: A Memoir by Mirelle Marokvia
• The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million by Daniel Mendelsohn
• German Boy: A Child in War by Wolfgang W. E. Samuel
• The Holocaust: Personal Accounts edited by David Scrase and Wolfgang Mieder
• All My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein

Fiction

• Wartime Lies by Loise Begley
• Crabwalk by Gunter Grass
• Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky (read)

Euripides III:  Hecuba  translated by William Arrowsmith
Published: 425-424 B.C
Rating: 4
Goodreads

Tragedy upon tragedy and suffering upon suffering is this play's theme.

Queen Hecuba is wife of defeated King Priam of Troy. She has lost everything: her husband, her children, her city, her title and now lives as a Greek slave. As a mother, she has seen her son Paris, start the Trojan War by abducting Helen; her first born Hector, die at the hands of Achilles; her daughter Cassandra taken by Agamemnon and now faces the death of two other children.

I can relate to her willingness to die in place of her daughter, Polyxena:

Let me take her place upon the tomb;
kill me, be merciless to me, not her.

And when she sees the body of her son, Polydorus:

O Gods in heaven, let me die!

 What amazes me in reading the Greek tragedians are the timeless truths written centuries ago:

That man is happiest
who lives from day to day and asks no more,
garnering the simple goodness of  a life.

That no man on earth is truly free.
All are slaves of money or necessity,
Public opinion or fear of prosecution,
forces each one, against his conscience, to conform.

The Blessing: A Memoir by  Gregory Orr
Published: 2002
Rating: 4
Goodreads

I ordered this memoir after reading his Poetry as Survival and read it in two days.

He begins with a question that can only be asked years removed from the trauma: "Do I dare to say my brother's death was a blessing?"

I cannot imagine how hard it was for him to drudge up memories and feelings of the time leading up to the moment when he accidentally shot his brother.  While reading, all I could do was write OMG in the margins over and over. He was only twelve years old - just beginning adolescence. His dysfunctional family offered no solace or comfort. Then his mother died two years later. How could this kid survive? Through the power of poetry.

My memories of the horrible day when I found Josh are millisecond snapshots that sometimes pop up in my head. When certain images threaten to linger, I shut them down.

Next up - read his poetry.

Song of Myself in Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
Published 1855 (1st edition) and 1892 ("death-bed" edition)
Rating: 5
Goodreads

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
Published: 2004 (posthumously)
Rating: 4
Goodreads

I bought this book a while ago and decided to read after seeing it in Bohjalian's list of books that inspired his Skeletons at the Feast. 

The story of how this book was published reminds me of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. It is a miracle that both manuscripts survived WWII.

A French novelist from Jewish descent had a vision of writing an epic, five-part novel in the same vein as Tolstoy's War and Peace.  She began feverishly writing the first two parts while living in occupied France in 1941-1942, instinctively knowing that time was short.

She was arrested and deported in July 1942, leaving her husband and two young daughters. She died in Auschwitz the following month. Her husband was arrested a few months later and before leaving, entrusted their oldest daughter Denise, with Irene's unfinished manuscript. He also perished in Auschwitz.

Serendipitously the girls and manuscript survived but it wasn't until decades later that Denise finally decided to read what she thought was her mother's journal. As she read, Denise realized that her mother had written a powerful novel of life in occupied France.

She painstakingly deciphered her mother's teeny handwriting and took it to a publisher who recognized the historical significance of the novel. Published over sixty years after Irene's death, Suite Francaise became an instant bestseller.    

To learn more, read these articles from the NY Times and the Telegraph.

Americans In Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation by Charles Glass
Published: 2011
Rating: 4
Goodreads

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Published: 2014
Rating: 4
Goodreads

January 2013 books

Hippolytus of Euripides, translated by David Greene
Published: 428 BC
Rating: 5

Handsome, strong, athletic, virile Hippolytus whole-heartedly worships Artemis, virgin Goddess of the Hunt.  He has absolutely no romantic interest in women and has gone so far as to call Aphrodite the "vilest of the Gods in Heaven."  Because of this, the vain Goddess of Love determines to punish Hippolytus by causing his step-mother, Phaedra to fall hopelessly in love with him.  In keeping these incestuous feelings a secret, Phaedra suffers mightily; becoming depressed and suicidal.

As in the vein of all Greek tragedies, nothing but death will finish the story.  There is much which resonates with me - see post on Josh' blog.

The Winds of War by Herman Wouk
Published: 1970
Rating: 5
Goodreads
Authors web site

My foray into WWII continues with a third historical fiction series, this time by Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, Herman Wouk.  This work covers the time period from March 1939 to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and American's entry into the war.  At the center is Victor "Pug" Henry, a commander in the US Navy whose clear-thinking, dispassionate analysis and prediction of Hitler's surprising non-aggression pact with Stalin leads to an assignment as Naval Attaché in Berlin.  With ease, Wouk introduces us to other members of the Henry family who allow the reader to see and experience the European War from various points of view.

Wouk also shows the German point of view via a military treatise written by a fictitious General Armin Von Roon.  Pug finds this document after the war and since he is fluent in German and believes this should be read by the English speaking public, he translates this work in retirement, complete with commentary.  It is a clever and unobtrusive way to interject the enemy's philosophy, motives and decisions throughout the war.

Through his various positions, Pug ends up meeting, conversing with and forming opinions about all the major world leaders: Hitler, Stalin, Churchill and FDR.

And through one of his sons, Byron, we are introduced to a Jewish family, the Jastrows.  At the close of the book, the principle members of this family, Aaron, Natalie and her baby have been stuck in fascist Italy, trying to get back to the US.  Just days before their departure, Hitler declared war on the United States with Mussolini following suite.

The two books, Winds of War and War and Remembrance were made into a TV mini-series which I remember watching as a young mother.  I don't remember much except that the part which followed the Jastrows, American Jews in Nazi Europe was very sad (multi-tissues, red nose, puffy-eyes-the-next-day, sad).   In the past, I have shielded myself from books and movies which address the Holocaust.  I live just outside Washington DC and have yet to visit the Holocaust museum for this very reason.   However, since our own tragedy, my soul is willing to bear witness to the tragedy of others.

Peony In Love by Lisa See
Published: 2007
Rating: 2.5
Goodreads
Author web site

What began as a book that I loved digressed into one that I could hardly finish....such an unusual experience!

The narrator is Peony, a privileged, highly educated sixteen-year old girl living in 17th century China - in a time of bound feet (described in excruciating detail), servants, concubines and arranged marriages. She lives an extremely sheltered life, unable to venture outside the walls of her family's villa.  Books teach her about the world and similar to Madame Bovary, she is drawn to romantic literature and poetry.  Her dream is to find true love which is tragically elusive.  I cannot share more of the plot without spoilers so will stop here.  Suffice it to say that I wrote many quotes in my journal and may write a post on Josh's blog with my thoughts.

Unfortunately, the rest of the book was difficult.  Many scenes required the suspension of disbelief so great, I found myself spontaneously writing "really?" or "no way!" in the margins.  Upon reflection, I don't think the author set up the ghost world enough in the first part of the book to support what came later. Perhaps it was impossible to do so because of the choice of narrator, for how could a living girl know about the dead?  Would choosing a 3rd person, omniscient narrator accomplished it?  Maybe...but at the sacrifice of Peony's compelling, strong voice which really pulls the reader in.  This is a dilemma of which I have no good answer.

The Liar's Club: A Memoir by Mary Karr
Published: 1995
Rating: 5
Goodreads

Mary Karr is a memoirist (Cherry and Lit are her two subsequently published books) and a songwriter but first and foremost, a poet.  This is a literary memoir. Beautifully written.  Gorgeous sentences.  Describing the most horrific experiences a young girl could ever live through.  I can't even imagine what it took for her to access her memories and write this.

The following reviews are spot on.

"Her poetic touch illuminates a thousand sentences."  Texas Monthly

"Karr's most powerful tool is her language, which she wields with the virtuosity of both a lyric poet and an earthly down-home Texan."  New York Times

Here are samples of her prose.

Describing what she smelled upon entering her grandmother's room:

It's not just the smell of death, but the smell of something thriving on death, a smell you link up to maggots, or those bacteria that eat up corpses one cell at a time.

Describing her mother's eyes while driving:

Nothing showed in those eyes but the road's white dashed lines, which seemed to be flying off the road and into the darkest part of her pupils, where they disappeared like knives.

Thought provoking epigram at the beginning of her book by R.D. Laing from The Divided Self

We have our secrets and our needs to confess.  We may remember how, in childhood, adults were able at first to look right through us, and into us, and what an accomplishment it was when we, in fear and trembling, could tell our first lie, and make, for ourselves, the discovery that we are irredeemably alone in certain respects, and know that within the territory of ourselves, there can be only our footprints. 

December 2012 Books

The Final Storm: A Novel of the War in the Pacific by Jeff Shaara
Published: 2011
Rating: 5
Goodreads

This book focuses on the brave marines who fought in the Pacific Theatre, specifically the Battle of Okinawa.  Lasting over two grueling months, this battle resulted in the highest number of casualties in the Pacific.

WOW - is what I wrote in my book journal.  In particular, the last chapters were gripping as the reader sees, hears and smells the battle from a marine's point of view.  It was a brutal and bloody fight for a key island only 400 miles from Japan.  Shaara writes vividly of the napalm used in flamethrowers, primarily to kill the Japanese soldiers hiding in caves.

The fight against Japan was different than in Europe as all rules of modern warfare were thrown out the window.  Additionally, the Japanese soldier was unlike any seen before; fanatical where death, either of himself or his enemy was the end game.  In contrast, US Marines saw the war as a duty or job and wanted to go home when it was finished.

There was also a suicidal culture within the Japanese army that went from the highest commander to the lowliest soldier.  They felt death was preferable to being captured.  Thus Japanese snipers were around, not to kill marines, but to kill fellow soldiers who were surrendering.

One gets a real sense of not only the physical challenges of this battle but also the psychological and emotional effect on the marines.

After reading this book, I began watching the HBO series, The Pacific.   I am also reading the book written by Hugh Ambrose, son of Stephen Ambrose who wrote Band of Brothers.  Both series and book are excellent.

Audiocourse: World War II: A Military and Social History by Professor Thomas Childers from The Great Courses
Rating: 5
Great Courses link

I would highly recommend this audio course as Professor Childers delivers the material in a very organized yet interesting and engaging way.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen  (audio book)
Published: 1817 posthumously
Rating: 4
Goodreads

While not my favorite Austen novel, I did enjoy it.  I listened to the audio book while driving in the car and found myself laughing at Austen's witty, sarcastic and ironic scenes.

It was interesting to hear Austen insert herself as the author in the work - giving commentary on fiction writers, on her heroine, Catherine Moreland and on the reader.

I liked seeing how much Catherine was affected by the books she read, in particular, The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, a contemporary author to Austen and founder of the Gothic genre, which Austen parodies in this work.

Clever first and last sentences:

No one who had ever seen Catherine Moreland in her infancy, would have supposed her to be a heroine.

And

...I leave it to be settled by whomsoever it may concern, whether the tendency of this work be altogether to recommend parental tyranny or reward filial disobedience. 

I have now read all of Austen's six main works.  The order of preference is:

• Tied for first: Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion
• Tied of second:  Mansfield Park and Sense and Sensibility
• Third:  Emma
• Fourth:  Northanger Abbey

This is my least favorite Austen book as at the end of the day,  I was not invested in Catherine's fate - certainly not like other Austen heroines: Elizabeth Bennett, Anne Elliott, Elinor Dashwood or Fanny Price.  Also, I did not find Henry Tilney a likable hero; he seemed superficial, misogynistic and unattractively sarcastic, quite unlike Mr. Darcy, Captain Wentworth, Edward Ferras or Edmund Bertram. 

The Two Towers by J.R.R Tolkien (Lord of the Rings #2)
Published: 1954
Rating:5
Goodreads

My review of the trilogy is below.

The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings #3)
Published: 1955
Rating: 5
Goodreads

This epic, high-fantasy series was written over a dozen years, during the tumultuous backdrop of WWII and after.  Many have tried to read it as an allegory of the war which Tolkien vehemently denies in the forward of The Fellowship of the Ring as he very much disliked that particular literary device.  Instead, his primary motive was to try his hand "at a really long story that would hold the attention of readers, amuse them, delight them, and at times maybe excite them or deeply move them."   I would say he hit a grand slam.

It is the ultimate heroes quest whose main characters exhibit such honorable traits as courage, sacrifice, perseverance, and faith, even in the darkest hour.  It is a story of an unlikely fellowship, a band, or an alliance on a quest to rescue their world from evil, tyranny and domination (does sound a lot like the fight against Nazi Germany and Imperialist Japan).  True victory lay in the hands of two most unusual and improbably heroes - a hobbit by the name of Frodo Baggins and his loyal friend, Samwise Gamgee who is the definition of an unsung hero.

One of my daughter's friends, and avid LOTR fan, suggested The Silmarillion, published posthumously by Tolkien's son, Christopher.  It is an account of the world prior to the LOTR.  I may tackle this book next year.

Heracles by Euripides
Published: 420 BC
Translated by Philip Vellacott/Penguin Classics publ. 1963
Rating: 5
Goodreads

Tragedy of tragedies - another account of Hera's jealousy, her evil meddling and resulting mayham and death.  It is also a surprising story of the value of a loyal and true friend.

Medea by Euripides
Published: 431 BC
Translated by Philip Vellacott/Penguin Classics publ. 1963
Rating: 5
Goodreads

Tragic play in which events are once again, initiated by Hera.  This time, however,  it is  because of favoritism.

Extreme and brutal violence, at the hands of a woman, Medea, is peppered throughout the play.  Gifted in magic, emotions (love and hate) drive her actions and no one is spared.  She is the epitome of the "woman spurned." I cannot think of another woman in literature that is driven so mad with jealousy, hatred and grief that she becomes abhorrent, inhuman and truly evil in her revenge.  Dumb Jason.