The Slynx

The Slynx by Tatyana Tolstaya
Jamey Gambrell, translator
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2003
Hardcover, 288 pages
ISBN-13: 9780618124978

Highly Recommended

Synopsis:

Two hundred years after civilization ended in an event known as the Blast, Benedikt isn’t one to complain. He’s got a job—transcribing old books and presenting them as the words of the great new leader, Fyodor Kuzmich, Glorybe—and though he doesn’t enjoy the privileged status of a Murza, at least he’s not a serf or a half-human four-legged Degenerator harnessed to a troika. He has a house, too, with enough mice to cook up a tasty meal, and he’s happily free of mutations: no extra fingers, no gills, no cockscombs sprouting from his eyelids. And he’s managed—at least so far—to steer clear of the ever-vigilant Saniturions, who track down anyone who manifests the slightest sign of Freethinking, and the legendary screeching Slynx that waits in the wilderness beyond.
Tatyana Tolstaya’s The Slynx reimagines dystopian fantasy as a wild, horripilating amusement park ride. Poised between Nabokov’s Pale Fire and Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange, The Slynx is a brilliantly inventive and shimmeringly ambiguous work of art: an account of a degraded world that is full of echoes of the sublime literature of Russia’s past; a grinning portrait of human inhumanity; a tribute to art in both its sovereignty and its helplessness; a vision of the past as the future in which the future is now.

My Thoughts:

The Slynx by Tatyana Tolstaya is a Russian dystopian novel. Set two hundred years after some kind of nuclear accident or blast, a government scribe named Benedikt lives in what was Moscow. Moscow is now called Fyodor-Kuzmichsk, after its dictator Fyodor. Kuzmich uses scribes to copy "his" writing, which is actually that of past literary works.

In this society, mice are dietary staples and a source of trading currency. Citizens born after the Blast often have mutations, that are called "consequences" while "Degenerators" are used as beasts of burden, but actually are humans. "Golubchiks" are the citizens/workers. "Oldeners," citizens born before the blast, haven't aged at all, and more importantly keep secret libraries of forbidden books.

While seemingly a short dystopian novel, The Slynx is actually a dense novel that features references to Russia's past political eras and literature, so some knowledge of Russian literature and history would be very helpful while reading it. Equally both funny and frightening, there are so many details imparted that it doesn't seem to matter that the actual plot starts out slowly. It is part political and social commentary, while also addressing lovers of literature. In the end the slynx seems to symbolize the beast in man.

Jamey Gambrell translated The Slynx from the Russian and I can't imagine how difficult this task must have been since this is a very Russian novel. Even the translation feels Russian. This is Tolstaya's first novel and, as Leo Tolstoy's great-grandniece, she has a literary heritage. I have a feeling there is a lot of symbolism that went right over my head because of my knowledge of Russian history and literature lacks the depth needed to fully appreciate The Slynx.

Highly Recommended - if you are up to the challenge

Quotes:

Benedikt pulled on his felt boots, stomped his feet to get the fit right, checked the damper on the stove, brushed the bread crumbs onto the floor—for the mice—wedged a rag in the window to keep out the cold, stepped out the door, and breathed the pure, frosty air in through his nostrils. Ah, what a day! The night’s storm had passed, the snow gleamed all white and fancy, the sky was turning blue, and the high elfir trees stood still. Black rabbits flitted from treetop to treetop. Benedikt stood squinting, his reddish beard tilted upward, watching the rabbits. If only he could down a couple—for a new cap. But he didn’t have a stone.
It would be nice to have the meat, too. Mice, mice, and more mice—he was fed up with them.
Give black rabbit meat a good soaking, bring it to boil seven times, set it in the sun for a week or two, then steam it in the oven—and it won’t kill you.
That is, if you catch a female. Because the male, boiled or not, it doesn’t matter. People didn’t used to know this, they were hungry and ate the males too. But now they know: if you eat the males you’ll be stuck with a wheezing and a gurgling in your chest the rest of your life. Your legs will wither. Thick black hairs will grow like crazy out of your ears and you’ll stink to high heaven. opening

To hell with them, those Degenerators, better to keep your distance. They’re strange ones, and you can’t figure out if they’re people or not. Their faces look human, but their bodies are all furry and they run on all fours. With a felt boot on each leg. It’s said they lived before the Blast, Degenerators. pg. 2

Old people say the Slynx lives in those forests. The Slynx sits on dark branches and howls a wild, sad howl—eeeeennxx, eeeeennxx, eeenx- aleeeeeennnxx—but no one ever sees it. If you wander into the forest it jumps on your neck from behind: hop! It grabs your spine in its teeth—crunch—and picks out the big vein with its claw and breaks it. All the reason runs right out of you. If you come back, you’re never the same again, your eyes are different, and you don’t ever know where you’re headed, like when people walk in their sleep under the moon, their arms outstretched, their fingers fluttering: they’re asleep, but they’re standing on their own two feet. pg. 3

Well, and what do they give out at the Warehouse? Mousemeat sausage, mouse lard, wheatweed flour, those feathers, then there’s felt boots, of course, and tongs, burlap, stone pots: different things. One time they put some slimy firelings in the basket—they’d gone bad somewhere, so they handed them out. If you want good firelings you have to get them yourself. pg. 9-10

Two hundred and thirty-three years Mother lived on this earth. And she didn’t grow old. They laid her in the grave just as black-haired and pink- cheeked as ever. That’s the way it is: whoever didn’t croak when the Blast happened, doesn’t grow old after that. That’s the Consequence they have. Like something in them got stuck. But you can count them on the fingers of one hand. They’re all in the wet ground: some ruined by the Slynx, some poisoned by rabbits, Mother here, by firelings . . .
Whoever was born after the Blast, they have other Consequences—all kinds. Some have got hands that look like they broke out in green flour, like they’d been rolling in greencorn, some have gills, another might have a cockscomb or something else. And sometimes there aren’t any Consequences, except when they get old a pimple will sprout from the eye, or their private parts will grow a beard down to the shins. Or nostrils will open up on their knees. pg 10

Our town, our home sweet homeland, is called Fyodor- Kuzmichsk, and before that, Mother says, it was called Ivan-Porfirichsk, and before that Sergei-Sergeichsk, and still before that Southern Warehouses, and way back when—Moscow. pg. 12

And where there's mystery - there's government service. pg. 19

The Lincoln Lawyer

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
Grand Central Publishing, copyright 2005
Trade Paperback, 432 pages
Mickey Haller Series , #1
ISBN-13: 9781455500246

http://www.michaelconnelly.com/

Highly Recommended

Synopsis from cover:

For defense attorney Mickey Haller, the clock is always running. With two ex-wives, four Lincoln Town Cars that he uses as offices, and dozens of guilty clients, he can't afford to miss a trick. when he gets picked by a Beverly Hills rich boy arrested for assault, Mickey sees a franchise case: a nice, long, expensive trial with maximum billable hours - until it hurtles him into the last place he wants to be. Suddenly hustling, cynical

Mickey Haller is confronted with pure evil and someone who may be truly innocent. Now, for a lawyer who has always gone for the easy score, getting justice means taking the deadliest risk of all.

My Thoughts:

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly is his first legal thriller - and the first book in a new series featuring Mickey Haller. Mickey is a criminal defense lawyer whose office is the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car. He is cynical, shrewd, hard-working, and ethically challenged, but he also has a hidden shred of integrity left.

Mickey is generally scrambling to make a buck any way he can. When he is called to defend Louis Ross Roulet, a Beverly Hills real estate agent, Mickey sees a potentially easy, but big-money making "franchise" case. What he doesn't immediately see is the evil behind Roulet's facade.

Connelly is a master at story telling and moving the plot along. There are several twists and turns that kept me very interested. Additionally, Connelly does a great job developing his characters. Mickey comes across as a very flawed but sympathetic character. This is a great introduction to a new series.

No spoilers, but I was questioning Mickey's actions during a rather important point in the plot. It seemed that he could have done something different - there are avenues of action in place for lawyers with that dilemma.

The Brass Verdict, the second book in series, pairs Haller with his half brother, Harry Bosch, a long-time Connelly character. The Reversal is the third book, and the fourth book, The Fifth Witness, is scheduled to be released at the beginning of April 2011.
The movie version of The Lincoln Lawyer stars Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller and is due to be released on March 18, 2011.

Highly Recommended

Disclosure: This book and a movie poster was sent to me by the publisher after I won a give-away for it at Beth Fish Reads.

Quotes:

The morning air off the Mojave in late winter is as clean and crisp as you'll ever breathe in Los Angeles County. It carries the taste of promise on it. opening

You could say his name is also permanently scratched onto my Christmas list. At the end of the year I give a can of salted nuts to everybody on it. Planters holiday mix. Each can has a ribbon and bow on it. But no nuts inside. Just cash. I have a lot of bail bondsmen on my Christmas list. I eat holiday mix out of Tupperware well into spring. Since my last divorce, it is sometimes all I get for dinner. pg. 3-4

While being held in the Lancaster jail he had cut his hair and shaved, as I had requested, and he looked reasonably presentable except for the tattoos that wrapped both arms and poked up above his collar. But there is only so much you can do. I don't know much about the effect of tattoos on a jury but I suspect it's not overly positive, especially when grinning skulls are involved. I do know that jurors in general don't care for ponytails — on either defendants or the lawyers who represent them. pg. 9

Boyleston was going to go away for a long time and there was almost nothing I could do but negotiate a deal trading Boyleston's cooperation for a lower sentence. That didn't matter, though. What mattered to me were the tapes. I had taken the case because of the tapes. The federal government would pay me to listen to the tapes in preparation for defending my client. That meant I would get a minimum of 50 billable hours out of Boyleston and the government before it was all settled. So I made sure the tapes were in heavy rotation whenever I was riding in the Lincoln. I wanted to make sure that if I ever had to put my hand on the book and swear to tell the truth, I could say in good conscience that I played every one of those tapes I billed Uncle Sugar for. pg. 17

Lorna is the first buffer. To get to me you start with her. My cell number is given out to only a few and Lorna is the gatekeeper. She is tough, smart, professional and beautiful. Lately, though, I only get to verify this last attribute once a month or so when I take her to lunch and sign checks — she's my bookkeeper, too. pg. 18

There was nothing about the law that I cherished anymore. The law school notions about the virtue of the adversarial system, of the system's checks and balances, of the search for truth had long since eroded like the faces of statues from other civilizations. The law was not about truth. It was about negotiation, amelioration, manipulation. I didn't deal in guilt and innocence because everybody was guilty. Of something. But it didn't matter because every case I took on was a house built on a foundation poured by overworked and underpaid laborers. They cut corners. They made mistakes. And then they painted over the mistakes with lies. My job was to peel away the paint and find the cracks. To work my fingers and tools into those cracks and widen them. To make them so big that either the house fell down or, failing that, my client slipped through.
Much of society thought of me as the devil but they were wrong. I was a greasy angel. I was the true road saint. I was needed and wanted. By both sides. I was the oil in the machine. I allowed the gears to crank and turn. I helped keep the engine of the system running.
But all of that would change with the Roulet case. For me. For him. And certainly for Jesus Menendez. pg. 25

It didn't matter in terms of the strategy of the case whether the defendant 'did it' or not. What mattered was the evidence against him - the proof - and if and how it could be neutralized. My job was to bury the proof, to color the proof a shade of gray. Gray was the color of reasonable doubt. pg. 47

Inside a Cutter's Mind

Inside a Cutter's Mind: Understanding and Helping Those Who Self-Injure
by Jerusha Clark, with Dr. Earl R Henslin (contributor)
NavPress Publishing Group, 2007
Trade Paperback, 240 pages
ISBN-13: 9781600060540

nonfiction

Very Highly Recommended

Synopsis

Considering recent statistics, chances are you know someone who deliberately harms himself. In fact, you might know several, though their behavior may remain hidden from or a mystery to you. Experts estimate that millions of people engage in some form of self-injury, a shocking physical expression of emotional and spiritual pain. Because "cutting" is so misunderstood, some people believe it's just a bid for attention or an adolescent phase. Others assume self-harm is a girls' problem only and doesn't happen to "good" people, let alone Christians. Yet this practice has quietly spread into mainstream America, crossing all age and gender lines and even into the church. When confronted with this silent epidemic, how can we respond and help those in desperate need? Drawing from a rich blend of research and interviews, best-selling author Jerusha Clark, with Dr. Earl Henslin, explores this complex problem that has no easy solution. With an empathetic heart and a compassionate voice, she brings light to a dark condition and delivers hope to victims and their loved ones.

My Thoughts:

Inside a Cutter's Mind: Understanding and Helping Those Who Self-Injure by Jerusha Clark, Earl R Henslin presents a balanced perspective on self-injury. Clark writes: "I want you to know from the outset: Self-inflicted violence is all at once a psychological, physical, and spiritual battle. Consequently, this book will examine all three aspects. But we will do so with balance and patience, recognizing that discussing biochemistry, psychoemotional issues, and spirituality can be intimidating." (pg. 16)

This book is mainly written for the family and friends of cutters to help them understand and empathize with what self-harmers feel while dealing with their own conflicting emotions. The authors do a great job covering all aspects of self-injury while presenting it in such a way that the information is very accessible. "I decided to write Inside a Cutter’s Mind because I believe that a vigorous and tangible hope can be found. I have witnessed the freedom of people brought back from the brink of self-destruction. In their lives, the power of redemption overcame the pull of devastation. But I have not merely observed redemption at work. I have personally experienced the wholesale rescue of my mind, body, and soul from the ravages of self-annihilating compulsion." (pg. 17)

Clark is very empathetic and sensitive while explaining the behavior and the many ways of treating/helping people who struggle with self-injury. She clearly understands that in order to assist self-injurers, a variety of treatment methods are necessary because every person is a unique individual. Dr. Henslin does an excellent job explaining the physiological and clinical sides of treatment. The information on SPECT brain scans shows that self-injury also can have a physical component.

While it is written from a Christian point of view, it is very non-judgmental while covering all aspects of self-injury. Clark, in fact, points out that "...overscripturalizing or spiritualizing people's struggles or their paths toward recovery usually arrests rather than encourages recovery." (pg. 145) So, although specific information for Christians is definitely included, it is presented as just another aspect to helping in the recovery process and not as condemnation for the cutting.

It is interesting to note that: "A diet high in protein (including soy products and fish), whole grains, and vegetables gives the nervous system the nutritional support necessary to combat self-wounding impulses." (pg. 112) and "Taking brain-boosting vitamins and supplements (especially omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin E) may help self-injurer's mind and body be better prepared to deal with urges to self-harm. Sometime vitamins and supplements can actually decrease these cravings." (pg 113.) Clark also mentions other specific ways to help self-harmers or assist them in their recovery, including simply being available to be with them during difficult time periods or encouraging them to lengthen the time between episodes of self-injury.

I can't recommend this book highly enough for friends and family members of someone who self-injures or any one, like a pastor or youth minister, who might be asked to counsel someone. The myth that they are doing it just to get attention is exposed and the information included that can really lead to recovery is priceless.

Very Highly Recommended

Quotes:

If someone you love intentionally hurts himself or herself, you may have run the gamut of these emotions — frustration, anxiety, despair, helplessness, confusion, desperation, and even repulsion. Maybe you’ve felt all of them at once. Maybe, more than anything else, you have wanted to run away, to withdraw from the unnerving, painful reality. Still, the idea that your loved one might take a blade or a cigarette lighter to his or her own skin haunts you like a waking nightmare. Saying the wrong thing terrifies you. But you have to, you want to, do something. pg. 15

The act of intentionally wounding oneself goes by many names. Self-injury, self-harm, self-inflicted violence, and self-mutilation are the most commonly employed terms. Vernacular descriptions such as cutting, burning, slashing, or scorching reveal specific methods people use to wound themselves. Medical professionals use other descriptors, including Deliberate Self-Harm, Syndrome 5, and Self-Injurious Behavior Syndrome (SIBS ). pg.21

The majority of sufferers, like....Princess Diana, cut or burn because they seek relief from seemingly uncontrollable pain or deadening numbness. pg. 21

Likewise, as you care for and work with people who self-injure, I urge you to choose your words carefully. When in doubt, listen to the language the person who self-harms uses and mirror his or her vocabulary. This both honors individuals and their unique experiences and shows a desire to meet them on their turf. pg. 22

Over ands over, self-harmers chronicle feeling anger, anxiety, or sorrow so deep that it seems the world was unraveling around them. In the midst of this chaos, a thought "popped" into their minds: You can cut [or burn or break] this out of you. pg. 35

On a positive note, the sometimes ritualistic nature of self-injury can actually benefit those who want to help....simply being with a self-injurer during a particular difficult time of day or through a painful situation can significantly decrease the likelihood of self-inflicted violence. pg. 38-39

Self-injury is most often used as a survival technique rather than an exit strategy. pg. 42

Self-harmers substitute thoughts about hurting themselves - and then add the act of self-inflicted violence itself - to deflect negative thought patterns. Pushing aside obsessive thoughts with focused, if self-inflicted wounding, ones does work. Sadly, people often find it more effective, and definitely more immediate, than healthier methods of processing distressed thoughts and feelings. pg. 56

Recovery does not correlate so much with the severity or frequency of self-injurious acts as it does with the presence of ongoing support, vigorous and committed pursuits of care....and a willingness to look at one's self, family, and coping mechanisms openly and honestly. pg. 60

Self-injury does not often "travel" alone.... [M]any self-injurers battle one or several accompanying problems while fighting self-injurious impulses. pg. 63

Self-harmers may also experience symptoms associated with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). pg. 68

In order to begin healing, many self-wounders need help expanding their time horizons, lengthening the moments between urge and action by analyzing their situation and emotions.....

Fortunately, people can learn to expand their time horizons in the same way we all learn that a sensation of hunger does not mean we have to eat immediately. We may feel that we need to, but if we want to or must wait, the intense feeling will fade or pass with time. pg. 71

...self-injurers can heal best as they learn their own spiritual value. They can also benefit from developing communication skills that allow them to express their woundedness... pg. 135

...self-injurers are doing the best they can presently can to deal with emotional pain. We can trust that with time and help, as they are enabled, they can learn to cope in healthier ways. Shame and guilt will not help them get there. pg. 146

If you take the time to uncover why self-harm seems to make sense for the person you love, you will be better equipped to help over the long haul. pg. 147

Comes the Darkness, Comes the Light

Comes the Darkness, Comes the Light: A Memoir of Cutting, Healing, and Hope by Vanessa Vega
AMACOM, 2007
Hardcover, 240 pages
ISBN-13: 9780814474235

memoir

very highly recommended

Synopsis

When Vanessa Vega would feel the darkness begin to come over her, she would do anything, hoping to escape it. Take a hot bath. Read a book. Watch TV. Talk to a friend. But then, finally, unable to fight it any longer, she would give in, head into the bathroom...and cut.
Comes the Darkness, Comes the Light is a disturbing yet ultimately redemptive and inspiring memoir of a young woman compelled to injure herself in an attempt to cope with her overwhelming feelings of anxiety in the only way she knew how. Though still unknown to many, this disorder affects an estimated one percent of the population...and is on the rise, especially among teens.
This affecting, heart-wrenching book follows author Vanessa Vega's progress as she climbs her way back to emotional health and rebuilds her life. Readers will go inside the mind of a "cutter," taking the journey with her as she struggles against her exhausting and shameful secret ritual.
As Vega faces the anger and insecurity that lead to each encounter—while working with a therapist to understand the real motivating factors behind her behavior—Comes the Darkness, Comes the Light reveals what brings many to this disorder...and what can lead them out. With stunning insight, Vega has written a moving first-person account of self-injury, struggle, and redemption.

My Thoughts:

In her memoir Comes the Darkness, Comes the Light: A Memoir of Cutting, Healing, and Hope, author Vanessa Vega shares a very personal account of her lifetime of struggle with self injury, mainly cutting, and an eating disorder. Vega opens with a personal letter where she tells the reader: "In the end, this is a story of forgiveness; redemption; and, ultimately, survival."( pg. xi) Most of the book recounts the painful realities Vega had to face in the group therapy sessions and the hard work this involved in order for her to recover. The memoir is extremely emotional to read, but hopeful.

Vega makes it clear that recovery is not easy, but she also wants everyone to know that there is hope. That you can forgive yourself, forgive others, and move on with your life without cutting. Even though Vega shares much of her personal story and struggles, there are also many things left unsaid. All in all, this is a raw, very personal account of one woman's experience with therapy and how it helped her heal. Reading Comes the Darkness, Comes the Light would be of great benefit to anyone, especially therapists, who is dealing with someone who self injures.

Very Highly Recommended

Quotes:

I want to wake up each morning excited to be alive instead of feeling this suffocating wave of anxiety wash over me. I want to feel like I'm a good person, and not a disappointment. I want to look at myself naked and accept my body for what it is instead of hating it for what it is not....For once in my life, I want to be able to communicate what I'm feeling instead of allowing the scars I create on my body to say it for me. pg. 9-10

...the connection between physical pain and the diminishment of emotional pain was made. pg. 15

Cutting isn't random. It's a last attempt, by you, to exhibit some control over events or situations that you find totally out of control. pg. 18

I want to scream at the top of my lungs. I want to have some control, any control, over the sh*t that is happening in my life and so I take some. I take control in one of the few ways I know how. I hurt myself. pg. 29

When I look at the scars on my body, I see a variety of emotions: anger, fear, frustration, and guilt....In one word, I feel bad. Bad that I can't be the person I think other's think I am and want me to be. I feel bad because most of the time I chose to make other people happy over myself. I feel bad because I am not who I know I can be and that frustrates me. pg. 83

And, I guess, in the whole scheme of things, I am living proof of a God thing. I should be dead by now. Goodness knows I haven't taken care of the body I was given....in many ways I have lived a life of selfishness....

"So if God can make good things happen for you, why do you think he allowed you to go through some of the negative things?"

I guess to make me stronger... pg. 93-94

Tonight we are going to talk about forgiving yourself. Before you can forgive another person, you must forgive yourself. Everyone makes mistakes and feels regret at some point in his or her life. pg. 120

For the first time in my life, I cried for my scars. I realized at that very moment how much it must hurt other people when I cut myself. pg. 141

When You Are Engulfed in Flames

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
Little, Brown & Company, 2008
Hardcover, 336 pages
ISBN-13: 9780316143479

Highly Recommended

Synopsis

David Sedaris has written yet another book of essays (his sixth). Subjects include a parasitic worm that once lived in his mother-in-law's leg, an encounter with a dingo, and the recreational use of a catheter. Also recounted is the buying of a human skeleton and the author's attempt to quit smoking. In Tokyo.

Master of nothing, at the dead center of his game, Sedaris proves that when you play with matches, you sometimes light the whole pack on fire.

My Thoughts:

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris is his sixth collection of humorous essays. All of them feature Sedaris' self-deprecating wit. He can take the most mundane activity and skillfully fashion it into an amusing story. While this collection was mellower and more reflective than previous works, I still thought it was quite funny.

Long before I bought a copy of When You Are Engulfed in Flames, I listened to Sedaris tell his Stadium Pal story (in "Buddy, Can You Spare a Tie?") on NPR's This American Life. It left me doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down my face. My adult son found me in this condition in the kitchen, by the radio, unable to speak. After I recovered, I immediately found a recording of the program on line and had him listen to it.

If you have never had an opportunity to hear Sedaris tell one his stories, you are missing out. He can make an already funny story a hilarious story. In many ways it makes all of his stories even funnier if, while reading, you can hear them read by Sedaris, in his own voice and with his own timing. He is a master story-teller.

As far as the stories go, there were a few misses with me - but there were also several laugh-out-loud moments. This collection is Sedaris hitting mid-life. There are fewer stories of his family and more with his partner Huge. (And Sedaris is openly gay, so, if that bothers you, don't read him.) Most of these stories are for adults and contain some adult content.

Highly Recommended - for adults

Table of Contents:
It's Catching; Keeping Up; The Understudy; This Old House; Buddy, Can You Spare a Tie?;
Road Trips; What I Learned; That's Amore; The Monster Mash; In the Waiting Room; Solutions to Saturday's Puzzle; Adult Figures Charging Toward a Concrete Toadstool; Memento Mori; All the Beauty You Will Ever Need; Town and Country; Aerial; The Man in the Hut; Of Mice and Men; April in Paris; Crybaby; Old Faithful; The Smoking Section

Quotes:

He was eight years old and living in the Congo when he noticed a red spot on his leg. Nothing huge — a mosquito bite, he figured. The following day, the spot became more painful, and the day after that he looked down and saw a worm poking out.

A few weeks later, the same thing happened to Maw Hamrick, which is what I call Hugh's mother, Joan. Her worm was a bit shorter than her son's, not that the size really matters. If I was a child and saw something creeping out of a hole in my mother's leg, I would march to the nearest orphanage and put myself up for adoption. I would burn all pictures of her, destroy anything she had ever given me, and start all over because that is simply disgusting. A dad can be crawling with parasites and somehow it's OK, but on a mom, or any woman, really, it's unforgivable. pg. 5

I'd gone there to visit an old friend from high school, and because I was between jobs and had no real obligations I decided to stay for a while, and maybe look for some dishwashing work. pg. 36

None of this had anything to do with my choice of Halloween costume. I went as a hobo because it was easy: a charcoal beard smudged on the cheeks, pants with holes in them, a hat, an oversized shirt, and a sport coat stained with food and cigarette ash. Take away the hat, and that's exactly how I've dressed since 1978. pg. 50

I ordered myself a Stadium Pal [external catheter] and realized that while it might make sense in a hospital, it really wasn't very practical for day-to-day use. In an open-air sporting arena, a piping hot thirty-two-ounce bag of urine might go unnoticed, but not so in a stuffy airplane or small, crowded bookstore. An hour after christening it, I smelled like a nursing home. On top of that, I found that it was hard to pee and do other things at the same time. Reading out loud, discussing my beverage options with the flight attendant, checking into a fine hotel: each activity required its own separate form of concentration, and while no one knew exactly what I was up to, it was pretty clear something was going on. pg.58-59

The Little Art Gallery was not far from my junior high, and I used to stop by after class and hang out. Hours later I'd return home, and when my mother asked where I had been, I'd say, "Oh, at my dealer's." pg. 137

I was put off by the wolf spiders as well but never thought that they were purposefully out to get me. For starters, they didn't seem that organized. Then too, I figured they had their own lives to lead. This was an attitude I picked up from my father, who squashed nothing that was not directly related to him. "You girls are afraid of your own shadows," he'd say, and not matter how big the thing was, he'd scoot it onto a newspaper and release it outside. Come bedtime I'd knock on my sisters' door and predict that the spider was now crawling to the top of the house, where he'd take a short breather before heading down the chimney. "I read in the encyclopedia that this particular breed is known for its tracking ability, and that once it's pegged its victims, almost nothing will stop it. Anyway, good night." pg. 210-211

In the Walled City

In the Walled City: Stories by Stewart O'Nan
Grove/Atlantic, copyright 1993

Trade Paperback , 170 pages
ISBN-13: 9780802138545

short story collection

http://stewart-onan.com/

Very Highly Recommended

Description:

O'Nan's collection In the Walled City features twelve stories that delve into the lives and souls of an astonishing range of characters, from an old Chinese grocer to a young policeman separated from his family and descending into madness. Intimate and generous, these stories brilliantly illuminate the connections that bind us and the obligations and sorrows of love.

My Thoughts:

The Stewart O'Nan fan club is back in session.

I finally read his short story collection, In the Walled City, and it was exquisite. O'Nan was the winner of the 13th Drue Heinz Literature Prize for this collection of twelve stories.

In the twelve stories, O'Nan's well crafted characters are all average people facing some physical or emotional upheaval or turning point in their lives. For some of his characters there is a glimmer of hope; others face a bleak, tragic future; some are just plodding along, seemingly unaware. They are all searching for a direction and meaning to their lives. Every character was memorable in some way. Every story left me wanting more.

Very Highly Recommended

Stories included:
"The Finger"

"The Third of July"

"In the Walled City"

"Calling"

"Winter Haven"

"Finding Amy"

"Mr. Wu Thinks"

"The Doctor's Sickness"

"The Legion of Superheroes"

"Steak"

"The Big Wheel"

"Econoline"

Quotes:

"The Finger"

Sundays, Carter saw his wife and baby. It was not his decision and not Diane's either, they just went along with it. pg. 3

He did not want to believe his cynicism anymore; he was tried of living for himself, and liked to think the chill between them would - like everything of importance, unspoken, an understanding beyond argument - miraculously thaw. pg. 6

"The Third of July"

When Reverend Smiley asked if anyone had room in their heart for a brother in less fortunate circumstances, willing to work for his keep, Mr. Lawson was not what she had in mind.

It was not that he was black or that he was a bad worker. He worked hard. The problem was that he was distracted. pg. 26

"In the Walled City"

They had been through it before, in the past had fought to unsatisfying draws whose terms acknowledged his desire and her distaste. pg. 45

"Calling"

While she knows they are going to lose the farm, Nadine can't imagine being thrown off the land with nothing to their name besides the pickup. But it is true, she thinks, that is exactly what is going to happen. pg. 57

"Winter Haven"

I'm living in the guest room off the kitchen so Sandy the realtor can show the house looking nice. The furniture's here; Eileen only took the kids. pg. 65

"Finding Amy"

Annie Marchand finds the mitten at the foot of the drive. Amy has a runny nose and shouldn't be out too long. pg. 73

"Mr. Wu Thinks"

Mr. Wu understands their concern while noting in it a kind condescension. None of them says, "Learn the language," but he has overheard others. He realizes the importance of mastering this new system of communication and the effort he alone must make. pg 87

"The Doctor's Sickness"

Doctor Markham loved Monday morning and the start of another workweek. pg. 97

"The Legion of Superheroes"

Larsen did not give up on God until well after the divorce, and by then he was seriously collecting comic books. pg. 111

"Steak"

Sheila ignored the two tens on the table in front of her. She did not want steak, and John's insistence on buying dinner for his parents annoyed her. pg. 121

"The Big Wheel"

The EMT's took the girl first. They were both women, crisp and confident in their uniforms. He took a dizzying drink of oxygen. The mother - Mrs. DeLuca - was telling them how he had saved her little girl. pg. 136

"Econoline"

Willie T. saw the van on his way home from the bakery. pg. 149

Gideon's Sword

Gideon's Sword by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
Grand Central PublishingFebruary 2011
Hardcover, 352 pages
ISBN-13: 9780446564328
http://www.prestonchild.com/books/gideonssword/

highly recommended

Synopsis

Introducing Gideon Crew: trickster, prodigy, master thief
At twelve, Gideon Crew witnessed his father, a world-class mathematician, accused of treason and gunned down.
At twenty-four, summoned to his dying mother's bedside, Gideon learned the truth: His father was framed and deliberately slaughtered. With her last breath, she begged her son to avenge him.
Now, with a new purpose in his life, Gideon crafts a one-time mission of vengeance, aimed at the perpetrator of his father's destruction. His plan is meticulous, spectacular, and successful.
But from the shadows, someone is watching. A very powerful someone, who is impressed by Gideon's special skills. Someone who has need of just such a renegade.
For Gideon, this operation may be only the beginning . . .

My Thoughts:

In Gideon's Sword authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child are taking a huge risk by introducing a new character, Gideon Crew, and a new series. This is risky because fans of their wildly popular Pendergast novels aren't likely to warm up to a new character competing for Preston and Child's attention. While I include myself in their fan base, writing both together and separately, I'm willing to give this interloper named Gideon Crew a chance.

From the synopsis, I thought the story would revolve around Gideon finding the man responsible for his father's death and getting revenge, but actually that is only a very small part of the novel right at the beginning. After that Gideon is recruited by a secret agency to do a little job for them: find a way to get the plans for a secret weapon from a Chinese scientist. The first storyline not only introduces us to Gideon Crew and gives a little back story, it also shows us Gideon's thought processes and how he operates. The second storyline is much more involved and has several narrow escapes and twists and turns before it is resolved.

Since it is a Preston and Child book, need I mention that it is well written? The story is fast paced and flows smoothly. While, admittedly, I felt that the story seemed somewhat less intense and intriguing, and felt shorter than I would normally expect from Preston and Child, I rather liked Gideon as a lead character and want to see what he does next.

Many of the reviews for Gideon's Sword written by fans have tended to be negative. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have had ten books to develop their Aloysius Pendergast character. This is our very first introduction to Gideon Crew. I fully expect the next Gideon Crew novel to dial up the tension and suspense.

Also, apparently the movie rights to Gideon's Sword have been purchased.

To rate this novel is problematic. It is not their strongest work, so compared to other novels they have written, it falls a little short. On the other hand, if I evaluate it simply as a stand alone novel not in comparison with anything else, well, I really liked it very much and would highly recommend it.

Quotes:

August 1988
Nothing in his twelve years of life had prepared Gideon Crew for that day. Every insignificant detail, every trivial gesture, every sound and smell, became frozen as if in a block of glass, unchanging and permanent, ready to be examined at will. opening

A buzz of fumbled static came through the sound system and then the electronically magnified sound of a partial sob, grotesque and strange. Melvin? Another choking sound. MELVIN?
Gideon froze. That's my mother's voice, he thought.
It was like a dream where nothing made sense. It wasn't real. pg. 5

The shots rang out, so close together they sounded like firecrackers, and his father was abruptly punched back into the darkness of the doorway. pg. 7

October 1996
"The time has come for me to tell you a truth -" she gasped in some air. "- that will make you miserable." pg. 9

She shook her head. "They ruined his life. That's why he did what he did, took that hostage."
"What does it matter now? Long ago I accepted that Dad made a mistake."
The eyes opened suddenly. "No mistake. He was the scapegoat." pg. 11

But when he bent down to kiss her the hand shot up again, grasping his collar with claw-like fingers. Her eyes pinned his and she said, with manic intensity: "Even the score."
"What?"
"Do to Tucker what he did to your father. Destroy him. And in the end, make sure he knows why - and by whom." pg. 12

Present Day

Nevertheless, he understood enough to realize what he had in his hands was the smoking gun. pg. 31

That was it. Proof that his father had been framed. And then murdered. pg. 32