Horseradish, Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid by Lemony Snicket

I've never been a fan of remixes. You buy an album thinking your favorite band has produced something new, and instead you find that they've just added a techno beat to some of their "greatest" hits. As Charlie Brown would say, "Good grief."

It's too bad that this slim little hardcover is really mostly quotes from Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. When I picked up my copy in the bargain basement of the largest bookstore I've seen in Australia (Two storeys!), I figured that the marked down price was another result of an American author not making it in the Australian market. It is likely, however, that the book is marked down in America as well, because it seems the general public shares my distaste for remixes.

Even considering all of the above, however, I am pleased that I purchased and read this book, as the sheer randomness of Snicket's philosophies is enough to make me chuckle, especially during the days when I take myself too seriously. If you're an honest fan of Snicket's excellent wordsmithing, you wouldn't be disappointed by a closer look at some of his more clever observations, especially as it's possible that you missed the full brilliance of them because you were too busy worrying what troublesome event would plague the Baudelaire children next.

Unlike A Series of Unfortunate Events, this is not a read aloud book. I've tried to do so several times with a variety of audiences and have not had favorable responses (I'm sure Snicket refers to this scenario in the opening chapters). This is a bedside table (or bathroom) book, for when you only have a short amount of time, and need humor and irony in concentrated quantities. Since I fully admit to an addiction to both humor and irony, I am glad that I had added this book to my personal library.

Hanna's Daughters by Marianne Fredriksson

I can't believe that after I finished reading a piece of feminist literature, I found myself with a desperate desire to bake, sew, and have babies. This is not the way it's supposed to work. I read feminist literature so that I can feel empowered, or at the very least, smart. But Fredriksson tricks you - she introduces you to a modern character with whom you can identify, then reveals how all that empowerment has led to no more happiness.

Anna may not feel trapped in an unpleasant marriage, and she knows that babies aren't all she does, but at least her mother and grandmother knew what was expected of them. They knew what they were supposed to do, and they overcame life's injustices with a strength I can only envy. These fictional women reminded me that sometimes life is really quite simple, after all.

I have read other novels which followed generations, mother to daughter, and I have read other novels which explore relationships between mother and daughter, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Hanna's Daughters manages to distinguish itself in several ways. First, the setting is one with which I'm not familiar. The author incorporates both rural and urban Sweden throughout the 20th century. Second, she manages to interweave stories using multiple voices and without prejudice. Third, she somehow manages to end it all satisfactorily, a feat uncommon among even the best authors.

If this style of literature interests you, Hanna's Daughters is a lovely read. Another novel you may want to consider is Homestead by Rosina Lippi. I read this book several years ago and have been haunted by it ever since. Both are worth your time.

As American as Pumpkin Pie: Joan Bauer's SQUASHED

When we left the States, we left most of our books behind, as anyone who’s traveled recently knows, the weight limitations on baggage are quite stringent. We expected to find bookstores as common in AUS as they are in the U.S. Travels throughout the country have revealed that this is far from the case. Australians love periodicals, with small towns having up to four newsagencies, but bookstores are another thing altogether. When I do stumble across one, they astonishingly high cost is also prohibitive. So when I found a promising piece of adolescent literature in the bargain book bin for $2, I had to buy it.

There is no reason for Squashed to sell for anything but top price in America, as it is a stellar piece of young adult fiction, however, after a few pages I knew exactly why it was only $2 in the Queensland bookshop where I bought it. Squashed is a brilliant piece of Americana, with symbols and local color any American would love. Unfortunately, endless references to Autumn harvest, baseball, Abraham Lincoln, and even pumpkins (a word which refers to common squash here) would have any Australian teenager bewildered. On the other hand, I didn’t even realize I was homesick until I read it. When that realization finally hit, I drank every page as if it were the magic elixir to take me home. And it was. Brilliant imagery, endearing characters, and a taste of home made this one of the most enjoyable reads I’ve had in a long time.

If you happen to be an American, you’ll love this book, too. It’s a quick read, and worth the full price you’ll pay for it. Or just pick it up at the library (yes, I’m jealous of your ability to do that). Enjoy!

Dear Readers

I'm afraid I might be adopting a Victorian persona, treating my readers (if I still have any) as though they were beloved children. In reality, I am in the humbling position of not having posted in four months due to my recent relocation to Australia. I apologize to anyone who might have wanted a little more information in that time.

I could post a review of Australian internet here, but it would hardly be edifying, as Australians know its shortfalls and it doesn't really matter to Americans. Let's just say that it has been difficult to post anything to the web of late.

The other reason I haven't reviewed anything recently is that I have been rereading Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. These books are absolutely lovely and well crafted, but my review will go no further than that, as many far superior reviewers have explored it thoroughly over the years. I will just say two things: 1.) Nothing could compare to the first time I read them, but they're still good and 2.) The total volume is REALLY long! I haven't been reading much else for three months. I tool a quick break for an Alexander McCall Smith book, but I demurred from reviewing it, as I didn't want to seem redundant. Obviously he's one of my favorite authors.

All that said, I'm reading again, and I have internet, somewhat. So come back again, please, dear reader and I'll have something more to share.

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

Hey adolescent lit. fans! Here’s another treasure! This Newbery Honor winning book was recently dissected (Frankenstein-style) to create a movie which completely flopped. Out of fear that such a movie might somehow stain the reputation of this classic series, I felt the need to review it as quickly as possible. I have now read two of the five books in the Dark is Rising sequence, and find them enthralling and creative.

Remember when you were a kid, and you played imaginative games? Whenever the world you had created was growing old, or didn’t fit the new situation, you had an immediate solution. All you had to do was look at your friends and say, “And pretend that. . .” and you were perfectly adapted to whatever might come. You can hear the kid conversation now, something like,

“But pretend that there’s a lake of lava around us. . .”

“And pretend that I have shoes that can walk on lava, but you don’t.”

“So pretend that I can fly over the lake.”

“But pretend that the smell makes you fall, and I have to rescue you.”

Etc.

You know you’ve heard it. Susan Cooper’s strength and weakness is that she taps into this “pretend that” skill quite easily, but perhaps a little too often. Suddenly, characters have powers or downfalls which are only available/obvious when they are dramatically expedient. In an adult novel, we wouldn’t stand for it, but since this novel was clearly written for children, you can overlook a lot of what might be inconsistencies, but could otherwise be called imagination expansions. If you as a child had as much fun with the “pretend that” skill as I did, you should have a lot of fun reading these books.

Thursday Next, First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde

I’m normally a very avid Jasper Fforde fan, but I’m getting the impression that he needs to slow down. He has been producing novels at an alarming speed, and the effect seems a bit disjointed.

In Thursday Next, First Among Sequels, a large part of the book reminds me of my literary criticism class, in which large conversations intent on explaining the unexplainable bordered on the downright silly. It’s as if people have asked Fforde how his “Bookworld” could possibly exist, and in response, he created whole chapters of real Thursday Next trying to explain the science of books to her cadets (fictional versions of herself). What? Putting Reader Response Theory into scientific, and even mechanical terms just didn’t quite fly, in my opinion. While Fforde prefers to push the borders of rational thought on a regular basis, something fell short on this attempt. It just wasn’t as interesting as his earlier attempts at the same.

L. Frank Baum used to write sequels to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by using plot suggestions from dedicated fans who wrote in. In some parts of this most recent book, it seems that Fforde did the same. It was as though he had a number of great ideas about the characters he’s created, but they came together almost disjointedly, or not at all (the book ends on a cliffhanger). Diehard Ffordians will still enjoy the book, but in my opinion, it could have used a few more revisions before publication.

The Second Chance (movie)

I started watching this movie expecting the worst. Either the acting would be horrible, the plot shallow, or I would be overwhelmed by outright sappiness. Before you think I make this judgment about all Christian films (just most), I’ll explain that this movie doesn’t even seem to have made it to theaters. I know of no one else (other than those who watched it with me) who has seen it, in the churchworld or otherwise.

My first indication that this movie would surprise me was the rating. It’s not often you find a Christian movie rated PG-13. This may explain some its lack of success. For anyone wondering, the movie is clean, but deals with real inner city issues like drugs, gangs, and prostitution, thus the rating. There are also a few uses of language, none of which are gratuitous. My second indication that this movie was different was that I found myself disliking the main character. As a matter of fact, most of the characters in this movie are ambiguous, with both appealing and appalling characteristics. This is essential to good story, and it was in fact used quite well.

I don’t want to give away the whole premise of the movie, but you must know that its purpose is to challenge, convict, and awaken. There are no easy answers provided. Because of this, the natural demographic for Christian movies is put off, but you shouldn’t be. Find a copy of this movie somewhere (you can borrow mine if you’re close) and watch it.