The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

Based on the premise presented in the jacket cover of this book I was looking forward to an atypical story of the rapture and while I got that it was lacking an overall point to the story itself or at least one that felt worth reading. It felt like a disjointed story that was raising towards something that never came.

While characters were well-developed it felt that some were forced into the story in order to add more pages to what could have been a shorter novel, in particular the character of Aimee. As I was reading the parts with Tom were probably the ones I found myself devouring the quickest, until the last few times he appeared which felt organic for the character, but also a bit lackluster in where you wanted the overall story to end up. The rest of the characters meandered around to the point you wondered if they were going to achieve much of anything at all throughout the story. I feel like I understand that Perrotta was not trying to write a "why did the rapture happen" story, but it feels like he was trying to tell a story of people moving on after a great tragedy. I am not sure how successfully he does that here. While all the characters do indeed move on in some context it feels that many of them stay trapped in their old lives in some capacity. I enjoy a book, personally, where characters move forward or learn something over the course of the pages I read and unfortunately it does not feel like they did here.

If I am giving this thus far a negative review why did I give it three stars? It is well-written. Perrotta obviously knows how to craft a story, but knowing how to craft a story does not always make it a success. What this story lacks is a backbone or something to move it forward towards being more than just a group of people that no one cares to read about. Characters do not even intermingle in a meaningful way for the great majority of the book.

I was left with a bad taste in my mouth for huge chunks of the book, wishing that it would all be over soon. When I finally started to like it I neared the climax of the story. As it neared again the story went to a horrible place for me with the plot, characters, and overall theme of the book. I wanted so much to like this book that I randomly picked up in the bookstore on sale, but unfortunately sometimes there is a reason that a book is marked down and this was one of them. I recommend this for people that are okay reading about everyday life and the changes people can go through after a catastrophic event. I will give Perrotta another chance by reading one of his other works, such as Election or Little Children because you should never judge an author by one singular book that you have read by them but multiple works because an author may be trying a new formula or any number of things with a book, so I say if you don't like this one try another maybe one will click with you or even me in this particular case.

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

Collins work is heralded as the beginning of the "Detective Mystery Genre" by many critics. This is because it is the first of its kind that involves heavily the uncovering of a great mystery as part of the plot. Here it is the gem called The Moonstone, which the book is obviously named for. The Moonstone is stolen and we are left wondering who in the tale took the precious gem.

We are taken on a journey toward discovering the culprit by various narrators that share their perspective or part of the greater mystery of what occurred. Each narrator has their own individual bias, such as the first narrator that is a servant that wishes to keep the family safe or the second narrator who has a deep seeded religious perspective. This makes each narrator feel somewhat flawed in their telling, but adds the needed human element that a work of fiction needs to keep it above the water of sinking into the ocean of utter crap or implausibility.  

For most of the story it feels like a great Victorian era book, but it is when the added element of the Indian characters are added that this story begins to feel forced or taken off course. It feels that at times that Collins himself was not sure of the direction that he would eventually take in some moments and then forced it to go in a particular direction. Each narrator is strong, but one wishes that the ultimate destiny of the Moonstone will be revealed a lot sooner than it is. There are numerous places that the story drags on and you wonder if you will reach the conclusion. When I personally reached the conclusion I felt that it was rather forced and that there had been no clear indication that it could have been the person it ends up being. I had wished there had been more little hints along the way towards the destination, but Collins didn't write it in this manner. He had us instead jump from person to person only receiving bits of information for way too many pages.

The largest redeeming quality of the work is the fact that we know that this book has had a great place in literary history due to it being one of the first books of its kind. If it wasn't for this simple fact I may have judged this particular book much harsher because it left much to be desired. I did have to  question though if I would have enjoyed it to a different caliber if I had never had previously read a mystery novel, which would have been the context for this book, which is another reason it was judged less harshly then I originally intended it to be. Overall though it left a lot to be desired from this reader and felt my time would have been better spent on a more enjoyable read, such as any other mystery novel like the next Sookie Stackhouse or Stephanie Plum books.

 

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!

Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion

This is a nonfiction work composed of essays. Each piece has its own individualized theme and some pieces are longer than others. This is great for this particular book because if a particular essay does not speak to you it will be over in mere pages and you will be onto the next one. This makes it a easier read than some other books that you wonder if it will ever be over.

Didion has many themes throughout the book, but many of them focus on places that she has visited or lived in, such as San Francisco, Hawaii, and New York. Never do you feel like she is rubbing these experiences in your face, which could have happened with a less skilled writer. You simply feel like a friend is sharing a story with you over coffee.

If you are unsure of Didion because you are not a fan of nonfiction work I would suggest reading the essays that are contained within entitled "Goodbye to All That" which focuses on her realizing she no longer belonged in New York and the title piece "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" which is about a visit to San Francisco. Both pieces are classic Didion and will showcase her writing style for you.

What can I say about this author that hasn't already been said by more prestigious individuals? Not much. She is a well-respected author for a reason and I say hats off to her for writing about the American experience even if it is told through her lens.

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!