2024 #16 Klara and the Sun (Ishiguro)

 

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It means something when the most empathetic character is the non-human one. Klara, as an AF (artificial friend), is even more observant than most, and the lesson is pretty clear (almost from the outset) that if we humans don't observe, don't listen? Then we become rather incapable of empathy.
The book muses upon faith, hope, and love. Klara's faith in the sun is based in hope, but also pragmatic observation and an innocent sense of causation. Josie's mother is hopeful about love, yet lacks faith. Ricky, Josie's pragmatic and "unlifted" friend, perhaps has the strongest faith in Klara as he is able to assist her without really knowing why. Josie is the most human of characters in her determination and courage, but also in her code-switching and mercurial teenagery-ness. Josie's father is a skeptical engineer, but he too has to take a leap of faith in Klara, for the love of Josie.

Ishiguro does not give us all the details. The AFs get only a store as a backstory context. We know there are the lifted and the unlifted children, but we only see the ramifications of that status, not the details regarding how it happens. In this sense, Ricky is one of the most interesting characters in that he represents the folly of societal categories (one is reminded of Dr. Seuss's Sneetches with the stars, and those without stars), as he's clearly one of the most intelligent characters in the novel.

Another lesson from Klara --if only we were all be able to carry the images of our memories and recall them to inform our present understanding. We do, actually, of course, but Ishiguro paints the process slowly and truly through Klara, inviting us to think about our own intentionality and how often we dismiss or suppress our memories because we are not just mere data collectors, but data manipulators.

The ending pushed this away from five stars for me...it felt too much like a saccharine epilogue. We get an explanation of Klara's REAL lesson from the store manager and it all smacked a bit too much of a Care Bears animated special for my taste. I found myself frustrated that the manager herself doesn't get much of a backstory, but Ishiguro has a way of making you accept what he gives you, despite your own desires. In her New York Times Review in 2021, Radhika Jones gets it:

"'Still, when Klara says, "I have my memories to go through and place in the right order," it strikes the quintessential Ishiguro chord. So what if a machine says it? There's no narrative instinct more essential, or more human."

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2024 #15: Murder in the Hollows (James) - Jake Cashen #1

 

Murder in the Hollows by Declan James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I care not a whit about wrestling, so I could have skipped that aspect of this book, and I also had the murderer figured out very early in the game, but still, this was very entertaining. Alexander Cendese does a terrific job of voicing the protagonist Jake Cashen. The first book in any series is important because it either is going to hook us for the long haul, or it won't. This one did, mostly through the protagonist who navigates both his demons and the quirky characters of his small town with a certain amount of earthy skepticism and hard-won good-naturedness.

I'm in for the next in the series, although the preview makes me fear that I'm in for more wrestling. However, the first book sets up enough characters that I already felt empathy (I do like how the crime happens almost immediately) knowing who dies in the second. I hope that all the books get audiobook versions with Cendese, because now that is how I hear Jake Cashen and all the other fun characters--his overbearing-but-ultimately-loving older sister, his cranky-but-ultimately-loving grandpa, the very cool sheriff, Jake's more-observant-that-she-seems high school sweetheart, and more.

Declan James's former career in law enforcement serves him well. The policing narrative is smart, and entertaining as it is seen through the critical eye of Cashen, who bemoans the idiocy of his partner, rather than parading procedure around in flattened dialogue meant only to show that the author knows his stuff.

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2024 #14: Whispers of the Dead (Tremayne) - Sister Fildema #15

 

Whispers of the Dead by Peter Tremayne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this second collection of short stories in the Sister Fidelma series (Hemlock at Vespers is the first), we get three original stories, and the rest have appeared elsewhere. This can be frustrating for the already-initiated. I'd love to have a "dossier" or bio of Fidelma in the beginning -- she's a dalaigh, qualified to the level of anruth, etc, etc. so that these details could be left out of every story. But, I get it -- most short story collections are like this, but when they all involve the same character, it can feel tedious to go through it each time, in each story. I understand it in the books--that way they can be read out of sequence.

That aside, Fidelma fans may appreciate the appearance of characters such as Abbot Laisran, Fidelma's distant cousin/friend (not sure? varying descriptions), who appears in three different stories in the collection (see also "A Canticle for Wulfstan" in Hemlock at Vespers). Abbot Colmán, too, appears elsewhere in the Fidelmaverse. One of the more interesting stories for those wanting more of Fidelma's backstory is "The Blemish"--it is a bit of slog unless you love socratic debate, but it is nice to see Fidelma as a young law student in examination with THE Brehon Morann (of whom we hear in almost every book). Eadulf only makes one appearance in the last story, "The Lost Eagle" (and strangely, he doesn't speak). I enjoyed "The Banshee" because one of the most interesting aspects of Fildema's character is how she has to negotiate Christianity and the old religion, without dismissing the latter wholly as "superstition" and acknowledging the powertripping aspects of the former. "The Fosterer", new to the collection, is particularly sad, as no one really "wins" at the end.

The collection would work well for someone not that familiar with the series--it definitely stands alone, and readers who follow the chronology of the series might not appreciate the disruption. It is interesting to see all the different contexts, however, and amusing to see that the stories have previous appeared volumes ranging from Great Irish Drinking Stories to The Mammoth Book of Ancient Roman Whodunits.

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2024 #13: Half of a Yellow Sun (Adichie)

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a beautiful and difficult book. Difficult because of the painful narratives of the Biafran War, but beautiful in the characters who are so vivid and real in their flaws, their hopes, and their lived existence. We meet Ugwu, a thirteen year old boy from a small village who works as a servant for Odenigbo, Professor of Mathematics at Nsukka University. Odenigbo's girlfriend, then wife, is Olanna, daughter of the influential Chief Ozobia, and more significantly, twin sister to Kainene, who was one of my favorite characters in the book. Not blessed with Olanna's commonly-accepted beauty, Kainene is fearless, acerbic, and honest (especially in the latter half of the book when war reaches her heart). Kaynene takes up with Richard, an English writer who comes to Nigeria to write a book about the art. Adichie artfully uses Richard to express the more subtle racism (whereas his ex-girlfriend is outright and obviously racist). For example, in Chapter 6, Kainene says to Richard: "...it's wrong of you to think that love leaves room for nothing else. It's possible to love something, and still condescend to it." This powerful statement is made after Richard is called out at a party for going on and on about the amazing details and complexity of some African bronzes, not realizing the implication of his surprise--why would they NOT be amazing and complex? Richard is one of the three main narrative voices and the way he grows, partially due to his love for and relationship with Kainene, is really thoughtful and not a single narrative. None of the main characters are unidimensional. Odenigbo moves from idealist to grieving son. Ugwu moves from innocent to war-worn and morally compromised. But perhaps it is mostly the story of the two sisters, Olanna and Kainene where this book touched me most. The horrors of war have their own narratives, but Adichie does not lose sight of the human story that perseveres -- love, betrayal, friendship, enmity--everyone with a heart that has to question some of the time.

Adichie does not sidestep some of the particulars of the Biafran War, however. The book is an opportunity to understand better (particularly for those of us who were not taught about the Igbo and the Hausa) the complex politics, racism, and global manipulations/voyeurism that brought about between 500,000 and two million Biafran civilians dying of starvation.

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2024 #12 Badger's Moon (Sister Fidelma #13)- Tremayne

 

Badger's Moon by Peter Tremayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

NOTE: Small spoiler ahead.



"...you would do well to remember that this land is not separated from the rest of the world, but shares the sins of humanity in equal proportion. "(137)

These words, uttered by the character of Brother Dangila, are but a sample of the increased depth in this installment of the Sister Fidelma series. Brother Dangila and two of his colleagues are three "strangers" from the Kingdom of Aksum, which reached its greatest power in the sixth century, and had begun to decline in the time of Fidelma. The Kingdom occupied what is now Northern Ethiopia and Eritrea, and parts of modern Sudan, if internet maps are correct. The book (rather gently) brings in themes of racism and xenophobia, and it the quote above is one moment where even Fidelma must confront her implicit biases.

The plot develops rather slowly, but there's a lot more nuance built into Fidelma's character, not only in the way she uses her role as a dálaigh as a coping mechanism as she is experiencing postpartum depression but also how she really is interrogating her multiple identities as an emblem of jurisprudence, sister to the king, and now, a mother (apologies if you read the series out of order). There are perhaps a few too many characters and families to keep track of, but most intriguing are Liag the apothecary and Conrí, war chief of the Uí Fidgente. And there are, of course, the customary hothead soldiers/warriors that seem to feature in all the books. The plot has many twists and turns, but generally was not enough to hold my interest. Luckily, I was so surprised by the next-level themes in this particular book, that I kept going. The book ends (the epilogue, anyway) on a cliffhanger...the mark of a true and secure serial!

It has been rewarding to read the series in order because one gets the sense that Tremayne is trying things on for size. I hope the greater character development and depth continues to be part of this series.

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2024 #11 Tenderheart (McKinnon)

 

Tenderheart: A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds by Hetty Lui McKinnon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For those that know me, the fact that I have pledged to try at least one of the eggplant recipes in this book if I try ALL the other recipes, is probably the most astounding review I could ever give a cookbook. But this is more than just a cookbook. It is a story of the way food both nurtures and cultivates memories and helps us work through our grief to find those tangible things in life that help us hold on in healthy ways. McKinnon writes beautifully about both her parents, but particularly her memories of her father. The book opens with a quote from Francis Weller's The Wild Edge of Sorrow: "Grief and love are sisters, woven together from the beginning. Their kinship reminds us that there is no love that does not contain loss and no loss that is not a reminder of the love we carry for what we once held close." McKinnon's father, Wai Keung Lui (Ken) worked at the then Flemington Markets (now Sydney Markets), the "largest wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Australia." (9) She narrates her childhood memories of a man who was "tenderhearted" and prepared food as an act of love and nourishment for his children, entertaining their whims and desires when he could. When Hetty wanted to try cheese, he brought home Kraft singles and then moved on to blocks of cheddar. And then there was the produce. Hetty McKinnon writes about vegetables with as much passion and interest as one might expect someone to detail a fine wine.

Organized alphabetically by vegetable, starting from "Asian greens" and ending with "Zucchini", McKinnon celebrates what vegetables have to offer, encouraging with a preface for each one, an investment in the pleasures of the vegetable itself, even before digging into the recipes. Since receiving this book a few months ago, I have cooked at least twenty of the recipes, with thirty or forty earmarked for "soon." Some are simple and easy stir fries, like "Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Capers, Chile and Parsley" while others are more involved and might require a visit to your local Asian grocery if you don't already go there regularly! While there is a definite Asian leaning toward many of the recipes, there are a wide variety of dishes represented: soups, loaves, salads, mains, sides, pickles, and even dessert (butternut squash tiramisu--I'm working up to it!)! Favorites thus far include "Seaweed, Tofu, and Sprout Soup"which was one of the best dashi-based soups I've ever made, and the "Cabbage and Kimchi Okonomiyaki," which I could eat every week and never tire of it. Dishes like "Ras el Hanout Cauliflower Wedges with Mashed Chickpeas" will help you make a list of spices to keep on hand as well as making sure you always have a can or two of chickpeas in your pantry. The "Red-Braised Brussels Sprouts and Tofu" reminded me so much of the red-cooked pork my mother used to make that my eyes filled with tears when I took my first bite. If you are new to cooking with seaweed, McKinnon's recipes really help illuminate the wide variety of seaweed and its different uses.

I praised McKinnon's To Asia, With Love: Everyday Asian Recipes and Stories From the Heart for this same thing, but it is important: the index! She indexes everything from breadcrumbs to za'atar. The only thing I couldn't find in the index is Maggi Seasoning sauce, which she seems to love, but I'm wondering if there's a copyright issue there. I went ahead and bought a bottle because I trust this woman--she's given me an even deeper love of vegetables and my dear departed mother is hopefully smiling down from Heaven to see it.

If you are trying to eat more vegetables and are happy with plant-based proteins, this book will give you an endless supply of ideas. If you are more omnivorous, many of the recipes can be used as accompaniments to meat. If you are someone who values meaningful words about food and love, read this book.

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2024 #10 Project Hail Mary (Weir)

 

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had very little idea what to expect going in, only that several people had recommended this book to me. I would not have guessed that a dad-joke telling protagonist who is a cross between Bill Nye the Science Guy and Liz Lemon from 30 Rock and his relationship with a spider-legged creature named Rocky would make me laugh and cry, as I rarely do with sci-fi.

The earth-is-in-danger storyline is simple enough, and yes, the unassuming science teacher saving the day might be a basic trope. However, Ryland Grace, a molecular biologist maligned by academia, now teaching junior high, is one of the better written characters I've come across in the genre. Yes, there are moments where his facepalms and self-effacement-in-order-to-explain-scientific-concepts thing got annoying, but his general sense of humor and interactions with other characters--most especially Eva Stratt and Rocky--make him absolutely loveable and engaging. There's a motley bunch joining the party as well -- an avid Beatles fan researcher from UBC whose development of "Beetle" probes named after the Fab 4 play a crucial role in the book, an not-so-much-ex convict who also happens to be an expert in solar energy, a French climatologist who serves as Weir's strongest and most obvious eco-preacher, and several other characters who bring conflict and questions in ways that make the book provocative, not preachy.

The back and forth timeline actually adds a lot to the plot and the character development as well, as does Grace's own recovery from what befalls him.

Ray Porter's reading in the audiobook is an absolute gem, and is largely responsible for why Ryland Grace will stick in my mind as one of my favorite protagonists ever. I know, if I'm honest, had I been reading it in print, I would have flipped past some of the lengthier scientific explanations. Porter manages to pull you in to listen because one gets the sense that while astrophage don't (yet) exist, and there's a lot in the book that requires one to suspend disbelief, there's also a lot of really critical scientific concepts explained in accessible ways. Rarely did I feel like it was just a gratuitous display of street cred (something I find so often in the genre)--instead I found myself wishing I could sit in Ryland Grace's classroom. I thought the melodic sound effects (vocorder? I wasn't sure) for Rocky's speech made a lot of sense in the audiobook (I hear the words are just italicized in the print edition?), and had I copious free time, I might even dig into it a bit more to test its lexicographic legitimacy.

There are several folks on the internet recommending the audiobook over the print, and I think people's mileage will vary on that, but I will say this is one of the best audiobook experiences I've had and the deeper questions of the book are still sitting with me, long after the glow of the sheer pleasure of the experience has dimmed in my memory.

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2024#9: Sister Carrie (Dreiser)

 

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When we first meet Carrie (Meeber/Wheeler/Madenda), she isn't terribly likeable. There are shades of a Pretty Woman storyline, and the pace is rather slow. Stick with it--there's a lot here. The innocent Carrie, treated by the men in her life like an orphan without agency, quickly learns how to forge her own path, and this will include learning to play her own games. The story itself is quite miserly--definitely a tale of fortune's wheel. Dreiser has a gift for revealing the twists and turns of the darker bits of our souls, but in such a way that it is in fact part of our mundane existence, rather than dramatic depravity. The narration is exceedingly clever--sometimes sympathetic, sometimes sardonic commentary. The descriptions of city life and class structure are rich and dimensional and we come to feel a refreshing ambiguity about our heroine at the end.

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2024 #8: Four Treasures of the Sky (Zhang)

Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set against the backdrop of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Four Treasures of the Sky is a heartbreaking story of Daiyu, a young Chinese girl who longs to be a calligraphist, but who encounters the worst of humanity, very far from home. There are moments of extreme beauty, particularly when Daiyu calls upon the lessons of calligraphy to face obstacles: "The inkstone asks for destruction before creation--you must first destroy yourself, grind yourself into a paste, before becoming a work of art." (307) Zhang illuminates Daiyu's "coming of age" within a tragedy, but the saving grace is Daiyu's own growth as a person. It is an important narrative that reflects the experience of far too many Chinese immigrants in the United States, and unearths a history that has been too often squelched.

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2024 #7: Mind of My Mind (Patternist/Patternmaster #2) - Butler

 

Mind of My Mind by Octavia E. Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this second installment of Octavia Butler's Patternmaster/Patternist series (but written second after 1976's Patternmaster (#3 in the series)), we see that Doro's breeding/inbreeding program has continued, and his efforts are now focused on his daughter Mary, a biracial woman from a poor neighborhood whose telepathic ability surpasses even Doro's expectations. Doro has Mary wed Karl Larkin*, another telepath, whose abilities are strong, but don't quite equal Mary's. (*I'd be curious to know if there is any significance to Larkin being both this character's last name and the protagonist's daughter in Parable of the Talents.

After enjoying Wild Seed, I admit that the jump in time left me a bit disappointed because I really wanted to continue the story of Anyanwu and Doro, and while the former is present in this book, her story is no longer centered. However, there is a nice parallelism in how Mary gains the upper hand (NOT with the same ramifications) as Anyanwu does in the first book. Anyanwu compromised and interrogated Doro's status as the antagonist at times, and that happens less in Mind of My Mind, although the characters are have the trademark multidimensionality that Butler did so well. We briefly meet one of the characters who is a significant reference in the next book in the series, Clay's Ark, which I've already read.

Robin Miles's performance offers a certain even-handedness that serves the narrative well, as well as the characters of Mary and Doro. There were times where things felt a little too flat, but also underscored the amount of mind control happening at any given moment.

Overall it is a worthy sequel to Wild Seed and while I have not read the entire series, I think it is likely an important "origin story" that explains the "Patternists" who are one of the major groups featured in Patternmaster, the last book chronologically (though published first).

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2024 #6: Aleph (Coelho)

 

Aleph by Paulo Coelho
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

So, the back of the book says fiction. The blurb says it is Coelho's most "personal novel to date." Given that it is written like a travel memoir (of sorts), we are left wondering just how "personal" it is. The main character *is* Paulo, the author, and after receiving his "call to adventure" (monomyth), he embarks on a journey that is not nearly as mystical as it is annoying and disturbing. The character of Hilal, a violinist, injects herself into Paulo's travel coterie, and is so inconsistently written that we don't feel as sorry for her as we should. She is exploited by Paulo, with whom she shares a past mystical connection. The relationship is textbook dysfunctional -- there is some sort of weird paternalistic vibe, she's starstruck, but then she's throwing things at him and he's getting naked. I'm well aware that there's a whole "let's get naked and spiritual together" crowd, so maybe this book is for them.

There are the typical Coelho takeaways (occasionally): "Although sometimes...we need to be strangers to ourselves. Then the hidden light in our souls will illuminate what we need to see." (40) See also insights such as: "I know a lot of people who feel they have an identity only when they're talking about their problems. That way, they exist, because their problems are linked to what they judge to be "their history." (116). While I agree, there is just a dust of pretension covering most of the book. The hero is perhaps redeemed, perhaps not--by the end of the book I just wanted it to end. As someone who has enjoyed many of Coelho's books, this one left me uncomfortable and not interested in any other volumes like this.

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2024 #5 The Library of the Unwritten (Hackwith) - #1 Hell's Library

 

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was good fun! Fans of the show Supernatural and/or Neil Gaiman will appreciate the tropes of dysfunctional and power-hungry angels, an unraveling Heaven, charitable demons, and confused humans. Claire, librarian of Hell's Library of the Unwritten is a good protagonist: deeply flawed, sometimes likeable, and she develops and grows at a good pace. Brevity, former Muse (ha!) turned assistant to the librarian, is a great character, although I found Lisa Flanagan's otherwise excellent voice characterizations a bit trying here. The secure little world in which Claire has been sequestered gets turned upside down with the arrival of Leto, courier for Lucifer, and one of the most loveable characters in the book. Ultimately the three of them are joined by Hero (who probably does the most to help Claire fight her own *figurative* demons), and Andras, Claire's former mentor and a demon archivist. Their travels take them to Seattle, Valhalla, Malta, and beyond in a truly entertaining and multi-dimensional story. The hero's quest, with a lot of switchbacks and figurative boobytraps.

The humor is on point, although occasionally borders on too precious (e.g. "Interworld Loan - IWL" -- library humor!). A minor quibble regarding editing would be the overabundance of the word "worrying" as in "to worry at one's clothes"... it felt like it appeared in every chapter (an exaggeration). While a perfectly acceptable use of the word, there were points where it seemed that most of the characters expressed themselves through "worrying" at their attire. Outside of these minor issues, the writing is solid, and the world-building engaging. I will definitely be putting the next in the series (The Archive of the Forgotten) on my TBR list.

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2024 #4: The Starless Sea (Morgenstern)

 

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't exactly remember what led me to read The Starless Sea, but that seems fitting. Perhaps I encountered a painted door of my own. That metaphor, which may not mean much to the uninitiated, is as poetic and amorphous as the beginning of the book. Morgenstern's fantasy has its sharp edges, evident from the violence and captivity described in the initial pages. But the wardrobe,
at least initially, does not quite lead to Narnia here, and we are better for it.

Zachary Ezra Rawlins, who is half-heartedly chipping away at a Master's degree in "Emerging Media,"would rather just read. He hides out in a Vermont college library during the term break, only to encounter a strange book that changes his life forever.

Yes, there are definitely Neverending Story tropes here, as well as Narnia tropes (the latter made transparent by the author), but Morgenstern weaves stories within stories that seem so distinctly unique yet familiar at the same time. This is, as Joseph Campbell recognized, the power of mythmaking--to hold on to the common themes, but dress them up in an unending variety of costumes. Most of the characters stay behind a gauzy curtain of mystery by necessity, but not without character development. Most endearing is Zachary's friend Kat, whose sense of humor and self-awareness provides moments of utter charm: "I accepted because mysterious ladies offering bourbon under the stars is very much my aesthetic" (464), she tells us, explaining her choices. Kat, notably, also gives a shout out to Campbell via a quip regarding the Hero's journey.

There were moments when the journey felt a bit too drawn out -- a choose-your-own-adventure without being able to choose, and being taken down every possible path. There are things--crucial things--that are never really explained, and that's part of the point. One doesn't mind so much, and comes to accept the truths of the novel as fantasy and reality begin to blur. Time and Fate are leading players in all worlds, it would seem. What we protect is not always what we love, and we don't always protect that which we do love. These are some of the wisdoms that Morgenstern reveals through paper stars, bees, owls, keys, and swords.

This is a book that will benefit from more than one reading, no doubt unearthing layers upon layers. It deserves to be savored, not rushed. And if you happen to like cats, you'll be an even more willing participant.

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2024 #3: A Murder of Crows - Nell Ward #1 - (Yarwood-Lovett)

 

A Murder of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can't be sure, but I think this is my first "eco-mystery"--and yes, I'm definitely here for the subgenre. Reminiscent of the late Lyn Hamilton's Lara McClintoch series (in that case, an archeologist, not an ecologist), this first book of the Nell Ward series is very promising. Yarwood-Lovett is not just an armchair ecologist, and boasts an impressive bio, including re-discovering a British species thought to be extinct and giving evidence as an expert witness. I particularly appreciated that the end of the book featured some notes explaining the actual ecology behind some of the plot devices.

The mystery itself is quite entertaining, and Kristin Atherton's reading of the characters on the audiobook is phenomenal. There were two main drawbacks: 1) one of the people in the frame we know cannot be in the frame, and 2) one of the people in the frame is the obvious choice. I won't say more, but motives are not surprising here, but means get a bit far-fetched. My only other main criticism is of Nell herself, but I have high hopes that the issues will be resolved in the next books in the series. In order to understand Nell's backstory, she is presented as a rather insecure individual (with legitimate reason, due to a past trauma), and while brilliant and competent as an ecologist, she seemed incredibly doubting and self-deprecating when it came to possible romantic partnerings. By the end of the book we are given hope that the situation will change, but I grew weary of her constant inner dialogue of self-doubt.

The plot has a healthy supply of twists and turns, but nothing very shocking or out of left field. Ecology is a sleuthing field, so it makes a lovely partner to the mystery genre. I'll be looking forward to continuing the series!

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2024 #2: Remarkably Bright Creatures (Van Pelt)

 

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've long been a fan of octopi, long before the film My Octopus Teacher made many people sit up and take notice of these wonderfully intelligent and mysterious creatures. Around 2018 or so, they went on my personal "do not eat" list, which aligns with my own needs/choices. I say all this because it was around 2017 or so when I started noticing videos and stories about octopi escaping their enclosures at aquariums. And this kind of behavior makes them easy to anthropomorphize!

So we meet Marcellus, the sometimes-narrator of Remarkably Bright Creatures. He is the linchpin of the story, and every bit the octopus we hope he would be. Shelby Van Pelt manages to give him narrative agency without resorting to maudlin sentimentality (see also Six-Thirty in Lessons in Chemistry). I applaud this. Many of the characters are vivid and well-written: Tova Sullivan, Ethan Mack, and Jeanne Cassmore stand out.

I struggled to enjoy Cameron Cassmore as a character, and I think that's part of what made this book 4 stars instead of 5, for me. He is so self-deprecating and self-pitying at times that it was difficult to gather sympathy for him. His clear love and respect for his Aunt Jeanne notwithstanding, every time his character started to grow up a step, I felt something else happened to move him two steps back. While growth is never linear, of course, this pattern disrupted the narrative flow for me, particularly given my other quibble described below.

The book isn't a mystery per se, but there are a couple of mysteries contained therein, and the big one was revealed far too early to us (the reader), so I spent a good chunk of the book getting frustrated waiting for the characters to catch up. But that frustration illuminates the soul and wisdom of Marcellus, whose patience and life-view is laudatory, so in that regard, it may have ultimately been a good thing!

Other subplots are very moving, particularly Tova's situation, as we learn how she navigated/continues to navigate life without her son and her husband, and her estrangement with her brother. Her narrative had a lot of moments that made me cry unexpectedly:

"These women have always worn motherhood big and loud on their chests, but Tova keeps hers inside, sunk deep in her guts like an old bullet. Private."

Ultimately there's a lot of wisdom here, tucked into the nooks and crannies, the way Marcellus keeps his treasures in his enclosures: "Humans are the only species who subvert truth for their own entertainment." I don't know if that is COMPLETELY true, as I have not studied imagination and animal behavior to any great extent, but we know what that little nugget means. The wisdom is delivered through a wide variety of characters and decisions, even mistakes. It is definitely an enjoyable read, and I'll look forward to more from Shelby Van Pelt.


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2024 #1: The City of Last Chances (Tchaikovksy)

 

City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky


This review does not include a rating because, frankly, there are long gaps in my experience of the book due to the fact that I could not engage wholeheartedly with the audiobook for some reason. I don't think this is a problem with the book itself, but I think there are certain stories I don't process well via audio book. I had a similar problem with Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver, and I'm starting to think detailed histories narrated by actors with British accents are an issue for me. Perhaps I'm watching too many British mysteries so that my mind lulls into complacency or something. At any rate, I do have some thoughts.

First, David Thorpe is a fantastic narrator, and my inability to stay focused on the story is no fault of Mr. Thorpe. The variety of characterizations, accents, and affects he was able to produce was astounding. The book is absolutely epic, and even with my occasional lapses of attention, several characters stood out. The city of Ilmar is under the control of the Palleseen and there's enough there to keep anyone interested and entertained, but the narration often reflects multiple points of view, bouncing back and forth between characters to provide a multi-dimensional view of events. I can say that the "God" character was a favorite, as were Blackmane, Maestro Ivarn Ostravar, Langrice, and even Yasnic (more toward the end of the book). I don't think I've ever read a fantasy book that had traces of Umberto Eco, Italo Calvino, and I don't know what---some sort of noir, I guess.

Anyway, suffice it to say, I enjoyed enough of it that I'll be buying it in print so that I reread it with full attention. The witticisms and Tchaikovsky's gifts of world-making are exceptional.

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