The Hours

The Hours, by Michael Cunningham, is a Pulitzer winning novel. The story intertwines the lives of two contemporary women with that of Virginia Woolf. The story starts off with the suicide of Virginia Woolf in 1941.

I couldn't get past page 10. A story that starts with a suicide, even if a true event, should have been a warning sign. How the story all comes together and why will remain a mystery to me. The primary problem I had reading the book is the author writes almost entirely in the present tense. This writing style reads like a stream of consciousness. If you have attempted Ulysses by James Joyce, you will know what I am talking about. In any event, it is difficult to read. The author goes from describing the sound someone's shoes make to observing oneself walking. Very hard to follow.

The book falls into the high-brow, English-lit crowd who likes to experiment with writing styles, vocabulary, and feminist themes. Sometimes I can read those kinds of stories, this time I couldn't. The story was made into a movie. Perhaps that turned out better.

If I Had You

If I Had You is a gentle book written by Deborah Bedford. I needed a break from the mysteries and violent stories on the regular library book shelf. This book fit my need perfectly.

This story is about a relationship between a mother and daughter. The daughter, Tess, is a rebellious and troubled teenager. She runs away as a young teen and returns a few years later pregnant. Should Tess have an abortion, give the baby up for adoption, or keep it? Should she accept the help of her parents? Can the mother-daughter relationship be saved?

A lot of gentle books have a religious slant or point of view. This book is no different, but I didn't find it heavy handed. There are several quotations of scripture, but it is from the characters who are struggling with the life changes that come from Tess coming home. Some of the characters attend church weekly. Despite all that none of the characters sermonize the reader. There is nothing worse than reading a novel and feeling like you are being lectured. This book does not do this. Overall, I thought it was well written.

Book Rating: 3 Stars

My Start Up Life

My Start Up Life is unlike the typical business book. This book details the experience of a teenage entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. The book is full of sage wisdom that much older and more experienced business professionals take years to learn.

It would be unusual for the average teenage boy to succeed in a similar endeavor. Ben Casnocha had numerous advantages that made it possible for him to succeed. He had supportive parents, with deep pockets. He attended a private school with supportive teachers. He lived in the heart of Silicon Valley. His parents had the right connections for networking. He had the basic technical skills. What he had more of was drive, ambition, and persistence. He was willing to outsource the things he didn't know.

There are a lot of little lessons in the book that any small business owner can learn from. I don't think we have seen the last of Ben Casnocha. Now that he is off to college, I expect he will continue to make waves in the tech industry.

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Winter King

I like Arthurian stories. I don't read a lot of fantasy but anything with Merlin or Arthur will capture my interest. Winter King caught my interest simply for that reason.

The story shakes up the traditional story by rearranging a few of the relationships and ages of familiar characters. The story is written from the point of view of an outsider, Derfel, who becomes friends with Arthur over time. Much of the story is focused on the politics and wars that probably existed in real life. Magic plays a part but is never the main focus and the reader is left with the idea that the idea of magic is just a manipulation.

As much as I liked the writing style and story premise, I couldn't finish the book. The story is violent and not just a little violent, but very violent. Not a page goes by without someone getting hacked to death, maimed, tortured, spit upon, or worse. (For some strange reason, spitting is considered a great insult or form of magical protection and the author has everyone doing it all the time).

This month has been stressful and the last thing I need is to spend my time reading something depressing and awful. The book went back to the library. True fans of anything Arthurian may enjoy this book, which is the first of a series.

Book Rating: 3 Stars (if you can get past the violence)

Mrs. Bridge

Mrs. Bridge is a novel by Evan S. Connell. The book is difficult to describe. It is made up of a series of vignettes that cover the married life of India Bridge. Some novels that take place over a long period of time with large gaps of time between chapters tend to be uneven and have poor character development. This story progresses evenly and makes sense. Some chapters are comedic episodes, others are introspective but each chapter reveals the evolution of time on the characters. It starts with the marriage of India to Mr. Bridge and continues until the end.

Many of the comedic chapters reminded me of the BBC comedy Keeping Up Appearances. Mrs. Bridge is an upper middle class resident of a mid-western town. Her house, personal appearance, and children are all properly arranged, dressed, and mannered. The bathrooms are stocked with guest towels for when the guests arrive. Mrs. Bridge always wears stockings. Her children have impeccable table manners (mostly). Despite doing everything properly, Mrs. Bridge has an inner conflict that many women can relate to.

The story is not all comedy. There is a balance of introspection and thoughtfulness that resonates with real life. There is a touch of sadness to the story. Mrs. Bridge seems to be aloof and floats from one day to the next. Her own sense of propriety, and sometimes life events, keeps her from pursuing many personal interests.

This book may not be for everyone, but I found it well worth the time to read. There is no overt plot, climax, or resolution. In some ways it is like reading someone's personal journal. There is a movie out starring Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. I am curious how they developed the script and what changes they made to make it watchable.

Book Rating: 4 Stars

A Cry In The Night

A Cry In The Night is a Mary Higgins Clark mystery. A recently divorced mother of two gets swept off her feet by a handsome, wealthy artist and farmer. How any sane woman could get married to a guy within one week of meeting him and not recognize some warning signs, I'll never know. Right off the bat I could recognize the guy was no good and you know he is going to do some bad things. Really, the story reads like a bad Lifetime movie. Ya know the kind of movie where a creepie guy is able to be abusive because the woman thinks she is in love. The kind of movie where an emotionally fragile woman melts and submits because a good looking guy says, "I love you." and excuses all kinds of bad behavior.

I did finish the book. Mary Higgins Clark does know how to right a suspenseful mystery. Thing is I figured most of it out within a couple of chapters. I finished the story to see how it all played out but mostly to see how long it would take before the woman recognizes her mistake and runs. I should have known better because she realizes her mistake when it is almost too late.

I am not opposed to reading more Mary Higgins Clark in the future, but only for some mindless reading.

Book Rating: 2 stars

Up next: Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell