The Paris Wife by Paula McLain: A Review

From the beginning, the reader knows that this is the story of a doomed love, but that doesn't prevent you from becoming enthralled with the lives of Hadley and Ernest Hemingway.  From the early days of their romance to the end of their once ideal marriage, the lives of the Hemingways are fascinating.  McLain makes Hadley a believable character and portrays Hemingway with the generous view which Hadley has of him.  On occasion during the novel, Ernest takes over narration for a time, and he gives us a different perspective on the events of their lives.  McLain brings the Paris of the twenties to life and introduces us to a slew of famous writers, artists, and hangers-on.  

There were times when I found myself wanting to shake Hadley and tell her to come to her senses, but McLain does an exceptional job of explaining Hadley's background and, thereby, explaining her actions or inactions.  This is a beautiful novel which shows love in all its glory and tragedy.  I would highly recommend it.

Really?: A Review of A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

This book was on everyone's top-ten list and has won a ton of major awards.  My response to this after reading the book is "Really?"  It's not that it's a bad book; it's just that it didn't seem to me to be all that great.  In all fairness, I was listening to Freedom by Jonathan Franzen while I was reading the book.  I found myself confusing characters from the two novels.  Of course, Freedom was a critic's darling too.

I suppose the PowerPoint chapter which tells the story via a number of charts and graphs is different, but the rest of the novel was not that impressive to me.  The apparent theme, that time catches up with all of us, is nothing new.  The writing style is pleasant, but not impressive.  Overall, I guess I have to say I just don't understand what all of the fuss was about.

Three Black Swans by Carline B. Cooney: A Review

A black swan in the context of this novel is something unexpected that changes everything.  The black swans in this instance are three teenaged girls: Missy, Claire, and Genvieve.  The novel begins with Missy, who was, in my opinion, totally unlikeable.  She is something of a spoiled brat.  It is her self-centeredness, however, that allows for the events of the novel to take place.  Before long, Cooney's trademark suspense kicks in and the reader is drawn to continue until the end of the book. 

Despite a far-fetched premise, this book will appeal to teenaged girls.

Gargoyle Moves

The past month or so has been consumed with moving and acclimating to an awesome new town.  I have fallen WAY behind on reviews, however.  I will attempt to catch up today.