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Feb112013

Some Great Idea

Feb52012

Review: The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay

The Virgin Cure is story of Moth, a young girl overcoming the setbacks of being born into poverty in New York’s slums in the mid-1800s. Moth runs the gamut of despicable people who take advantage of her in horrible ways, but she keeps a strong will to live and hopes for a better future. Ami McKay intersperses Moth’s narrative with the perspective of Moth’s doctor friend, who sheds light on various practices and superstitions that rule lives and dictate some of the treatment Moth receives.

I gave this novel three stars because it was enjoyable to read and contained some interesting historical research, but it didn’t really wow me. It’s not the type of book I usually read, and the overly simplistic and, at times, formulaic plot weren’t robust enough for me. I’m looking forward to discussing The Virgin Cure in my new book club to hear more perspectives.

— The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay is published by Knopf Canada in 2011.

Jan72012

Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern | Kendra Martin

Kendra MartinUncategorized

The bar has certainly been set high for my first book of 2012. The world created by Morgenstern in The Night Circus is intricate, detailed, precise and mesmerizing. I was captivated from the first chapter and am in awe of Morgenstern’s skill in weaving a truly good story with such a wonderfully imagined world.

The Night Circus is the story of two magician opponents, Celia and Marco, and the magical circus that becomes the chessboard for their pre-ordained match of power and skill. As powerful as these two magicians are, they are very much slaves to their respective teachers and to the game that defines and limits their lives. Their slow acknowledgement of their love for each other serves only to make the game more limiting as they wish for freedom.

As much as Celia and Marco are key in this story, the novel wouldn’t be half as good without Le Cirque des Rêves, the mysterious circus dressed in black and white that is in many ways the third protagonist of the novel. More than a venue, the circus is something that draws all the characters together, that intrigues attendees and that confounds even its creators.

Erin Morgenstern has mastered world creation and effective descriptions in The Night Circus. She is clearly a writer with a strong artistic bent, and she uses her love of aesthetic well. My favourite example is Celia’s dress at a party, which changes colour to match the clothing of person closest. The imagery is used to stunning effect throughout the scene (which I won’t spoil here!).

Finally, I read the hardcover edition published by Doubleday Canada, and the production of the book is just fabulous! Obviously the designer had read the book, which resulted in the gorgeous and hugely appropriate jacket and colour scheme. Definitely made my reading experience much more enjoyable.

Jan22012

Review: Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan | Kendra Martin

Kendra MartinUncategorized

My favourite aspect of this enjoyable read was the narrative voice of Sid Griffiths, which gave the story a very personal feel. I had a similar sensation reading Catcher in the Rye, as Holden draws me into his worldview through his slang and off-the-cuff language. Sid is a compelling and personal narrator, who kept me wanting to hear more of his story the whole way through.

Most of the book is set in Paris and Berlin during WWII and I found this part of the story a much better read. I had a more difficult time connecting with the aged Sid and Chip in 1992.

Sometimes the descriptions of Hiero’s musical genius were a mite overwrought, but I’m not hugely into musical criticism personally, so that’s not something that interests me in general. I did love that the novel was about a very specific group marginalized during WWII. I’m really looking forward to reading the next Edugyan.

Jul232012

Review: Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel

Kendra MartinUncategorized

I’m describing Are You My Mother? to friends as a graphic memoir. Well, it’s definitely not a graphic novel; it’s more a reflection on the author’s own imagination.

In this intensely meta book, Alison Bechdel examines her relationship with her mother, her therapists, her girlfriends, and her art through the lens of psychoanalysts Freud, Donald Winnicot, and Alice Miller, as well as the work of Virigina Woolf. But as she uses these lenses to discuss her life and obsessions, she is discussing the art of memoir writing, how that art is cathartic for her and also how it affects her mother, the so-called subject of this memoir.

Is this book hard to get through? A bit. It relies heavily on the work of those psychoanalysts I mentioned, and several passages from their writing is reproduced in the book. Often, the narrative along the top of the strip is not synced up with the dialogue going on in the strip, although they comment on one another.

Is this book worthwhile to get through? Absolutely. Bechdel’s book is knowingly crafted as a memoir that is both simple in its scope, yet massive in its minute examination of moments in a childhood that define us. The drawings are an obvious enhancement to the text, providing more information in a simple expression that many words could offer.

I’m looking forward to discussing this with my book club next week!