The Kite Runner

By Charlotte

Book Review: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Official FC Rating:

I read The Kite Runner a few months ago. It's been recommended to me countless times over the years and it's just been sitting on my shelf, neglected. I picked it up one night, resolved to read "anything but Harry Potter, come on Charlotte," and tore through it over the next twelve hours. Needless to say, it was good. It was gripping. I couldn't put it down - you get it. All that good stuff. 

But. 

But. I don't know if I can say I loved it. I remember sending messages to Liz that said things such as, "I can't remember ever hating a protagonist this much before," and "I know he's a kid but I HATE HIM." Amir was not my favorite. 

(Plot details and spoilers coming. You're warned.)

Amir is always a little (nay, a lot) jealous of his friend, Hassan. Amir's father is good to Hassan, and Amir wishes his relationship with his father was different, better. Cool, I get it, and everyone's a little envious from time to time. I'm not gonna hate the kid for that. (And I know Hosseini was specifically interested in exploring family and familial relationships with his book.) But Amir was a terrible friend and child. I don't remember every specific example, but Amir taunted Hassan, dared him to do awful things, and was overall just mean. Have I mentioned how much I hated him at this point? It only got worse. Amir witnessed Hassan getting raped and beaten and he did nothing to help. Part of me is disgusted by this, and another part of me thinks he was a kid, what was he going to do? But there's no excusing the fact that he didn't run for help, that he treated his friend poorly after that, and that he ultimately made Hassan and his father leave. Oh man. The hatred I felt for him. 

The story afterward is one of guilt and redemption. I'm all about redemption... but I don't think Amir ever fully redeemed himself. Hassan dies and his son is in trouble and Amir sets out to save him (though sort of grudgingly at first). He succeeds at great personal cost - he gets the crap beat out of him. Like, hospital/almost dead/ICU level beating. In my mind this was a step forward but it wasn't total "redemption." He still kept the secret of what he did to Hassan to himself. He didn't fully apologize. When I was reading it felt more like an attempt to assuage his own guilt and to do the right thing in the present. For me redemption also involves confessing and apologizing, so.. the story felt unfinished. Toward the end of the book I still wasn't too fond of Amir. I don't like not liking the protagonist of a book I'm reading. Finally, Amir confessed his actions to his wife. This felt a little more full-circle to me, though... I don't know. I can't remember if he ever truly apologized? 

A story that's specifically about redemption, to me, needs to include actual sorrow, confession, and an apology. Amir seemed more concerned about his own guilty mind than he did about the wrongdoing itself. I would have liked more sincerity in his confessions, as well as a true apology. That's ultimately why I gave this book three stars (maybe three and a half if I'm feeling generous). 

That said, it was a good book. It was an exciting read that pulls you in. Some of the characters were lovable (I'm looking at you, Baba and Ali and Rahim Khan). It was interesting and thought provoking and pulled at the heartstrings. As far as I can remember, the writing itself was good. 

Final say: I'd recommend this book. I mean, don't expect to feel all cheerful while reading it. And maybe expect to spend most of it hating the main character. But read it nonetheless. It's good. 

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Char      

A Self-Help Book Worth Reading

By Charlotte
Book Review: Meet the New You: A 21-Day Plan for Embracing Fresh Attitudes and Focused Habits for Real Life Change by Elisa Pulliam
Official FC Rating:

Ah, the wonderful world of self-help books. You know I've been there. Most of the self-help books I've read have been so-so. Nice talk, but no clear cut directions. (Others have been downright awful.) The very best author I've read in the genre is Gretchen Rubin (cue realization that I've not written a review of any of her books, slacker). So on a scale from 1 to Gretchen, this book is somewhere around a 6 or 7. I know it shows 3 stars up there, but really it's more of a 3.5.

Pulliam rises above most other self-help authors in that she doesn't just offer up happy stories and pretty, encouraging rhetoric. Sure, she mentions repeatedly how beautiful life can be and how it's never too late to change or to form good habits, but she also gives us stories of her own experiences. Moreover, she gets groovy with list-making and question-answering! I don't know about you, but for me it's pretty essential that self-help or guide books have very detailed info, examples, and prompts. This is where Pulliam is similar to Rubin. They don't just talk about change, they put the tools in front of you. I like to think I'm a "big idea" person........ but that's definitely not the case when we're talking about self-improvement and self care. I like bullet points, targeted questions, good instructions, etc. Can anyone relate? 

So Pulliam's book really excels with that. Another thing I really like about that book is that it's rooted in faith. She draws inspiration and guidance from the Bible and other holy writings, which can be really terrific if you happen to be Christian. Would I recommend the book? Yes, absolutely. My one caveat would be that it might not be your flavor if you're not religious. Could an atheist glean insight from this book? Yep! But if you don't believe in God, I can see this book being frustrating. The entire thing is rooted in faith. Good for me, yes. Good for you? Maybe! (I guess now is a good time to mention - this book is specifically aimed toward women. But never fear, menfolk, I shall review Gretchen Rubin's book soon.)

Overall, I count this book a success and am glad I read it. It's not often I find a truly good self-help book. 

xoxo 

Char

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from theBlogging For Books program in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

A Good Book for Nerds

By Charlotte

Book Review: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Official FC Rating: 

Original fan art found here.

The world Ernest Cline has written for us is not a safe one. Natural resources are depleted, the number of people living in poverty is sky high, and sweeping desperation has led to the creation of "the Stacks," communities on the outskirts of the cities to which people have fled. These communities were erected by cranes, stacking trailers and even vans upwards of 22 levels high, with a bit of scaffolding around them. They're a testament to the harsh conditions* of the world. 

But the story largely takes place in a parallel world, the virtual reality called OASIS. OASIS was created by two benevolent, nerdy, rich dudes. It's more than a video game, and by the time our story takes place, many people go to school and work in this parallel world. It's also free. (Well, it's free to get an account. It's not entirely free to do other things, like travel within the world.) When one of those founders, Halliday, dies he leaves his entire fortune, and control of OASIS, to..... someone. Upon his death an announcement is made. He's made a secret quest of sorts, and whoever solves it first inherits Halliday's money and property (we're talking billions billions). Years after the quest began, our protagonist solves the first clue, beginning the story. 

It's one kid's story, but we get a larger glimpse of his real world. There's racism, sexism, and rampant corporate greed and corruption. Since it mostly takes place in the virtual reality of OASIS, it's dystopian without always harboring the feeling of despair found in most dystopian stories. Unlike The Hunger Games, where there's a communal effort to revolt, this is really the story of one kid who just wants to solve his own problems. So I wouldn't really call it a story of rebellion, even though it's got a little rebellious flair. It's more of a fun thriller, just set in a dystopia. Still very enjoyable. 

I liked this book a lot. I wish I was still reading it! But I'd actually prefer to give this book 3.5 stars, just... we don't have an image for that. But just know it's more a 3.5 than a 4 (in my mind, anyway). I imagine that bigger nerds than me would give it four or five stars. I've got a few reasons for the rating.  

I love dystopia and I love thrillers, so that's cool. I also love fantasy, and I thought Cline played with an interesting concept when he created a fantasy using real-world things we all know like movies and video games. But sometimes he went into too much detail, describing the references ad nauseam. I know next to nothing about video games and movies and music from the 80's, and even I didn't need to have quite the amount of information he included. At times reading those parts became a drag. 

The story was what carried this book. The writing was good, but nothing spectacular. There weren't any errors I noticed or anything like that, which is always a pleasure. I hate when books are filled with bad writing. (I'm looking at you, fuckin' Twilight.) The writing, while fine, didn't give me goosebumps. If I had read this pre-Tsar, it might have had a better rating. But I'm still basking in the light of that masterpiece, holding books up to a bit of a higher standard than usual when it comes to the writing. (I know that might be snobby, and I also know writing doesn't have to be perfect for a book to be good. Hell, I don't expect I'll ever be able to meet my own standards.)  

While I liked the story line of this kid who goes on an adventure, I think Cline could have explored a few themes more deeply. I imagine the movie will be terrific, since it can just tell the story without having to focus also on broader story arcs. 

I bought this book on a whim, and when I got home and read about it online I was worried. I thought that maybe the emphasis on 80's culture or on video games meant that I wouldn't be able to really enjoy it. Totally not the case. I loved the book, and there was enough info for me to follow along without needing to have any knowledge on the subjects at hand myself. 

While I thought the ending was a bit predictable, it was also a satisfying ending. The whole story was good and well-paced, with the exception of the sometimes too-long descriptions. The book was definitely a page turner. I'd say it was good, not great, but the experience of reading it was great. I didn't want to put it down. I wouldn't put it on the same level as Tolkien, but it was fun. It's definitely one I'd recommend.   

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Char

*btw these conditions are ones we can expect to find ourselves facing one day if we don't do something about poverty and climate change. k. 

The Quest

By Charlotte
Book Review: The Quest by Nelson DeMille
Official FC Rating: *

Phew. Okay. 

This is about the 700th book of DeMille's I've read and I feel the same way about it that I do most all of his books: great story, loved following along, but..... can you be better, man? I rounded up to four stars, but this is more of 3.5 out of five stars. I know, I know, it's half a star but just bear with me for a minute. 

Let's start with the good. DeMille's stories are always enjoyable. They're action packed and filled with suspense. I have a lot of complaints about his novels, but I keep reading them because they're thrilling and entertaining. You pick up one of DeMille's books and then you don't want to put it down. 

There are a few other good things about DeMille. He's funny. Sarcasm may as well be another character in his books. He writes well, too. He's no Tolkien, and he doesn't use words the way Maya Angelou or Ayana Mathis can. They're poets, DeMille is... well, he's a good storyteller. He tells exciting stories, and he does it well enough. 

But, I wouldn't call him a masterful writer. 

Every book is the same. His characters are always the same. They go by different names, sure, but you know who they will be. The main character will be a smart aleck cowboy type. He'll definitely find a lady friend, who will both motivate and distract him. There will probably be another guy who is a good guy, but might have his own agenda - and he'll probably be into the main character's lady friend, and even if he's not, our main character is going to feel threatened and will start to act like a petty child. 

Because apparently, men are just overgrown teenage boys. Or animals. All of them. DeMille's central male characters are almost always the same. (I've read seven or eight of his novels now, and this holds true for all of them.) 

I'd understand if one of DeMille's characters was a macho-man, smart mouth, thinks-he-knows-best type. Hell, I'd even understand if he included this kind of character in every novel. But for this same character to be your protagonist in every single book? Come on. Our main character in The Quest is Frank Purcell. He might as well be named John Corey or Sam Hollis, because he is them. He is the same character as those in DeMille's other books. Sarcastic (not as sarcastic as John Corey, if you're a DeMille fan reading this), somewhat reckless, rebellious (or at least disobedient), and, well, perpetually horny. A fine character, but sometimes I wonder if DeMille is incapable of writing other kinds of characters or if he just thinks suspense novels necessitate this kind of character (I don't believe they do).

Speaking of the sex issue... Listen, I'm fine with sex scenes. And a well written sex scene is good even if there's no deeper meaning or plot twist attached to the sex. But in DeMille's books the alpha male cowboy, whose thoughts we're privy to, thinks often of his "meat" "wood" "sausage" etc etc and it's so frequent that it gets annoying. I don't want to hear this overgrown bro think about his "swollen meat," I want to read the story. I was very tempted to ask one of my male friends if this is how full grown men really think, but I figured that might be awkward. But my female friends and I have all agreed it's unlikely. I mean, I'm sure men think about sex often, I just doubt that most men think about it the same way. I'd be lying if I said I didn't sometimes think that the author just really likes his own penis and is frequently motivated by erections and that his main characters are heavily influenced by his own personality.

And the women. Oh, the female characters. They're all the same. Conventionally pretty, at least a little bit naive, skilled (but, usually, not too skilled, and definitely not more so than the main male character), and younger than the protagonist. They have some role in the stories, but mainly they're there for the protagonist to lust after, fall in love with, question the depth of that love, confirm that love, and then save from certain death. (Kate, from DeMille's John Corey novels, sometimes breaks away from this basic outline.) It's frustrating to read.

And then there is often a third main character, a man, who is somehow threatening to the main character. Usually because he's been with the woman before or because in the character's mind, everyone is after his girlfriend. 

But let's talk specifically about The Quest. Here's the description given online:

A sweeping adventure that's equal parts thriller and love story, Nelson DeMille's newest novel takes the reader from the war torn jungles of Ethiopia to the magical city of Rome. 

While the Ethiopian Civil War rages, a Catholic priest languishes in prison. Forty years have passed since he last saw daylight. His crime? Claiming to know the true location of Christ's cup from the Last Supper. Then the miraculous happens - a mortar strikes the prison and he is free!  

Old, frail, and injured, he escapes to the jungle, where he encounters two Western journalists and a beautiful freelance photographer taking refuge from the carnage. As they tend to his wounds, he relates his incredible story.  

Motivated by the sensational tale and their desire to find the location of the holiest of relics, the trio agrees to search for the Grail.  

Thus begins an impossible quest that will pit them against murderous tribes, deadly assassins, fanatical monks, and the passions of their own hearts. 

The Quest is suspenseful, romantic, and filled with heart-pounding action. Nelson DeMille is at the top of his game as he masterfully interprets one of history's greatest mysteries.

AHAHA no. The basic stuff is right - a priest escapes, relays his story, and the characters decide to go on this quest to find the Holy Grail. They're pitted against a murderous tribe once or twice. There were no assassins or menacing monks. That's all gross exaggeration. Also, it was by no means a "love story." Twisted love triangle, yes. 

The story itself was a good one. I know there were many people who read this and hated it, because they were expecting it to be more action-packed. His other novels are a bit faster paced and less research based. I actually liked that aspect of this book. The middle of the story was largely devoted to the trio - Frank Purcell and Henry Mercado, both journalists, and Vivian Smith, a photographer - delving into the stories of the Holy Grail. Doing research, perusing Rome. I liked that. I like the history. It never got too slow. 

Spoilers (sort of) ahead.

Let's talk about the love triangle real quick though. Love triangles are rarely necessary, and this was no exception. I have no clue why DeMille wrote it in, and it wasn't enjoyable just for kicks, either. Basically, Vivian is with Mercado first (a much older man), but then has sex with Purcell behind Mercado's back.. oh, except it's not behind his back. It's in front of his face, as he's tied to a pole, a prisoner of war with certain death quick approaching. The whole things adds nothing but frustration to the story. Of course, as the story progresses and the three characters need to work together to manage this quest they've been chosen to make, things get awkward. There's a lot of jealousy. And then, because DeMille's women are often there to motivate or distract men, she sleeps with her first boyfriend, Mercado (the one she previously cheated on), while she's in a relationship with Purcell. Why? Literally to make Mercado feel better. She sleeps with him to make him feel like a man again. Easily the most annoying part of the novel. I'm not going to tell how the love triangle ultimately ends, but just know it's useless and detracts from the story. 

Over all, the story is engaging. I didn't fall in love with any of the characters, and they don't possess much virtue. DeMille's characters often don't though (sometimes justice, but usually a vulgar, vengeful kind of justice, so..). Characters aside, it was a good read. I prefer a deeper story with more character development, but the plot was good and thrilling. I complain about DeMille's books a lot, and every time I read one I have to roll my eyes a bit, but he does know how to tell an exciting story. The Quest was especially good because it's filled with history and background, something his other novels sometimes lack. The ending was predictable, but that's okay. DeMille is a good enough writer that you'll find the tale gripping despite guessing the ending.  

Bottom line: Good story, crappy characters. DeMille is a successful author and it's clear why. His stories are ones you can't put down. His characters lack substance and I think his model man/woman formula is very problematic, but he's got a formula and he knows it sells books, and he runs with it. If you're looking for an entertaining story, go for it. But be prepared for some disappointment with the characters. 

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Charlotte