#42: The Casual Vacancy

Rowling, J.K.. The Casual Vacancy. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2012. Print. 503 pages.

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SETTING: The town of Pagford in South West England.

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SUMMARY: The Parish Council of Pagford has been long divided over the issue of whether or not to separate themselves from the bordering, lower socioeconomic community, known locally as "The Fields."  After Pagford Parish Councillor Barry Fairbrother's death, the small town is sent into a frenzy, with each side of the Fields issue rallying to get one of their own to fill Fairbrother's Council seat.  

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FAVORITE QUOTE: "Gavin saw a grave purely as a marker for the place where a corpse was decomposing; a nasty thought, yet people took it into their heads to visit and bring flowers, as though it might yet recover." - Part 5, Chapter 10, page 453.

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I had a vague memory that J.K. Rowling recently published her first novel since completing the Harry Potter series, and I was able to find a copy at the library.  I had absolutely no idea what to expect, and was actually quite worried I'd be disappointed because, let's face it, how can you top Harry Potter?  Seemed like a worthwhile venture nonetheless, so I took the chance.  

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Things I liked about this book:

1. The detail!  The main storyline is actually quite simple and nothing to fawn over.  But Rowling's ability to draw the reader in with wonderfully detailed script and dialogue, just as she did in the Harry Potter books, was again made evident in this novel.  I immediately became absorbed into this book, staying up late at night to read just one more chapter, because she manages to make you fall in love with certain characters from the start.  You're rooting for some, and vehemently want others to fail as retribution for their horrible nature and acts.  This book had nothing to do with magic, but her writing ability creates magic from everyday occurrences.
2. The characters.  This novel has real characters.  Going off of the first point again, Rowling's inclusion of such detail, from describing personalities and emotions to the physical surroundings, gives the reader a very realistic feel for the characters.  She creates people you would very likely encounter in everyday life.
3. The discussion of social issues.  Rowling incorporates a number of very important social issues, including drug abuse, child neglect, rape,  and self-harm, to name a few, into the story in a very fluid and beautiful manner.  
4. The build up to the ending.  This novel is a masterpiece, written with such beautiful structure, and the ending is pure finesse.
5. The Sikh family in the story.  Pagford is a very small, mostly white town with one prominent Sikh family.  The family faces deep rooted racism from certain community members because they see the family as different and a threat to the Pagfordian ways.  Rowling does an exemplary job describing the life of this family, and does so in a knowledgeable way.
6. The writing.  It's beautiful.  I've never appreciated a book as much as this one.  

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There isn't a single thing I didn't like about this novel's writing, content, etc..  Instead, here is a list of characters I didn't like in this book:

1. Shirley Mollison: her self-centered behavior is ridiculous.  She's oblivious to everything but herself.  I wanted to smack some sense into her.
2. Howard Mollison: her equally ridiculous husband.
3. Simon Price.  Abusive SOB.  I would have been very happy if he had been carted off to prison at some point.  But to Rowling's major credit, she portrayed this character in a very realistic way and the manner in which his part of the story concludes is unfortunately what probably happens to most abusive partners and parents.

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Rowling is a genius.  Her talents create pure magic.  This book is, to put it simply, beautiful.  I think I've used that word to describe the book at least ten times in this post.  I can continue gushing about how much I LOVED this book for hours.  I am so impressed by Rowling's writing ability, and I wouldn't be surprised if this novel is adapted into a movie.  If she writes another novel, I will be sure to read it ASAP.

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Recommend?  YES!!!!!  One of my top ten favorite novels ever, without a doubt.

#41: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

Maguire, Gregory: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1999. Print. 368 pages.

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SETTING: The city of Haarlem in the Netherlands.
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SUMMARY: A retelling of the classic story of Cinderella, this time from the stand point of the "ugly stepsisters."
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FAVORITE QUOTE: "In the lives of children, pumpkins can turn into coaches, mice and rats into human beings.  When we grow up, we learn that it's far more common for human beings to turn into rats." - page xiv.
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I've absolutely loved all of Gregory Maguire's books that I've read so far, which haven't been that many (Wicked, Son of a Witch, and A Lion Among Men).  I remembered he has an extensive list of authored books, and I was lucky enough to find one at the library!  
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Things I liked about this book:

1. The entire storyline!  From start to finish, I loved this book!  I haven't read a book with so much enthusiasm in a very long time.  I read the actual story of Cinderella once long ago, but I don't really remember it.  Apart from that, the only exposure I have had to the story is through the Disney movie.  It's made for kids so, obviously, the storyline is pretty bare-bones.  In comparison, this story is so rich and full of fantastically satisfying details!
2. Iris and Ruth, the two stepsisters.  Maguire portrays their characters fabulously.  They each have very complex backgrounds, with Iris' character delved into more fully than Ruth's.  Iris is, undoubtedly, the main character of this story.
3. The reason behind Clara's belief that she is a changeling.  If you plan to read the book (which you should!) don't read the rest of this point...   Ok...  Ready?  It's revealed close to the end of the novel that Clara is kidnapped around three or four years of age by one of her father's businessmen, and she remembers that event as spirits changing her from a disobedient to an obedient child.  I couldn't help but wonder if it was just the trauma of the kidnapping that caused her to have such a memory of it, or if she was perhaps abused in some way by her kidnapper.  It is later revealed in the book that since her kidnapping, her kidnapper has harbored a deep desire to marry her.  He is decades older than her, and even when she is penniless, he still wants to marry her, so the reader can surmise that it isn't for her prior wealth that he is after her.  
4. That Margarethe goes crazy!  I'm glad she does because she was a nasty woman.
5. The ending.  To be a little broader, the last 100 pages or so that serve as the climax of the novel.  It's wonderfully written and parallels the most well-known version of the story of Cinderella very well, making references, in a fabulous literary manner, to the magic pumpkins, fairy godmother, etc. found in the traditional version of the story.

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Things (or characters) I didn't like about this book:

1. Margarethe.  Evil, evil woman!  She claims that all of her actions are for the well being of her daughters, but it soon becomes very clear to the reader that she is quite selfish at the core.  She does love her daughters, in her own strange way, but it is a love that they could probably do without.  
2. The lack of exploration of Ruth's character.  Her main role in the story is revealed at the end of the novel, and once I had finished the book, it became obvious to me that she sees and understands more than is let on during the majority of the story.  This lack of character exploration definitely has a purpose, but from the reader's point of view, it would be interesting to learn more about her character.  Perhaps another book, titled Confessions of the Other Ugly Stepsister, is in order :P (I'm kidding... that would be a pretty boring sequel).

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Once again, Gregory Maguire has provided me with a fabulously written novel.  I have loved every single one of his works that I've read, and for three reasons: (1) he is an incredibly creative writer, (2) he uses well-known childhood favorites as the core of his stories, and (3) he reworks these favorite stories into beautifully rich masterpieces, filled with wonderful details and in-depth explorations into the how and why behind each character's personality.  I most definitely will be reading the rest of his novels in the future. 
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Recommend?  YES!  You'll love it too! 

#40: Prince Caspian

Lewis, C.S.. Prince Caspian. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1951. Print. 184 pages.
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SETTING: The magical land of Narnia!
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SUMMARY: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy find themselves unsuspectingly transported back to Narnia, this time to find the magical world drastically changed from how they had left it one year prior.
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FAVORITE QUOTE: "'That's the worst of girls,' said Edmund to Peter and the Dwarf.  'They never can carry a map in their heads.'

'That's because our heads have something inside them,' said Lucy." - Chapter 9, page 99.
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As mentioned in the previous post (http://artemisiaeupraxia.blogspot.com/2014/06/39-lion-witch-and-wardrobe.html), this is my chosen series for the summer.  This is going to be a fairly short post because much of what I wrote for the first book is applicable to the second book.  Instead of the usual list of likes and dislikes, I'm just going to create a brief list of points I'd like to share.
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1. Edmund becomes a much more likable character.  I actually respected him this time around.
2. There seemed to be more references to Greek and Roman mythology versus Christian stories in this second book.  However, this could be a biased observation.  It's very possible that this time around I paid more attention to the mythology references because I missed so many of them in the first book.  The Christian allegories were pretty straightforward, as they were in the first book.
3. One allegory that I thought was cleverly portrayed was the whole concept of having faith in something you cannot see, specifically referring to the four siblings' faith in Aslan and his presence even when he was not in front of them.  The author is paralleling this to the Christian tenant of always believing in Jesus, even when Christians do not feel (or "see") his presence.  Even though I'm not Christian, I fully appreciate the author's writing skills and his ability to portray this concept so smoothly.
4. Doctor Cornelius' character.  He was integral in shaping Caspian's character and maturation into adulthood.
5. The adorable names some of these characters have!  Reepicheep, Trufflehunter, and Trumpkin, to name a few.  Such cute names, and yet they're pretty deadly characters...

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I'm going to take a break before starting the third book in the series, (1) because I don't have it on me and (2) I have three other books lined up to read.  I will pick up the third book very soon, no worries!  Also, I think my summer reading is going to go much slower than planned... Why?  World Cup!  Between two and six hours (depending on who is playing) are dedicated to soccer every day!
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Recommend?  Yes.

#39: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

Lewis, C.S.. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1950. Print. 154 pages.

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SETTING: 95% Narnia, 5% in their guardian's home.

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SUMMARY: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, four siblings sent to live in the countryside for their own safety during World War II, find themselves in a magical world that they can only access via an ordinary looking wardrobe in their caretaker's home.

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FAVORITE QUOTE: "'Wherever is this?' said Peter's voice, sounding tired and pale in the darkness.  (I hope you know what I mean by a voice sounding pale.)" - Chapter 10, page 84.

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I finally made my way to the library!  And picked up a nice variety of books, this time based on authors I like.  This book was a somewhat last minute decision.  I've been wanting to read a children's/young adult series from beginning to end for a while now.  I was looking to read Michael Scott's series, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, but they didn't have the first book :(  Randomly, I remembered that I'd never finished The Chronicles of Narnia.  I remember reading the first book in the series a long time ago, and I might have read The Magician's Nephew too at some point.  Anyhow, there were plenty of copies of all the books in this series, so this has become the chosen series of the summer.  It should be a quick finish considering the novels are fairly short and simple, since they were written for kids.

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Things I liked about this book:

1. Fantasy!  I love fantasy fiction!
2. The numerous allegories.  As a kid, I had no idea what was going on.  One of the main motivators to read this entire series was to see what I would pick up now, as an adult.  The Christian allegories were a straight shot; I was able to identify and understand those very easily, mostly because I'm familiar with the main Christian stories.  The references to Greek and Roman mythology, on the other hand, were a little lost on me, sadly because I don't have much memory for the mythology I learned in school.  I understood them after I did some research and read about those connections.  
3. The ending.  It's brings the story full circle in a way that I thoroughly appreciated.
4. The professor!  He's the man charged with caring for the children, and he's such a fabulous, open-minded character.  He doesn't have much of a role in the book, but the few appearances he makes are noteworthy.
5. It's written so well, and is definitely a story-teller's story.  As you're reading the book, it feels like you're actually sitting in front of someone who is telling you the story, someone who was there to experience the entire journey, down to every last detail.  It's like in books and movies, where a scene is described in which children are sitting around the town elder, listening to his adventures from his youth.  The fabulous way in which this book is written is probably one of the reasons it is still so popular today. 

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Things I didn't like/found funny about this book:

1. That the four main characters' speech changes at the end of the novel: "Then said King Peter (for they talked in quite a different style now, having been Kings and Queens for so long)..." (p.150).  I thought it was a weird, funny, and somewhat unnecessary detail to incorporate into the story.  Perhaps it was to emphasize just how much time had passed between the main battle and the ending of the novel?  But that point could have been made very clear without the strange speech change.
2. Edmund.  His character had a purpose, of course, but he was so bratty and annoying.  

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Funny thing I learned while choosing this book at the library: there's a dispute as to which order you should read the books.  There are those who argue you should read them in the order they were published, while others say chronological order is the way to go.  I sat down on the library floor and researched the pros and cons of both orders (yay smart phones!), and liked the argument for reading them in publication order better.  Via chronological order, the reader gets to experience the story in an orderly timeline from beginning to end.  But when read in publication order, the reader gets a step-wise introduction to this magical world, in the way it came to the author's head.  Publication order seemed more genuine, and so that is what I stuck with.  

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Recommend?  Yes!

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PS - I really enjoyed the author's introduction to this book, so I'm going to share it below:

My dear Lucy,

I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books.  As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still.  But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.  You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it.  I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be

your affectionate Godfather,
C.S. Lewis

#38: Girl, Interrupted

Kaysen, Susanna: Girl, Interrupted. New York: Turtle Bay Books, 1993. Print. 168 pages.
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SETTING: McClean Hospital (psychiatric hospital in Belmont, MA) between April 1967 and September 1968.

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SUMMARY: Susanna Kaysen provides readers with a memoir of her time at McClean Hospital, compiling a series of stories describing her experience.

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FAVORITE QUOTE: "Every window on Alcatraz has a view of San Francisco." - page 6.

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After a whopping FIVE MONTHS, I finally read a book cover-to-cover!  Don't worry, there was plenty of school-related reading taking place during that time as I prepared for a huuuuuuuuuge board exam that I took yesterday!  Yay!  But my poor brain was desperately yearning for non-school related stimulation, and I was finally able to satisfy it's craving!  Unfortunately the local library here at home is closed on Sundays and Mondays, so I was forced to peruse through our home collection of books, the majority of which I've already read (or at least attempted to read).  I read this book once a few years ago, and I remembered the general premise behind the story.  However, now that I've had a formal, albeit short, introduction to psychology and psychiatry via my classes, I thought revisiting this piece with my new knowledge would prove to be a fun adventure.  

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Things I liked about this book:

1. The inspiration behind the title.  Towards the end of the book, the author describes a deep connection to the Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer's painting, Girl Interrupted at her Music.  I won't elaborate on this connection (you'll have to read it yourself to find out!), but the author's description of the emotion she feels when seeing this piece is very moving.  
2. The author's openness in describing her experience.  Granted this novel wouldn't have been such a success if she didn't write in detail about her time at McClean...
3. The author's exploration of mental health and psychiatry.  The author questions the validity of certain mental health practices, especially diagnoses, and it makes for an interesting read.  Mental health is a sticky topic because you can't see everything that's contributing to a person's state of being, and here I'm talking about the person's biology and genetics, and their life experiences.  Not to mention that one person's definition of sanity can be another's definition of insanity.
4. Lisa Rowe.  Her character is by far my favorite, mostly because of the complexity behind her actions.  She's the perfect example of what I wrote in the above point: from the outside, all of her actions while at McClean seem connected to her being a diagnosed sociopath.  In reality, as described by the author, much of what Lisa does has an ulterior, selfless motive.
5. That the patients staying at McClean feel the need to protect certain groups of people.  It's an interesting topic that the author describes in a satisfying amount of detail.
6. The author's ultimate diagnosis of borderline personality disorder.  She fabulously explores the definition of this diagnosis versus what the diagnosis means to her as a living, breathing person.

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Things I didn't like about this book:

1. The sporadic nature of the stories.  That the memoir is written as a string of stories provides the book with a certain "feel" that keeps the reader interested; however, I would have preferred to have the chapters presented with a little more direction.  This speaks to the organized, linear part of my nature.  I like certain things to be in order. 

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Psychiatry and psychology have always interested me, as I think it interests most of the population.  It's "fun" to be able to explore the motivation and origins behind behaviors, whether it's one's own behaviors or of those around you.  Although certain mental health practices have changed (i.e. lobotomies are virtually extinct as a treatment method for psychiatric illnesses), the concept of so commonly treating psychiatric problems with medications is still as big a topic of contention as ever, perhaps even more so with the plethora of medications out there now.  I've heard over and over again that psychiatrists have unwillingly been reduced to being an extension of pharmaceutical companies.  I'm sure I'll have a solid opinion on that once I experience a psych rotation during my third year of medical school.  Until then, I'm going to choose to stay neutral on that topic. 

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Recommend?  Yes!  Quick and short read.