Review: Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

Narrated by a young girl during the settling of America, Caleb’s Crossing is the story of Bethia’s friendship with an Indian boy as she follows his ‘crossing’ into English society and ultimately, Harvard College.

The daughter of a Puritan preacher, Bethia is aware of her place as a female - she was to become a wife and a mother, and so her education was of little importance, so long as there were jobs to be done. But the sharp-witted and feisty teenager wasn’t content to sit back and watch her brother receive the schooling he didn’t want so she took it on herself to keep up with his classes (provided in their home).

During this time Bethia had a chance encounter with an Indian boy from the nearby tribe. The two quickly formed a secret friendship and taught each other about their worlds.

Unhappy with her lot in life, Bethia began to question not only the rules of her establishment but her faith in God also.

As fate would have it, the boy who Bethia had given the Christian name Caleb one day came to live with Bethia and her family for schooling. He soon proved his intelligence and began on the path that would lead him to university in Cambridge.

This story is not so much Caleb’s Crossing as Bethia’s.

Narrated in a memoir-style journey through Bethia’s coming of age, it does tell the story of Harvard’s first Indian graduate however the reflections are those of Bethia’s.

Written in the language of 17th century American Puritans, it is an authentic experience. Once the meanings of ‘tegs’ and ‘bever’ have been deciphered the reader settles into the world with ease.

(I will admit I had to re-read a paragraph from time to time as I had missed a vital part of conversation or description due to the language.)

If I have one criticism it would be the amount of times Bethia listed exactly what had been prepared for meals. We don’t need to know exactly what they ate, every time (although I realise that as a woman in this setting, mealtimes were a large portion of her work and thus, important to her).

The island setting reveals itself to be what is now known as Martha’s Vineyard, and the visual description is stunning. I longed for Bethia to take more journeys to the beach or lake, just to read more about the beautiful vista.

I was initially hesitant about reading this book. It had however received rave reviews and more importantly been given to me as a gift from my best friend. It was an enthralling read.

I’m a mother to a gorgeous little boy.

Review: The Year of The Flood by Margaret Atwood

This book is the second in the MaddAdam Trilogy, following Oryx and Crake however easily able to be read as a stand-alone.

The story is told from the points of view from two survivors of the Great Flood, a civilisation-destroying event that is the basis for the plot but never actually explained to the reader.

The survivors Toby and Ren are members of a religious group who are now isolated and trying to survive in the post-apocalyptic world, recounting their lives before The Flood and the events leading up to it. It is through their eyes that we see life in a future Earth setting.

Atwood delivers a refreshing interpretation of the cluttered dystopia field. Mixing everyday technologies we use now with enhanced versions on things that are currently being developed made the details of the world believable.

Initially the setting within the religious group turned me off but with a wary disposition I slowly came around thanks to relatable characters Toby and Zeb, and I genuinely cared about what happened to Ren.

Atwood’s approach in telling the story from the actual year of the flood and then cutting back to the events leading up to it was a little odd and perhaps not perfectly executed. It took the edge off the events of the 25th year (The Year of the Flood) however she did such a good job with the characters that the possibly the plot took a back seat.

Once I had engaged with the characters I couldn’t put the book down.

Five People I Admire Most (writing exercise)

Five people I admire most - and why (in note form).

1. Michael (friend) - web and gaming designer

• His drive to constantly learn new things about his craft.
• His family is the most important thing in his life.
• He’s always positive and optimistic in a generally tough art/field.
• He’s able to problem-solve and think on his feet.
• He’s kind at heart.

The example that Michael leads is to focus on the important things; not take problems to heart or get stuck on roadblocks; and to take time to enjoy what he does and to enjoy life.

2. Anthony (former colleague) - digital strategist

• His passion to learn everything he possibly can.
• His willingness to work hard to achieve his goals.
• His exuberance for life and for what he does (work, hobbies - all the same priority with him).
• His courage to give it everything - money, time, location.

The example Anthony leads is that you really can achieve what you want if you put in the effort.

3. Brooke (former colleague/acquaintance) - photographer

• She doesn’t care what people think of her.
• She’s worked hard in crappy jobs to get to a place she wants to be.
• She’s chased her dream across cities and is still working hard; she doesn’t expect things to fall into her lap.
• She’s spending all her resources on improving her skills and portfolio - she’s not standing still.

The example Brooke leads is that it takes hard work and constant maintenance to achieve your goals. Many people who know Brooke are in awe of how far she has come but she has put in the work and is still working hard.

4. Andrew (professional I use for tips and inspiration) - freelance journalist

• He works hard and his portfolio reflects it.
• He is happy to share his freelancing and journalism experience with other writers.
• He’s not afraid to aim high.

The example Andrew leads is a very practical one. He is quickly becoming my online mentor, both creatively and in journalism. He shows the hard work, motivation and organisation required in order to succeed. He is the practical balance to my creative muses.

5. John (professional I have followed for some time) - writer

• He’s funny, witty and dry in real life.
• He’s highly intelligent and well-read.
• He works in both fiction and non-fiction - very successfully.
• He’s local, he’s a geek, he’s a family man and I can completely relate to him.

This man is my writing inspiration. The example John leads is that it’s possible to successfully hold a ‘sensible’ writing job (starting in communications and journalism); use your life experiences to write fiction; and become a successful novelist. And then continue spending your time balancing the blogging and journalism with your fiction writing. Why choose?

niiicethings:

“Noun is a playful artist’s book about words and their definitions. It is like an exquisite corpse with words.

Starting with 27 real English words, each word and its definition has been divided into two parts. By turning the pages, you get to mix and match the word halves to create humorous and nonsensical new words and meanings.

With over 700 different combinations, this book is the perfect item for bibiophiles, lexicographers, writers, and any lover of words.

Here are a few examples of words and definitions you can put together:

whisper + umbrella = whisbrella: A low sibilan utterance for sheltering one from rain and sun.
banana + onomatopoeia = bananpoeia: A large herbaceous perennial tropical plant that bears fruit imitating the sound of the thing or action signified.
muffin + tyrant = muffrant: A quick bread made of batter unrestrained by law or constitution.
nomenclature + ancestry = nomencestry: A system or set of names for things derived from, or possessed by, an ancestor or ancestors.”

I love this idea. I would love for my 12 year old to pick this up and start playing with it too.

(via teachingliteracy)

Review: The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

Narrated by Tony as he reflects on his life (we don’t know the retiree’s age, only that he feels old) the story follows an encounter with a girlfriend from his past which leads to the biographical introspection and a return to his youthful ways.

The story is divided into two sections. The first is Tony’s recollections of his school days, the tale of his first relationship with a girl named Veronica and a summary of his adult life to present.

Part Two brings the long-forgotten Veronica back into the picture in a surprising manner. Veronica holds the same mystery Tony found so intriguing forty years earlier and had sworn off, and leads him on a chase to obtain not only an item that has been bequeathed to him in her mother’s will but also information about her former lover that she seems intent on hiding from Tony.

As he spends more and more time with Veronica Tony finds himself questioning his own recollection of their shared history and behaving more like the immature adolescent he had been when dating her. He begins reflecting on whose version of events can be considered correct - the person who lived through it or the person who holds the written documentation recorded at the time.

This book, the 2011 Man Booker Prize winner, was well written and easy to read. I devoured it in record time, though it was only a short read.

It made me consider my decision to stop writing a diary when I left high school and rely on my memory to preserve my own history. There are photos and videos of significant events but do they really capture the details, the emotions? As such, I have decided to once again commit to preserving my memories thanks to this book.

(via prettybooks)

Review: Catch-22

A tale of a young US bombardier based with his squadron in Italy in WWII, Catch-22 is considered a modern classic and is on many people’s must-read list (perhaps because the term is in our everyday lexicon).

The main character Yossarian is tired of flying missions and has been plotting various schemes to get himself sent home.

The author Joseph Heller was an advertising copywriter and his no-nonsense style has produced a sharp, witty tale.

I really enjoyed the writing of this book. You can tell it was written by a former copywriter - nothing flowery about it. Descriptions were to the point, dialogue was realistic and concise and it was an easy-to-imagine setting.

However there was no plot. The story was flimsy. The dialogue was too realistic (it was like listening in on a conversation, word for word). The main character Yossarian dances around the main premise, Catch-22, for the entire book but it seems like the reference is only thrown in as an after thought to tie the plot together during a random sequence of events.

Unfortunately the book doesn’t really flow. It feels more like a collection of short stories involving the same characters rather than one continuous story. In the end, that lets it down.

prettybooks:

(by Ria Photography)

Reading Sad Books

Do you avoid books you know are going to be sad?

I have watched movies that I’ve known beforehand will be sad or depressing but I find movies don’t affect me as much as books.

With a movie you are watching the characters experience the story in front of you, and while you may sympathise with them for those few viewing hours (and sometimes a little more if it got you thinking), the experience is rarely a lasting one.

A book however uses your imagination to draw you into the story. It taps into your emotions and relies on your own visual projections of the characters. Books take longer to read and so you are often entering that world alongside your daily interactions of work, friends, family, hobbies. It’s as if you are living the story.

I find sad books much more emotionally draining on me and have avoided some that I have thought sounded interesting but didn’t want to put myself through the turmoil. I’m obviously missing out by doing this - both as a reader and a writer.

I know there’s nothing like a heart-wrenching scene in the middle of the story to keep the audience reading. I know some of the best stories can be about the human element triumphing in some of the worst situations. I just wonder sometimes how these books can be marketed on the hardest part of reading. It seems to be quite a popular spin these days.