Review: Enough About Love ~ by Hervé Le Tellier(translated by Adriana Hunter)

 

Enough About Love ~ by Hervé Le Tellier (reviewed by Shellie)

A dryly humorous and intellectual literary story about the fickleness of human love and all its entanglements.

About:  Set in contemporary France we have Anna, who is a doctor, and Louise, an attorney. Anna's therapist falls for Louise, and Anna falls for a writer. Both women are beautiful, intelligent, Jewish and of very comfortable means. They also look so similar that they could be the same person or sisters. As these two women with loving families and husbands find romantic entanglement with different men (not their husbands), we see the complexity of their feelings, the inevitable consequences of their choices, and some of the inner workings of their lives – complex and mundane.

Creating a story which is  – “enough about love”.

Thoughts:  I enjoyed this literary novel partly because it’s not your ordinary romance and because it was perfect to read around Valentine’s day. As is often the case in real life romance all the character’s lives are intertwined, overlapped and connected.  Labeling each chapter with the character’s names, Le Tellier tells us about their daily lives as they connect throughout the story.

The author also offers the reader elements with heart wrenching depth such as a glimpse inside the Jewish psyche – one an incredible metaphorical link, inside a legal speech given by Louise about the holocaust; another gives a view inside the daily workings of a woman’s mind. Le Tellier’s attention to details is intriguing - for example he lists the clothing purchases of one of the main character’s - where he cleverly juxtaposes the heavy (as in the holocaust speech) and the light (represented by the gorgeous descriptions of each item such as lingerie and shoes).

It is a quirky novel which is often the case with translations - which is why I adore them. I was challenged and did not understand every little element; I was shocked, amazed and laughed. I give this realistic novel 3 stars. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy translations, like an intellectual read, are intrigued by the French, or are looking for a large step away from fluffy romance.

---

Enough About Love ~ by Hervé Le Tellier  US|UK|Canada. For more about the book – see our giveaway post for Enough About Love.

This book will be linked in various challenges – to be determined.

Thanks for reading!

Review: The March ~ by E.L. Doctorow

 

The March ~ by E. L. Doctorow (reviewed by John/JD)

A roiling account of the final months of the U.S. Civil War, as General Sherman’s Union army cuts a swathe through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

About:  Sherman famously led his army on a march through the Confederate heartlands, employing a scorched earth strategy - living off the land and the Southern families and leaving behind them a trail of destruction. His “total war” policy was intended to undermine the ability of the Confederacy to continue waging war, and he succeeded. Doctorow’s book is a historic fiction, following “the March” and telling the stories of several (mainly) fictional people who became embroiled in the events.

John’s Thoughts:   While Sherman is one of the characters featured, mostly the book looks through the eyes of a range of very different characters – black and white, rich and poor, soldier and civilian, Union and Confederate. Lives and whole social systems are being turned on their heads, and Doctorow recounts the impact of the chaos on individuals; and chaotic it most certainly is.

Rich white people suddenly find themselves dispossessed; black slaves are freed but have no idea what it really means and where they should go; two lowly soldiers defect to the other side almost by accident as they try to avoid a court-martial, and continue to take on new guises; doctors and medical units attached to the army are overwhelmed by a constant stream of the wounded and the sick, dramatically impacting the lives and attitudes of the healers; the armies themselves seem to have a life of their own, often barely controlled by their leaders; and Sherman himself is strategically brilliant but is psychologically unstable.

Through it all Doctorow is very effectively communicating the madness, unpredictability, violence and life-changing impact of war. While there is at least some cautious optimism at the end of the book, this isn’t a story where all loose ends are nicely tied up and everyone lives happily ever after.

While in some places it did feel like a fiction, mostly it had a true-to-life feel about it, and you couldn’t help feeling that you’d experienced something of what the war must have been like. The writing style is a little dense at times (the opening sentence is fifteen lines long), but the more I got into the book the easier it became. Overall, I certainly enjoyed the read. I’d rate the book 3.5 stars.

---

Hardcover: 363 pages; Random House; 1st edition (September 20, 2005) US|UK|Canada.

The copy that John read was found at a junk store in Napa, CA. It was one dollar and it is a first edition (very cool). The cover shown above is from the UK – we tend to like them the best. Besides it matches the blog a bit better!

This book will be part of several challenges – The War Through the Generations, and one or two historical other fiction challenges.

As always John/JD will be responding to any comments around his review. Please don’t forget to check the follow up box to get his reply.

Thanks for reading!

Short Hiatus, Seaside, and Steampunk

 

We are off traveling.

This time its off to San Diego for a short business trip.

The good news is that we will be on the Pacific coast with its lovely beaches, sea mist, and so much more. The weather promises to be warmly moist (maybe with a bit of rain), and a change of scenery will be more than nice.

We adore Carlsbad (links to post for our last trip from August of 2009).  Its beach side shopping area has some “local color”, small stores and independent restaurants - several that serve fresh sea food pizza (surprisingly tasty), and a used book store called Fahrenheit 451 (links to Yelp) which purportedly has some very old books – we are talking 500 years old.

The not so great bit is that we will be missing the Wild West Con - steam punk convention held in Tucson this weekend. We are very very sad.

It promises to be a blast with an interesting venue. Held on a Western style movie set here in the Wild West of Arizona with all those Cacti, dust, and dry weather. I am thinking the attendees just may believe they have stepped back in time. They are featuring several authors, one which we had planned on stalking (Cherie Priest was my first choice). The plan was to get all dressed up in steam”ish” Victoriana style, get some books signed, and afterward to share pictures and whatnot in a blog post. But business before pleasure, as they say.

Pictures included in this post where taken by John from the beach in Carlsbad, and these gorgeous steampunk”ish” Native American statues from Sedona below.  I cannot imagine how much they weigh since they are left out doors all night long and have not been stolen -  they are handcrafted from welded iron and located at the Village at Tlaquepaque.

Our bags are packed, the house/cat sitter is set, and posting will resume in our slightly less than normal fashion by the end of next week.

We have several reviews in the works –  Enough About Love (translated lit fic), The March by E. L. Doctorow (civil war hist fic), Home Fires by Gene Wolfe (sci fi), and a plethora of others we are currently reading, thinking and writing about.

Even though it’s early - never the less have a wonderful weekend!

Review for Blue: a novel ~ by Lou Aronica

 

Blue: a novel ~ by Lou Aronica (reviewed by Shellie)

A tear inducing novel about family love and the methods we create when coping with a life threatening illness - in ourselves, and in those we love most.

About:  Set presently in the US, our key characters are Chris and his 14 year old daughter – Becky. From the very beginning it is clear that Chris adores Becky in a way that is perhaps beyond the norm, even to the point of ignoring his own needs and development. This is in part due to a difficult illness Becky has been afflicted with as a small child. Within this extremely constrained and nightmarish situation, and as a means to cope with medical treatments, the two contrive an elaborate and fantastical world together. This is their story, of their parallel and perhaps symbolic world, and what happens when the fine line between reality and fantasy becomes blurred during life altering events.

Thoughts:  A realistic story that also possesses a fantastical thread with elements of both science fiction and fantasy, Blue has an ecological theme which I particularly liked.  I would even say it is on the verge of magical realism. I think that because of its connection to “real life” and its setting in the “real world”, this makes the book an opportunity for non-fantasy readers to adventure into the speculative.

One thing that I particularly liked is that it feels like the author has a good grasp on  and around human nature. For example, he has an understanding about what it is like to be a good parent, and what it can feel like for a person to be extremely ill. With examples of both within the pages, I want to share one quote which summarizes the feelings of a parent:

One of the first things Chris learned as a father was that being one allowed you access to previously unavailable resources. The ability to function coherently at two in the morning when a baby needed soothing, a bottle needed heating, and a diaper needed changing at the same time. The ability to navigate through a little kid’s tantrum without either screaming or running away. The ability to perform the same bit of slapstick several dozen times in a row because it made your child laugh. The ability to bear up when your preteen chose a sleepover at a friend’s instead of the plans you made with her a week before.

I really enjoyed this read, but I do have to say that I had a slight confusion while reading. I kept going back and forth as to who the book’s intended audience were -tween/young adult, or adult. I felt like I wanted to recommend it to parents to read to their children with its child friendly fantastical elements and language development. However with some very adult mentions, like the Karma Sutra, this could be precarious. In the end I would recommend this book to adult readers only.

In summary Blue is an accessible page turner which includes an intriguing and creative concept. I liked that all the interwoven and layered threads constructed through the story followed through and that all my questions about this “other world” were addressed. My favorite part of the book is it’s heartbreaking yet affirming ending. Although I choked back tears unsuccessfully through the last 15 pages getting the pages all soggy and damp, this sweet novel is also redemptive, which is such a wonderful combination. I give this novel 4 stars.

---

US|UK|Canada; Paperback: 400 pages; The Fiction Studio (January 16, 2011)

For more information on the book and about the author please see our Preview for Blue.

Stay tuned for a special giveaway/contest where Lou Aronica has offered to edit a short story or synopsis for a winner here on Layers of Thought.

Thanks for reading!

Review and Giveaway: WWW:Wake ~ by Robert J. Sawyer

We have 5 copies for giveaway and it’s international!

The first in the trilogy with the second in the series published in 2010, and the third being released in April of this year -2011.

WWW:Wake ~ by Robert J. Sawyer (reviewed by John/JD)  US|UK|Canada.

---

John’s Review:

An intriguing and clever science fiction novel with a tremendous young female lead character.

About:   Caitlin Decter is a feisty teenage girl who is a genius at math and a wizard on the internet, despite being totally blind since birth. With no sight she has learnt to compensate - both mentally and technically - and she uses a variety of tools to thoroughly utilize the internet. In many ways it is her window on the world, and in the world of the internet her chosen name is Calculass.

Out of the blue she gets an offer from a Japanese Doctor. Caitlin has an extremely rare form of blindness and the Doctor’s research team has developed some technology which he believes could restore some of her sight. This involves inserting an implant behind her eye, with a small control module that is linked to the internet so that data can be sent to and received from the Doctor’s server in Japan.

But the results are unexpected, and it seems that Caitlin’s brain has long ago co-opted her primary visual cortex to help her visualize and navigate the internet – explaining some of her remarkable skills on the web. Once the implant is activated, Caitlin actually starts to see the World Wide Web mapped out in extraordinary detail. But she also starts to sense something out there that has a form of intelligence, and the more of the real word that she sees, the smarter it becomes. And now it wants to communicate with Calculass.  

John’s Thoughts:  Sawyer has a fabulous imagination and this is an excellent story with an extremely clever plot. He’s clearly got a strong grasp of technology and uses that to good effect, but he also has the skill of writing very accessible novels – some science fiction novels start to feel a bit like too much like science text books, but with Sawyer the techy bits don’t get in the way and don’t spoil the flow of the story. 

He has also created some interesting characters with strong personalities and a lot of depth. In particular Caitlin is a wonderful character that will appeal to many readers – irrespective of age or sex. Something else that I really liked about the book is that you get to experience the world from the perspective of a young blind person, and it’s enlightening, scary and thought provoking.

Overall I’d rate this book 4 stars. I would have gone even higher, but when I picked up the book I didn’t realize that it was the first of a trilogy, and it’s one of those annoying instances where you get to the end of a book but lots of loose ends remain. Which drives me nuts. I’m sure that if I get around to reading the other two in the series, then all will become clear and I’ll enjoy them, but in the meanwhile I feel like I’ve been left dangling.

Hardcover: 368 pages; Ace Hardcover; 1 edition (April 7, 2009)  US|UK|Canada.

---

WWW:Watch ~ by Robert J. Sawyer  (book 2)

Webmind is an emerging consciousness that has befriended Caitlin Decter and grown eager to learn about her world. But Webmind has also come to the attention of WATCH-the secret government agency that monitors the Internet for any threat to the United States-and they're fully aware of Caitlin's involvement in its awakening.

WATCH is convinced that Webmind represents a risk to national security and wants it purged from cyberspace. But Caitlin believes in Webmind's capacity for compassion-and she will do anything and everything necessary to protect her friend. (via Amazon).

Hardcover: 368 pages Ace Hardcover; 1 edition (April 6, 2010)  US|UK|Canada.

WWW:Wonder ~ Robert J. Sawyer  (book 3)

Webmind-the vast consciousness that spontaneously emerged from the infrastructure of the World Wide Web-has proven its worth to humanity by aiding in everything from curing cancer to easing international tensions. But the brass at the Pentagon see Webmind as a threat that needs to be eliminated.

Caitlin Decter-the once-blind sixteen-year-old math genius who discovered, and bonded with, Webmind-wants desperately to protect her friend. And if she doesn't act, everything-Webmind included-may come crashing down. (via Amazon).

Hardcover: 352 pages; Ace Hardcover (April 5, 2011) US|UK|Canada. (for pre-purchase)

---

Robert J. Sawyer is one of only eight writers in history (and the only Canadian) to win all three of the the following awards for best novel of the year: the Hugo (2003 for Hominids), the Nebula (1996 for The Terminal Experiment), and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award (2006 for Mindscan).

For more info link to http://sfwriter.com/blog/ and http://www.sfwriter.com/index.htm.  Photo Credit: Christina Molendyk

 

Rollback ~ Robert J. Sawyer

With another amazing story line and premise John has also read, reviewed, and loved Rollback ~ by Robert J. Sawyer. The post also has an interview with Sawyer via YouTube.

Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages; Tor Science Fiction; 1st edition (February 5, 2008) US|UK|Canada.

---

Contest Info:

The contest for these five books is International!  To enter please fill out the form below:

You do not need to be a reader/follower to enter. You must leave your email in the form below.

For optional extra points  ~ you can do any, all or none of the below for 1 entry point each:

1. Be a subscriber of Layers of Thought – Google or Facebook. (I need to be able to see you! For Facebook to get our blog updates in your feed - add me as a friend otherwise it does not count).
2. Friend on Twitter.

Contest ends Sunday March 27th, 2011 at 12 pm US Pacific time. Winner will be posted and notified on Monday April 4th, 2011.  

(Please note - You may have to link to the blog to access the giveaway form if you are viewing this post in email).

---

 

 

 

---

We use random.org to determine our winners. If you have a question or a concern (a typo or bad link or a problem with this form) please email me via my profile – Shellie.

Thanks for entering and good luck!